Legal profession / practice of law: general Books

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Book SynopsisWhether in football or in the law, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Thomas has always had the best view from the bench.Bob Thomas got his start in football at the University of Notre Dame, kicking for the famed Fighting Irish in the early 1970s. Claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears in 1975, Thomas helped to take the franchise from their darkest days to their brightest. Yet, on the cusp of the team''s greatest moment, he was struck with a shocking blow that challenged his fortitude.In this dramatic retelling of Bob Thomas''s fascinating life, renowned sports writer Doug Feldmann shows how neither football nor the law was part of Thomas''s dreams while growing up the son of Italian immigrants in Rochester, New York, in the 1960s. Chasing excellence on both the gridiron and in the courtroom, however, would require resilience in ways he could not have imagined.As A View from Two Benches shows us, Bob Thomas reached the top of two separate and distincTable of Contents1. A Ride to Freedom 2. South Bend 3. Claimed on Waivers 4. The Medowlands 5. Maggie 6. Cut 7. Resilience 8. Comeback 9. Hitting New Heights 10. Faith Rewarded 11. Boot Camp—and Moving On 12. Justice Tempered with Civility 13. Integrity 14. Looking Ahead

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Book SynopsisAs featured on CBS Saturday Morning. Finalist for the 2023 National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize.In Judgment and Mercy, Martin J. Siegel offers an insightful and compelling biography of Irving Robert Kaufman, the judge infamous for condemning Julius and Ethel Rosenberg to death for atomic espionage.In 1951, world attention fixed on Kaufman''s courtroom as its ambitious young occupant stridently blamed the Rosenbergs for the Korean War. To many, the harsh sentences and their preening author left an enduring stain on American justice. But then the judge from Cold War central casting became something unexpected: one of the most illustrious progressive jurists of his day. Upending the simplistic portrait of Judge Kaufman as a McCarthyite villain, Siegel shows how his pathbreaking decisions desegregated a Northern school for the first time, liberalized the insanity defense, reformed Attica-era prisons, sparedTrade ReviewA major judicial biography that earns a place of distinction alongside other notable recent works such as Tomiko Brown-Nagin's Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality, and Brad Snyder's Democratic Justice: Felix Frankfurter, the Supreme Court, and the Making of the Liberal Establishment, Siegel's Judgment and Mercy gives its flawed, complex, and perhaps too-long-reviled subject the captivating, multi-dimensional chronicle his life and work deserve. * New York Journal of Books *The trial and executions of the Rosenbergs remain controversial to this day, and they've spawned a vast historical and polemical literature. Judgment and Mercy is the latest contribution. It seeks to provide a complete portrait of Kaufman by distinguishing between the bad judge of the Rosenberg trial and the good jurist who championed a variety of causes dear to the hearts of progressives. These included broadening the insanity defense, defending civil liberties and the desegregation of neighborhood schools, prosecuting individuals accused of torture outside the United States, and encouraging prison reform. * Jewish Book Council *Attorney Martin J. Siegel's well-written biography of his former boss (he was Kaufman's final law clerk), Judgment and Mercy, is fascinating and scrupulously fair. * Washington Independent Review of Books *There is more to Kaufman than the Rosenberg case, as Martin J. Siegel shows in his excellent biography.... [Judgment and Mercy] succeeds masterfully in illuminating the life of the ambitious son of immigrants who became a federal judge at the age of thirty-nine, angled to try the espionage case of the 20th century, and then had to live with the consequences of his actions the rest of his long tenure on the bench. * Washington Monthly *A meticulous and unsentimental inquiry aimed at solving the mystery at the heart of Kaufman's career. Martin J. Siegel's new biography has the virtue of persuading a reader that the puzzle is worth investigating. * The New York Review of Books *Table of ContentsPrologue: The Funeral 1. Isidore Mortem 2. Demon Boy Prosecutor 3. A Dream Come True 4. At Home on the Bench and Park Avenue 5. The Trial of the Century 6. Worse Than Murder 7. Immortality 8. Beaten by the Harvards 9. Apalachin and the Little Rock of the North 10. Elevation and Descent 11. The Forgotten Man 12. Hippieland 13. The Most Cherished Tenet 14. Annus Horribilis 15. Some Form of Justice 16. Keep the Beacon Burning Epilogue: "I Can't Believe I'm Going to Die"

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Book SynopsisWhat led a former United States Attorney General to become one of the world's most notorious defenders of the despised? Defending the Public's Enemy examines Clark's enigmatic life and career in a quest to answer this perplexing question. The culmination of ten years of research and interviews, Lonnie T. Brown, Jr. explores how Clark evolved from our government's chief lawyer to a strident advocate for some of America's most vilified enemies. Clark's early career was enmeshed with seminally important people and events of the 1960s: Martin Luther King, Jr., Watts Riots, Selma-to-Montgomery March, Black Panthers, Vietnam. As a government insider, he worked to secure the civil rights of black Americans, resisting persistent, racist calls for more law and order. However, upon entering the private sector, Clark seemingly changed, morphing into the government's adversary by aligning with a mystifying array of demonized clients—among them, alleged terrorists, reputed Nazi war criminals, and brutal dictators, including Saddam Hussein. Is Clark a man of character and integrity, committed to ensuring his government's adherence to the ideals of justice and fairness, or is he a professional antagonist, anti-American and reflexively contrarian to the core? The provocative life chronicled in Defending the Public's Enemy is emblematic of the contradictions at the heart of American political history, and society's ambivalent relationship with dissenters and outliers, as well as those who defend them.Trade Review"Lonnie T. Brown Jr.'s biography of the remarkable Ramsey Clark is careful, thorough, and insightful. It is an important contribution to the history of American lawyering." -- Randall Kennedy * Harvard Law School *"In