Courthouses of the Second Circuit: Their Architecture, History, and Stories.

Through photos and text, Courthouses of the Second Circuit explores the rich history of the architecture and jurisprudence of the federal courts in New York, Connecticut, and Vermont, one of the nation's most significant and prestigious judicial circuits. The book guides readers through a historical journey of the Second Circuit courts, where prominent judges such as Justice Thurgood Marshall presided, and where groundbreaking cases have been heard.

Courthouses of the Second Circuit covers the history of the buildings themselves, amazing in their variety and beauty, from the earliest Federal era structures up to the modern buildings by noted architects such as Richard Meier, Cesar Pelli, and KPF. In these buildings public art is on display, including works by Maya Lin, Raymond Kaskey, Lisa Scheer, and WPA sculptures and murals that adorn the buildings from the Depression era.

The cases heard in the Second Circuit have affected American history and culture. Some, such as early Wright Brothers and Edison patent cases, helped shape modern times. Others, such as the Pentagon Papers case and the Love Canal cases, have become part of our national consciousness. And still others inspired books and films, such as Steven Spielberg s Amistad and the recent Bridge of Spies.