The legal columnist Nat Hentoff has often said that the former Justice Brennan's best advice to him regarding his craft was "to tell them stories," real life stories that show the principles of the Constitution in action. Good advice indeed, also useful when covering historical events and many other things.
Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy followed such advice in In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action, though left a few provisions out while doing so (the most glaring is the Establishment Clause -- unlike the likes of the Excessive Fines Clause, surely there were quite a lot of choices to pick from).
I read this fine book years ago as well as the sequel respecting privacy rights, but felt compelled to purchase a copy when discovering one for less than $5 (including shipping) could be found on Amazon.com. A charming inscription (that reminds me a bit of the author of a blog I know) to the original owner was included as part of the bargain:
For Michele:
A lawyer? perhaps. A wonderful person and a beloved daughter? -- Always! Happy Birthday with all our love. We are so proud of who you are! Mom. Dad.
Talking about legal issues, a discussion of the latest development of the battle against sex specific marriage laws in California is found here. Reading the opinion, I just hope the California Supreme Court deals with the issues involved a bit more comprehensively, including state interests, gender discrimination, and the true nature of a fundamental right to marry.