this captivating biography, Lonnie T. Brown offers an intimate window into Ramsey Clark's controversial career as it intersected and shaped twentieth-century political and legal history, and challenges how we understand the role of lawyers in a democratic society." -- Anthony Romero, Executive Director * ACLU *"Ramsey Clark is at once an important participant in the major events of the past 60-plus years of American and world history, particularly relating to civil and human rights, and a lawyer whose professional career is among the most interesting and impactful. Brown's book is both a fascinating account of the man and lawyer and a captivating lens through which to see a connection among important events in contemporary history." -- Bruce Green * Fordham University School of Law *"In this biography of Clark, author Lonnie T. Brown skillfully leads us through his subject's life and career, giving us clues as to why Clark turned into such an unyielding critic of his country." -- Rebecca Roiphe * JOTWELL *"Ramsey Clark is an unsung hero of the civil rights movement. Through extensive interviews with Clark, Lonnie T. Brown, Jr. deepens the portrait of one of the most complex figures in twentieth-century American history. Spanning Clark's career as a lawyer and public servant from the 1960's civil rights and anti-war protests through the trial of Saddam Hussein, this fascinating book reveals a 'sophisticated yet shadowy Forrest Gump' indeed." -- W. Bradley Wendel * Cornell Law School *"Evolving from one of the most accomplished public lawyers of his time to perhaps the most vilified, Ramsey Clark has been an important and controversial participant in nearly every important American public debate, from civil rights to the post-9/11 world. In this sympathetic, personal account, Lonnie T. Brown, Jr. strikes a balance between Clark's defenders and his critics. Clark will continue to inspire passionate disagreement, but this is the best account we have of the career of this important public figure." -- Kenneth W. Mack * author of Representing the Race: The Creation of the Civil Rights Lawyer *Table of ContentsContents and AbstractsPrologue chapter abstractThe Prologue recounts the origins of my interest in Ramsey Clark, including two inauspicious early encounters during which I had virtually no idea who he was. As the years passed, I became ever-more intrigued with Clark, spawned largely by a case that I covered in my civil -procedure class in which he served as lead counsel—Saltany v. Reagan, as in President Ronald Reagan, one of the defendants that Clark sued on behalf of Libyan residents. When he volunteered to represent former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, I had to figure out why a former U.S. attorney general would do such a thing, among many other things. I wrote a law review article examining the Hussein representation, and with a nudge from a former colleague and friend of Clark's, I shared it with my subject and soon thereafter embarked on my quest to tell his life story. Introduction: A Puzzling Journey chapter abstractThis Introduction sets the stage for the book, posing the conundrum that is Ramsey Clark, an enormously important figure in American history who is largely unknown by most. It provides an overview in terms of his immeasurable contributions to society through his service within the Department of Justice during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, highlighting some of the most significant events in which he played pivotal roles, especially in the area of civil rights. The Introduction also notes the seemingly dramatic change that he underwent in his post-DOJ life, taking on causes and clients that almost inevitably appeared to be adverse to the country that he had so loyally served for eight years. Many have sought to understand and explain what happened to Ramsey Clark, if anything, and here I introduce some of the theories proffered by friends, colleagues, and other observers. 1Baby Bubba chapter abstractWith the disclaimer that the book will not go into excruciating, chronological detail concerning Ramsey Clark's family tree and personal history, this chapter proceeds to cover the beginning of Clark's journey, broadly depicting his childhood and early adult years, including service in World War II, college, marriage, law school, children, and law practice in Dallas, Texas. The chapter also examines some defining episodes during those years that foreshadow the direction that his life would take, such as the death of his 6-year-old brother, his father Tom's oversight of the World War II-related internment of Japanese Americans, and Ramsey's perplexing acquisition of a large bust of Adolf Hitler while serving as a Marine courier. 2The Preacher chapter abstractThis chapter chronicles Ramsey Clark's transition from private to public life. With the election of President John F. Kennedy, Clark was moved to seek an appointment within the Justice Department. Some strong family-related connections, including with Vice President Lyndon Johnson, helped him secure an appointment as assistant attorney general for the Lands Division. While his noteworthy Lands Division work is touched upon in the chapter, the concentration is on Clark's dedicated involvement in emerging civil rights issues. He acted as a DOJ surrogate throughout the South, ensuring the enforcement of the Supreme Court's desegregation mandate. Clark became known within the DOJ for his willingness to speak his mind, garnering him the nickname "the Preacher." The chapter concludes with the devastating impact upon Clark of the tragic assassination of President Kennedy and his subsequent increased role within the new Johnson administration. 