The Historic Rules of Supreme Court, 1813-1879
edited by Warren M. Billings
Between 1813 and 1879, when a new constitution created the courts of appeal, the Supreme Court was the state's only continuing appellate court. As such, it played an instrumental part in fashioning Louisiana's law and society during the first three-quarters of the nineteenth century. Learning its rules is an important lesson for any understanding of how the Court worked during its formative years. Until now, no single compilation of all the early rules existed. Therefore, anyone who wished to know their content had to dig through the voluminous Court minute books or the more numerous Louisiana Reports to locate their texts. When viewed collectively, these rules are an insight into how the justices exercised an important portion of their authority, just as they reveal how that authority could be altered in response to changes in the social environment that influenced the evolution of Louisiana law and culture.
Hardcover, 80 pages, ©1985
ISBN: 0940984261