Federal Courts is such a difficult class because of the sheer complexity of the material. Sadly, many students, me included, are forced to use Hart and Wechsler's Federal Courts casebook which is itself very difficult to learn from (for reasons I discuss in my review of that book). Many casebooks try to go over too much: they spend time on general principles, certainly, but often get caught up in discussing every single case with some relevance to the course, with less focus on hammering down an understanding of the general principles. Hart and Wechsler is a prime example of this. Their casebook is difficult to digest because there is so much to learn. Their endnotes are filled to the brim with hundreds of cases, many of which are unnecessary to obtain a general understanding of the course. And let's be honest, while these cases might be vital for aspiring future clerks taking Federal Courts, not all of us are clerking for the D.C. Circuit anytime soon.
Chemerinsky's hornbook very adequately solves this problem. Of all of the study guides and hornbooks I have perused in law school, Chemerinsky's book helped guide me the most, in what is the hardest class I have taken. In well-defined sections, Chemerinsky breaks down the daunting Federal Courts in a manner that is easy to read and ultimately understand. Chemerinsky clearly as well as concisely lays out a framework for each of the key bedrock principles of Federal Courts and federal jurisdiction without getting caught up in going over every possible case with implications for federal courts. Chemerinsky does discuss the key exceptions as well as minor cases, but they flow very well with his general discussions of the base material of Federal Courts. His book, therefore, was extremely easy to absorb and helped me immensely in understanding Federal Courts.
I was often bewildered and perplexed by the material discussed in Hart and Wechsler and in class lectures. Chemerinsky's book tore down much of my confusion by helping me focus on the key concepts of Federal Courts, and not getting lost in the forest of cases delineated by the casebook and by my professor. I strongly recommend that any student taking Federal Courts buy this book. It is invaluable to learning the course. You would be doing yourself a disservice if you did not take a look at Chemerinsky.
The book does fail in maintaining any semblance of objectivity when it comes to the scope of federal judicial power. Although arguments are mechanically given for both sides of an issue, one gets the impression that Chemerinsky, in his weaker moments, would love to get rid of the 11th Amendment, standing requirements, amount in controversy requirements, and any other obstacle to a federal court's ability to hear a case.