3"Language of the Unheard" chapter abstractThis chapter examines the significant role that Ramsey Clark played in pivotal aspects of the civil rights movement, beginning with his crafting of a memo to Bobby Kennedy that provided much of the initial inspiration and framework for what would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He wrote this on the heels of his involvement with the historic admission of James Meredith as the first African American at the University of Mississippi. In addition, the chapter canvasses Clark's important work on behalf of black citizens as the deputy attorney general, including his oversight of the third Selma to Montgomery civil rights march and his extensive involvement in the passage of the Voting Rights Act. 4Taking Poor Black People Seriously chapter abstractThis chapter delves deeply into Clark's transformative role as chair of the President's task force that investigated the Watts riots, which were triggered by a combative police arrest in the black community. As the chapter's title conveys, Clark took the rioters seriously, and he compassionately sought to understand what had led to the dramatic civil unrest. By listening, Clark came to profoundly comprehend the frustrations and hopelessness felt by African Americans, and he communicated this in a hard-hitting report to the president—so unashamedly truthful, in fact, that it was not released to the public. The chapter reveals that this was a defining experience for Clark, one that likely colored virtually everything Clark did thereafter. In addition, the chapter recounts his elevation to attorney general, a role in which he would controversially continue to deal with urban rioting in the same empathetic way. 5"I Am a Man" chapter abstractThis chapter examines the profound influence that Martin Luther King, Jr. had on Ramsey Clark. The focus is on the labor strike by black sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, inspired by the slavelike treatment they received as employees of the city. Dr. King had already announced his Poor People's Campaign, which was designed to shed a revealing light on the intense poverty problem in America. The Memphis strike—with its simple, but unforgettable slogan "I Am a Man"—embodied the poverty issue. It captured Dr. King's attention. Unfortunately, his involvement provided the setting for King's assassination on April 4, 1968. Attorney General Clark was the first federal official on the scene and led the international manhunt to capture King's assassin. The chapter demonstrates how Dr. King's example helped shape Clark's views on society. In many respects, he would subsequently carry the mantle that Dr. King hoisted throughout his life. 6"Hell No, We Won't Go!" chapter abstractThis chapter focuses on the widespread protests that emerged in opposition to America's involvement in the Vietnam War, particularly in the form of draft-eligible men refusing induction into the military, either on their own accord or at the urging of others. President Johnson was obsessed with the war, believing that defeat would forever tarnish his noteworthy civil rights legacy. As such, he took great offense to those who actively opposed the war effort, and he placed intense pressure on Clark to put an end to the draft-dodging and related demonstrations through criminal prosecution. The chapter examines and seeks to explain two instances of Clark's actions in response that were perplexingly inconsistent: his refusal to indict Black Power activist Stokely Carmichael and, in contrast, his decision to prosecute antiwar proponent and noted pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock and the other members of the so-called Boston Five. 7Battling on the Inside chapter abstractThis chapter reveals the palpable tension between President Johnson and his independent attorney general. Clark was so committed to his values that he was willing to defy the president if he thought that was the right thing to do. The chapter examines significant examples of this dynamic, including Clark's stalling of a controversial judicial appointment that upset the close relationship between Johnson and Georgia Senator Richard Russell. The chapter also recounts Clark's defiance of President Johnson and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley in connection with the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Clark was intent on protecting the anti–Vietnam War protesters, much to Johnson and Daley's dismay. The chapter recounts the intense police–protester clash that ensued and the resulting criminal prosecution of the so-called Chicago Seven. It also notes Clark's principle-based filing of various lawsuits, notwithstanding Johnson's directive that no new, long-term projects be undertaken after Nixon's election. 8Taking the Battle to the Outside chapter abstractThis chapter picks up with Clark's departure from the Justice Department and chronicles his developing penchant for undertaking seemingly anti-American causes. Most notably, the chapter details Clark's opposition to the Vietnam War, which, besides promoting complete amnesty for draft evaders, also included a controversial visit to North Vietnam to test firsthand the accuracy of his government's positive portrayal of its war effort. Clark determined the "truth" to be otherwise, and he publicly revealed what he witnessed and demanded an end to the "unjust" war. Related to this, the chapter likewise examines Clark's representation of various antiwar advocates and his growing stature as a leader in the international antiwar movement. Furthermore, the chapter recounts Clark's unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaigns, plus his representations of Frank Serpico and one of the Attica Brothers. 9Black Is Beautiful chapter abstractThis chapter observes that Ramsey Clark was involved in a number of highly notable matters following his departure from the DOJ and tells the story of one of his most intriguing cases, the defense of Ruchell Magee. The prosecution of Magee, who is African American, emanated from an armed courtroom seizure of hostages and resulting shooting deaths of various individuals, including a trial judge. The controversial racial component of the case, combined with the unjust nature of the justice system that shackled Magee throughout virtually his entire life, are used to highlight Clark's concern for and appreciation of black people. In a similar vein, the chapter recounts Clark's oversight of the investigation into the police-sanctioned murders of Black Panther leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, and it elaborates on Clark's unique predisposition to view the black race as beautiful. 10Anti-Semite? chapter abstractThis chapter explores the theory of some Clark critics that he is anti-Semitic. It delves into his controversial representations of reputed Nazi war criminals Karl Linnas and Jack Reimer, as well as his longstanding association with and representation of the PLO, including his defense of the organization in the infamous lawsuit stemming from the murder of Leon Klinghoffer, a disabled American Jew, by Palestinian terrorists. Apart from Clark's participation in these matters, he has also taken some controversial supportive positions that seem to go beyond what one would expect in a pure attorney–client relationship. The chapter analyzes and questions the claims of anti-Semitism after discussing details of some of Clark's contentious associations. In this regard, it casts doubt on the pejorative label by examining parallels between similar affiliations, such as his representation of the Branch Davidians and his involvement with other demonized individuals and groups. 