The Right to the Assistance of Counsel

Book excerpt: Inaugurating Greenw4ood's Reference Guides to the United States Constitution series, this superlative guide to the Sixth Amendment is the first to survey the legal guarantee of counsel's assistance since 1963's Gideon ruling. The vast majority of important, even landmark cases regarding the right to counsel were decided after that pivotal ruling, making this the definitive work on the topic. Tomkovicz offers a concise yet substantial account of the historical development of the right to counsel in England and America. Included are: •A brief history of the topic •Lengthy and sophisticated analysis of the current state of the law •A bibliographical essay organizing and evaluating scholarly material for further research •A table of cases •Index A thorough analysis of the relevant U.S. Supreme Court's doctrine gives concrete content to the right to assistance of defense counsel. Scholars and students of the U.S. Constitution, along with attorneys and lay readers, will gain a rich understanding of the meaning and importance of the Sixth Amendment, and a comprehensive overview of a cornerstone of America's constitutional and legal order.