Thomas Emerson's memoirs of the New Deal and World War II are those of a true insider. Serving on a number of independent agencies-including The National Recovery Administration, The National Labor Relations Board, and the Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion-from the early 1930s through the mid 1940s, the author provides a clear and unique picture of how federal regulatory agencies actually operated and how administrative law was created. Emerson presents a history of the New Deal era from a lawyer's perspective that has an unusual sense of immediacy. In each agency the author looks carefully at its organization and the ensuing political and regulatory changes and problems that occurred. Emerson examines the processes by which regulations are written and the inherent pitfalls. He recalls test cases to establish credibility and constitutionality-an area where the author is especially cogent as he himself argued cases before the Supreme Court. Students of government and law will find Young Lawyer for the New Deal to be a virtual casebook on regulatory issues and their relation to constitutional law. Students of political science and American history will find this clear and detailed picture of the federal government during the New Deal and World War II of great interest and value.