11Saddam Hussein chapter abstractThis chapter centers around what has to be Clark's most controversial representation—that of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The chapter examines why Clark would choose to defend Hussein and tests the widely held view that this particular client choice confirms that Clark is simply unpatriotic and anti-American. As the chapter reveals, Clark has represented a number of international clients and causes that could be characterized as siding with America's enemy, including inserting himself into the 1980 Iran hostage crisis and suing President Ronald Reagan, among others, on behalf of a number of Libyan residents in the aftermath of the U.S.-led bombing of Tripoli and Benghazi. Most notably, Clark installed himself as counsel for notorious Rwandan Pastor Elizaphan Ntakirutimana and Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic. The chapter suggests that Clark's motivations for representing these individuals are far more complex than most believe. 12Cold Pizza chapter abstractThis chapter delves more deeply into Ramsey Clark's personal qualities, especially his unassuming nature and utter lack of concern with the accumulation of wealth. It begins by exploring the extraordinarily close relationship between Clark and his wife Georgia, and it emphasizes the enormous contribution that she made in her own right, as well as to her husband's ambitions. She was a remarkable woman, and without her, much of what Clark accomplished would not have been possible. The chapter also recounts a very revealing episode regarding Clark's law school classmate and dear friend George Anastaplo. Most importantly, the chapter examines Clark's relationship with his daughter Ronda and the pivotal effect that she undeniably has had upon her father. His empathy for and love of people who are less fortunate most assuredly was inspired, at least in part, by lessons that Clark learned from his daughter. 13Like Father, Like Son chapter abstractThis chapter compares and contrasts Ramsey Clark with his equally famous father Tom Clark. Tom and Ramsey are the only father and son to have held the post of U.S. attorney general, which turns out to be but one of a number of telling similarities between the two men. Tom, who would culminate his career in public service as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, was viewed as politically conservative. As such, most would presume that he could not have been more different than his ultra-liberal son. The chapter reveals the fallacy of this assumption by chronicling examples where their social views coincided—most significantly, in the area of civil rights. To be sure, Tom and Ramsey were different in many respects, and the chapter addresses these distinctions. It also explores the nature of their somewhat complex father–son relationship, as well as the internal dynamics of their respective families. Conclusion: "Carry On . . . and Kick Up Some Dust" chapter abstractThe Conclusion reflects on the entirety of Ramsey Clark's life journey, focusing on his 90th birthday celebration and the screening of a documentary about him by filmmaker Joseph Stillman titled "Citizen Clark . . . A Life of Principle." The chapter emphasizes the enormous complexity and contradictory nature of Clark's life, which have led some to view him as heroic and unfailingly goodhearted and others to conclude that he is unpatriotic and evil. Most, however, are completely unfamiliar with him, oblivious to the critical role he played in countless historical episodes. He is a true enigma—a nonviolent, fearless, self-deprecating defender of those whom society has been conditioned to recognize as enemies. There is simply no way to reconcile all of the incongruities in his life journey, and this is what makes Clark so fascinating and why it is essential for the world to know his story.

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Book SynopsisAmerican law schools are in deep crisis. Enrollment is down, student loan debt is up, and the profession's supply of high-paying jobs is shrinking. Meanwhile, thousands of graduates remain underemployed while the legal needs of low-income communities go substantially unmet. Many blame overregulation and seek a "free" market to solve the problem, but this has already been tested. Seizing on a deregulatory policy shift at the American Bar Association, private equity financiers established the first for-profit law schools in the early 2000s with the stated mission to increase access to justice by "serving the underserved". Pursuing this mission at a feverish rate of growth, they offered the promise of professional upward mobility through high-tech, simplified teaching and learning. In Law Mart, a vivid ethnography of one such environment, Riaz Tejani argues that the rise of for-profit law schools shows the limits of a market-based solution to American access to justice. Building on theories in law, political economy, and moral anthropology, Tejani reveals how for-profit law schools marketed themselves directly to ethnoracial and socioeconomic "minority" communities, relaxed admission standards, increased diversity, shook up established curricula, and saw student success rates plummet. They contributed to a dramatic rise in U.S. law student debt burdens while charging premium tuition financed up-front through federal loans over time. If economic theories have so influenced legal scholarship, what happens when they come to shape law school transactions, governance, and oversight? For students promised professional citizenship by these institutions, is there a need for protections that better uphold institutional quality and sustainability? Offering an unprecedented glimpse of this landscape, Law Mart is a colorful foray into these essential questions.Trade Review"Law Mart is a compulsively readable and dark tale of a for-profit law school. The school's stated mission is to provide 'access' and 'innovation' to underserved populations, admitting students with low scores and limited options. Out of sight of students and accreditors is a corporate operation that uses emotional intelligence testing for employees, implements curricular reforms to satisfy nervous investors, and fires and intimidates professors who object to changes they perceive as detrimental to the students. This compelling book raises serious concerns about the permeation of economic imperatives in academia." -- Brian Z. Tamanaha * Washington University School of Law *"Riaz Tejani regards legal education as integral to the democratization of the legal profession, and to democracy itself. Written from that critical starting point, his account of the