The First Chief Justice

John Jay and the Struggle of a New Nation

By: Mark C. Dillon

Narrated by: Timothy Howard Jackson

The first Chief Justice of the United States, John Jay faced many unique challenges. When the stability and success of the new nation were far from certain, a body of federalized American law had to be created from scratch.

In The First Chief Justice, New York State Appellate Judge Mark C. Dillon uncovers, for the first time, how Jay's personal, educational, and professional experiences—before, during, and after the Revolutionary War—shaped both the establishment of the first system of federal courts from 1789 to 1795 and Jay's approach to deciding the earliest cases heard by the Supreme Court. Dillon takes us on a fascinating journey of a task accomplished by constant travel on horseback to the nation's far reaches, with Jay adeptly handling the Washington administration, Congress, lawyers, politicians, and judicial colleagues. The book includes the history of each of the nine cases decided by Jay when he was Chief Justice, many of which have proven with time to have enduring historical significance. The First Chief Justice will appeal to anyone interested in the establishment of the US federal court system and early American history.

©2022 State University of New York (P)2022 Tantor

Constitutional law enthusiast

John Jay was not entirely exciting, but important for the Supreme Court and constitutional law. This doesn’t glamorize it,

Highly Recommend

This is an excellent and informative book about John Jay’s fascinating life and the cases heard before the first Supreme Court. I highly recommend!