356 volumes of records generated by the California Supreme Court between the years 1850 and 1991, including Bar misc. registers, a fee book, judgment books, minutes, registers of actions, and rolls of attorneys.

Article VI of California's first Constitution, drafted in 1849, provided for a Supreme Court consisting of a Chief Justice and two associate justices. In December 1849, the Legislature elected Serranus Clinton Hastings as California's first Chief Justice. Henry A. Lyons and Nathaniel Bennett were elected to serve as associate justices and on March 4, 1850, the court's first session was held in San Francisco. Throughout the court's history, decisions issued by the court have been prepared for publication in the Official Reports by the Reporter of Decisions. During the early years of statehood, opinions issued by the court could be contained in a single volume, or fewer, each year. By 1862, however, the state's growth had prompted a reorganization of the judiciary. Article VI of the California Constitution was amended in that year to expand the categories of cases the court could hear, increase the number of Supreme Court justices from three to five, and extend terms of office for justices from six to ten years.

160.8 Cubic feet (298 flat boxes)

Materials in this collection are in the public domain in the United States. Permission to publish or reproduce is not required.

Collection is open for research upon approval of written request. Requests should be submitted to: California Judicial Center Library, Special Collections and Archives, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Room 4617, San Francisco, CA, 94102-7013, or by e-mail to archives@jud.ca.gov. All researchers must sign the California Judicial Center Library Special Collections Access Agreement form. This agreement can be sent electronically by request. Records in the collection may contain confidential information, as defined in the Access Agreement. Publication or disclosure of such information is strictly prohibited.