blurring of public and private interests in for-profit law schools is both searing and subtle – relevant and accessible to anyone interested in higher education, law and contemporary liberalism." -- Carol J. Greenhouse * Princeton University *"Law Mart offers an extremely insightful and smart analysis of for-profit law schools. Tejani's book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of the legal profession and its aspirations to make legal education and access to justice a right for all. Given the current conservative political climate of deregulation and laissez-faire capitalism, this book's importance takes on new meaning and significance." -- Eve Darian-Smith, University of California * Santa Barbara *"Tejani's skills as anthropologist and lawyer shine in this incisive account of U.S. for-profit law schools. With deceptive ease, his lucid prose moves us from analyses of the market and the economy, through morality and legal ethics, to deeply-rooted ethnography that takes us into the heart of a malaise in U.S. legal education. This book is a must-read for all those concerned about that malaise." -- Elizabeth Mertz * American Bar Foundation *"Tejani explores the tensions between law, economics, and morality when justice becomes a commodity and higher education is produced en masse. The book weaves narratives and data collected from research on one particular school's operations with analysis of the broader business model's implications across higher education." -- Harvard Law Review"One of the great strengths of Tejani's book is that it is not a simplistic account fo the exploitation of students and academics by financiers seeking egregious profits. Tejani explores how students who would not have qualified for traditional law schools and who would not, on their own, have been able to navigate admissions and financing routes, were helped into law school by New Delta." -- Anthony Bradney * Journal of Law and Society *"This considered and timely study reveals that the attempt to absorb market-based thinking into higher education is fraught...Tejani shows insightfully how the move towards greater diversity within the student body in legal education is a direct outcome of neoliberalism rather than the manifestation of an increased sensibility in favour of social justice, as it is claimed to be.... In highlighting the contradictions inherent in for-profit law schools, Tejani poses the provocative question of how faculty can fulfill their responsibility of socializing students into ethical legal practice when they are implicated in producing a significant moral hazard....I highly recommend this excellent study as it addresses an issue of vital importance to all of us." -- Margaret Thornton * Canadian Journal of Sociology *"By exposing the fallacy of for profit legal education for what it is, Law Mart creates a compelling and absorbing narrative of legal education and the failure of oversight methodologies, and is a damning indictment not only of the industry but also the accreditors who claim to regulate it."––Andrew W. Jurs, St. John's Law ReviewTable of ContentsContents and Abstracts1Enrollment: Precarity, Casualization, and Alternative Admissions chapter abstractChapter 1 presents the recruitment and training practices that fill the new institution with flesh and blood people. This chapter discusses New Delta School of Law's practices of recruitment of faculty and enrollment of students—its techniques for finding the human resources making up its organization. Through the use of various techniques, the school and its parent company generated and maintained managed precarity—a condition whereby teachers and students remain within its purview as employees and clients out of felt necessity more than elective choice. Chapter 1 argues that the operationalization of professional diversity through increased "access" to legal education permitted NDSL to forestall market discipline at a time when many expressed faith in the winnowing function of a legal education free market. 2"Charter Review": Policy as Culture and Ideology chapter abstractChapter 2 gives readers a window onto the corporate "culture" of the proprietary law school. There, it argues that the unique law school culture of NDSL served to hold back community reflection on the moral hazard of for-profit legal education. Through structured repetition and reflection, faculty and staff were taught to embrace the ideology of access rather than dwell on their underlying business model—one that generated millions of dollars annually in "subprime" student debt and transformed them into off-site investor returns. 3The Legal Education Moral Economy Bubble chapter abstractChapter 3 describes the feverish growth of the school in the years following onset of the Great Recession. This sudden growth, leading to logistical problems inadequately prepared for, had immediate effects on the 450 new students brought in as first years in 2011. Nevertheless, as this chapter argues, difficulty meeting investor obligations—rather than any great concern for logistical or pedagogical limitations—would quickly impose a limit to this large burst of entrepreneurial expansion. 4Law School 2.0: Marketing Integration, Educating Investors chapter abstractChapter 4 argues that Legal Education 2.0's emergence had less to do with substantive improvements for law student learning than with pacifying investor fears about the new "crisis" in legal education. Under new professional realities, fourth-tier law schools had to reinvent themselves or risk dissolution. Law Corp, fearful of the investor call on its capital, ordered each of its three schools to develop a new curriculum. At New Delta, the result was a campaign for integrating curriculum soon labeled "Legal Education 2.0." 5Shared Governance in the Proprietary Legal Academy chapter abstractChapter 5 moves from reinvention to survival. It describes in detail how school administration conducted and mediated faculty deliberation and democratic ratification of the revised curriculum proposal. This includes a retelling of the unique manner in which the reforms were ultimately passed and the direct impact this had on governance, academic freedom, and basic feelings of respect and dignity among students and educators in this unique environment. Above all, it suggests, Law Corp officers succeeded in confirming a marketable reform agenda by framing the debate as one between tradition and innovation. 