We’re knee deep in submissions, and I’ve been extremely behind on my personal reading (which the nerd in me loves to do). This summer, I’m traveling extensively, which gives me the perfect opportunity to sneak in non-Plenary related reading. I’m mapping out my summer reading list, and came across great reviews for Professor Lea Vandervelde’s “Mrs. Dred Scott: A Life On Slavery’s Frontier.”

If you’re not familiar with the Supreme Court’s infamous decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which held that all blacks, whether free or slaves, were not and could never become US citizens. The court also held that the 1820 Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, thus permiting slavery in all of the country’s territories. This case is an amzing piece of litigation in terms of Scott’s fight for his freedom and the Supreme Court’s flawed analysis. One of the book reviews sums it up nicely:

Through Harriet Scott’s life, the author is able to create a valuable portrait of the development of slavery on the U.S. frontier during an era in which that scourge was leading the country toward civil war. Despite the wealth of historical knowledge presented, the heart of this well-researched work is the tragic tale of how a loving family’s effort to gain their freedom was brutally rejected by Supreme Court justices bent on maintaining the institution of slavery at all costs.

This book is also pretty timely in light of Justice Souter’s retirement, as it emphasizes the importance of diversity (and diverse minds) on the Supreme Court.