6"They Want the Rebels Gone": Contract Relations in a Fiscal State of Exception chapter abstractChapter 6 describes how this fiscal "state of exception" changed the structure of school governance by altering the terms by which employees were retained. That shift, from customary to contractual security of position, situates this story within the larger context of neoliberal governance and legal culture. On one hand, academic employees were asked to expand their duties into business development. In one notable episode, NDSL sent several professors to Botswana to establish ties with the national bar, train judges and attorneys in common law jurisprudence, and develop this as a new income stream. On the other hand, with threats of a "reduction in force" in the air, NDSL revised its faculty employment terms, resulting in a conflict with and ultimate termination of tenured senior professors. Amid this information's rapid spread on social media, students flew into a panic and began requesting letters of recommendation to transfer out in record numbers. 7The Policy Cascade: Deregulation and Moral Hazard chapter abstractChapter 7 argues the regulatory frameworks governing schools like New Delta have been greatly shaped by the rhetoric of student access. Accepting school officials' narrative that the main hurdle to professional diversity is becoming a lawyer, the scrutiny of key regulatory actors—here the Department of Education and the American Bar Association—has been unable to properly grasp the potential harm for-profit law schools are liable to generate. In other words, these schools may not only produce substantial moral hazard, they may also promote the transmission of moral hazard to a new generation of would-be lawyers often rendered as "officers of the court." Conclusion: The Trouble with Differentiation chapter abstractThe conclusion recaps the book's main themes to reassert its two core claims. The first, directed at legal audiences, says that differentiation by marketization—by exposure to the disciplinary power of free markets—is likely to exacerbate professional inequalities. No longer just a theory, this form of differentiation is indeed already on display at New Delta and its sister schools. Thanks to rollbacks in oversight prompted by both antitrust litigation in the 1990s and regulatory capture in the 2000s, the ABA's relatively hands-off approach to for-profit law programs has allowed them to recruit a diversity of students more freely while offering them a different educational program. As my informants describe, these students enter a local profession that already stigmatizes them for this pedigree. Introduction: Marketing Justice chapter abstractThis chapter introduces Law Mart, an ethnography of for-profit law schools, as a contribution to the anthropology of policy and contemporary legal education crisis and reform debates. It explains the recent historical background to the study in a period of significant "boom and bust" in the law school and legal services sector. The chapter situates this intervention among social studies of legal culture, profession, and education. The introduction then offers the book's two core claims. One, directed at legal audiences, says that differentiation by marketization—by exposure to the disciplinary power of free markets—is likely to exacerbate professional inequalities. The second, directed at anthropologists, underscores how the metaphor of the "market" has come to occupy the imagination of so many, reformers included, in American academic law.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first formal, empirical investigation into the law faculty experience using a distinctly intersectional lens, examining both the personal and professional lives of law faculty members. Comparing the professional and personal experiences of women of color professors with white women, white men, and men of color faculty from assistant professor through dean emeritus, Unequal Profession explores how the race and gender of individual legal academics affects not only their individual and collective experience, but also legal education as a whole. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative empirical data, Meera E. Deo reveals how race and gender intersect to create profound implications for women of color law faculty members, presenting unique challenges as well as opportunities to improve educational and professional outcomes in legal education. Deo shares the powerful stories of law faculty who find themselves confronting intersectional discrimination and implicit bias in the form of silencing, mansplaining, and the presumption of incompetence, to name a few. Through hiring, teaching, colleague interaction, and tenure and promotion, Deo brings the experiences of diverse faculty to life and proposes a number of mechanisms to increase diversity within legal academia and to improve the experience of all faculty members.Trade Review"Fascinating, shocking, and infuriating, Meera Deo's careful qualitative research exposes the institutional practices and cultural norms that maintain a separate and unequal race-gender order even within the privileged ranks of tenure-track law professors. With riveting quotes from faculty across a range of institutional and social positions, Unequal Profession powerfully reminds us that we must do better. I saw my own career in this book – and you might, too."—Angela P. Harris, University of California, Davis"Unequal Profession is a powerful account of inequality in legal academia. Quantitative data and compelling narratives bring to life the challenges and roadblocks in gaining not just entry and tenure but also respect for the voices of minority women within the academy. There are no easy remedies, but reading this book is a good place to start for lawyers and law professors to understand what minority women face and which practices can increase the odds of success."—Bryant G. Garth, University of California, Irvine"Unequal Profession should be mandatory reading for everyone in legal academia. The experiences of women of color in the legal academy have been discounted too often. By providing concrete evidence of systemic discrimination, Meera Deo illuminates a long-standing problem needing to be remedied."—Sarah Deer, University of KansasWomen make up the majority of law students in the U.S., but comprise less than 40 percent of law faculties; women of color are a mere 7 percent of law teachers. In short, women of color legal scholars are pioneers, paving an uncharted path. Unequal Profession, based on nearly 100 personal interviews with these pioneers, offers an intimate portrait of the struggle of highly accomplished and educated women to find equal respect and opportunity in the hallowed halls of American law schools. In a profession built on the ideals of equal opportunity for all, these women's truths must be confronted: the barriers to equality in the legal academy are legion."—Madhavi Sunder, Georgetown University"Unequal Profession is a carefully conceived and well-executed model of social science research....[Its] value as a piece of scholarship and, perhaps more important, a potential lifesaver for women of color in the legal academy cannot be overstated."—Emily Houh, Academe"[This] book provides a definitive resource for...understanding and for improving inequality in legal academia. If law schools are serious about attracting more minority students, and diversifying our faculties and the legal profession, then Unequal Profession should be assigned reading for a faculty retreat or a series of faculty dialogues."—Melanie D. Wilson, Denver Law Review"By offering systematic narratives that start from the perspective of those forced to the margins, Deo allows them to have new power against others who have traditionally refused to acknowledge their value."—Swethaa S. Ballakrishnen and Sarah B. Lawsky, Law & Social Inquiry

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first formal, empirical investigation into the law faculty experience using a distinctly intersectional lens, examining both the personal and professional lives of law faculty members. Comparing the professional and personal experiences of women of color professors with white women, white men, and men of color faculty from assistant professor through dean emeritus, Unequal Profession explores how the race and gender of individual legal academics affects not only their individual and collective experience, but also legal education as a whole. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative empirical data, Meera E. Deo reveals how race and gender intersect to create profound implications for women of color law faculty members, presenting unique challenges as well as opportunities to improve educational and professional outcomes in legal education. Deo shares the powerful stories of law faculty who find themselves confronting intersectional discrimination and implicit bias in the form of silencing, mansplaining, and the presumption of incompetence, to name a few. Through hiring, teaching, colleague interaction, and tenure and promotion, Deo brings the experiences of diverse faculty to life and proposes a number of mechanisms to increase diversity within legal academia and to improve the experience of all faculty members.Trade Review"Fascinating, shocking, and infuriating, Meera Deo's careful qualitative research exposes the institutional practices and cultural norms that maintain a separate and unequal race-gender order even within the privileged ranks of tenure-track law professors. With riveting quotes from faculty across a range of institutional and social positions, Unequal Profession powerfully reminds us that we must do better. I saw my own career in this book – and you might, too."—Angela P. Harris, University of California, Davis"Unequal Profession is a powerful account of inequality in legal academia. Quantitative data and compelling narratives bring to life the challenges and roadblocks in gaining not just entry and tenure but also respect for the voices of minority women within the academy. There are no easy remedies, but reading this book is a good place to start for lawyers and law professors to understand what minority women face and which practices can increase the odds of success."—Bryant G. Garth, University of California, Irvine"Unequal Profession should be mandatory reading for everyone in legal academia. The experiences of women of color in the legal academy have been discounted too often. By providing concrete evidence of systemic discrimination, Meera Deo illuminates a long-standing problem needing to be remedied."—Sarah Deer, University of KansasWomen make up the majority of law students in the U.S., but comprise less than 40 percent of law faculties; women of color are a mere 7 percent of law teachers. In short, women of color legal scholars are pioneers, paving an uncharted path. Unequal Profession, based on nearly 100 personal interviews with these pioneers, offers an intimate portrait of the struggle of highly accomplished and educated women to find equal respect and opportunity in the hallowed halls of American law schools. In a profession built on the ideals of equal opportunity for all, these women's truths must be confronted: the barriers to equality in the legal academy are legion."—Madhavi Sunder, Georgetown University"Unequal Profession is a carefully conceived and well-executed model of social science research....[Its] value as a piece of scholarship and, perhaps more important, a potential lifesaver for women of color in the legal academy cannot be overstated."—Emily Houh, Academe"[This] book provides a definitive resource for...understanding and for improving inequality in legal academia. If law schools are serious about attracting more minority students, and diversifying our faculties and the legal profession, then Unequal Profession should be assigned reading for a faculty retreat or a series of faculty dialogues."—Melanie D. Wilson, Denver Law Review"By offering systematic narratives that start from the perspective of those forced to the margins, Deo allows them to have new power against others who have traditionally refused to acknowledge their value."—Swethaa S. Ballakrishnen and Sarah B. Lawsky, Law & Social Inquiry

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Book SynopsisThe comprehensive source on attorney licensing and how to reform it. In Shaping the Bar, Joan Howarth describes how the twin gatekeepers of the legal profession—law schools and licensers—are failing the public. Attorney licensing should be laser-focused on readiness to practice law with the minimum competence of a new attorney. According to Howarth, requirements today are both too difficult and too easy. Amid the crisis in unmet legal services, record numbers of law school graduates—disproportionately people of color—are failing bar exams that are not meaningful tests of competence to practice. At the same time, after seven years of higher education, hundreds of thousands of dollars of law school debt, two months of cramming legal rules, and success on a bar exam, a candidate can be licensed to practice law without ever having been in a law office or even seen a lawyer with a client. Howarth makes the case that the licensing rituals familiar to generations of lawyers—unfocused law degrees and obsolete bar exams—are protecting members of the profession more than the public. Beyond explaining the failures of the current system, this book presents the latest research on competent lawyering and examples of better approaches. This book presents the path forward by means of licensing changes to protect the public while building an inclusive, diverse, competent, ethical profession. Thoughtful and engaging, Shaping the Bar is both an authoritative account of attorney licensing and a pragmatic handbook for overdue equitable reform of a powerful profession. Trade Review"Howarth's vision is to establish a new approach that protects potential legal clients and promotes inclusion and diversity in the profession."—Trial MagazineTable of Contents1. The Crisis in Attorney Licensing 2. Becoming a Lawyer in the Young Nation 3. Shaping the Bar in the Twentieth Century 4. The 1970s Legacy of Activism, Psychometrics, and Good Faith 5. Pressure Points in Contemporary Licensing 6. Decades Lost Without Research 7. Doubling Down on the Errors of Legal Education 8. Finally, Research on Minimum Competence 9. Who Fits? 10. Fixing Character and Fitness 11. Twelve Guiding Principles 12. Clinical Residencies 13. Asking More of Law Schools 14. Escaping the Conceptual Traps of Today's Bar Exams 15. Bar Exams: Better, Best, and Other Fixes

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Book SynopsisAre you involved in making decisions in court, a tribunal, or another formal decision-making environment? This book gives guidance in the skills required to reach and deliver well-structured judicial decisions. The authors (all of whom have extensive judicial and quasi-judicial experience) instruct the readers on the skills required at each stage of a hearing, including: - ensuring there is a fair hearing process; - standards and conduct of decision-makers; - successful communication; - taking into account the needs of vulnerable participants and litigants in person; - case management; - assessing evidence; and - the process of reaching and then delivering a well-structured decision. The book includes practical guidance, examples, and short exercises to help the reader engage with the issues discussed and understand the skills required. Buy this book and you will have the confidence you need to make great decisions.Table of ContentsForeword Dame Hazel Genn (University College London, UK) Introduction Godfrey Cole (retired First-tier and Upper Tribunal Judge, UK) 1. Fair Hearing Nicholas Wikeley (Upper Tribunal, UK) 2. Communication and Vulnerable Participants Mary Kane (Mental Health Tribunal, UK) and Meleri Tudur (First-tier Tribunal, UK) 3. Case Management Christopher Lethem (Central London County Court, UK) 4. Evidence Mark Ockelton (Upper Tribunal, UK) 5. Ethics Yvette Genn (Barrister, UK) 6. Making and Communicating the Decision Godfrey Cole (retired First-tier and Upper Tribunal Judge, UK) 7. Conclusion Yvette Genn (Barrister, UK) and Christopher Lethem (Central London County Court, UK)

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Book SynopsisIn this unique book Lord Woolf recounts his remarkable career and provides a personal and honest perspective on the most important developments in the common law over the last half century. The book opens with a comprehensive description of his family background, which was very influential on his later life, starting with the arrival of his grandparents as Jewish immigrants to England in 1870. His recollections of his early years and family, education and life as a student lead into his early career as a barrister and as a Treasury Devil, moving on to his judicial career and the many roles taken therein. The numerous standout moments examined include his work on access to the judiciary, prison reform, and suggested reforms to the European Court of Human Rights. Fascinating insights into the defining cases of his career, T AG v Jonathan Cape, Gouriet v Union of Post Office Workers, Tameside, Hazel v Hammersmith, M v Home Office, remind the reader of how impactful his influence has been. He considers the setting of the mandatory component of the life sentences of Thompson and Venables and the Diane Blood case. Alongside the case law, and the Woolf Reforms, the Constitutional Law Reform Act 2005 is also explored. Considering the ebb and flow of changes over his remarkable judicial life, Lord Woolf identifies those he welcomes, but also expresses regret on what has been lost. A book to remind lawyers, be they students, practitioners or scholars, of the power and importance of law. All author profits from the book will be donated to the Woolf Institute.Trade ReviewAn Uncommon Lawyer traces the author’s unbroken ascent up the ladders of bar and bench – helpfully, for the lay reader, with explanations of what his various roles involved. It also describes the development of his aim to make the law more accessible and more humane … He has indeed been an uncommon lawyer, as well as an honourable and much honoured man. -- Michael Beloff * The Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. The Start 2. Happy Days 3. Becoming a Member of the Bar 4. A Barrister Taking the Crown’s Shilling as the Revenue and Treasury Junior 5. Crossing the Strand/A Change of Robes 6. A Change of Robes and Strangeways 7. Life as a Law Lord 8. Access to Justice 9. My Responsibilities as Master of the Rolls 10. Lord Chief Justice 11. Return to Civilian Life and Further Commissions 12. Interfaith Relations – The Woolf Institute 13. Back to Judging 14. For Family and Justice

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Book SynopsisWritten by three experienced lawyers, this book will help you understand the types of problems facing law students and lawyers. Not only will it prepare you for law school, but it will also help you become a successful lawyer.So You Want to Be a Lawyer takes you through the process of becoming a lawyer, examining each phase in a helpful and easy-to-understand narrative. Find out what practicing law is like before you step into your first law school class. Practice solving legal problems as law students would in law school and lawyers might in an actual courtroom. Find out how to get into law school. And there’s much more: Advice on how to select a law school, along with names and addresses of American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law schools An explanation of the law school admissions process, and ways to improve your chances for getting in Practical exercises and advice that will give you a head start over other first-year law students Information about career opportunities as a lawyer If you are heading to law school or just thinking about a career in law, this is accessible, worthwhile readingTrade Review"The handbook for every prospective law student."—Pascal Calogero, Jr., retired Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court"If you're thinking about law school, do yourself a favor, read this book first."—Everett Bellamy, Senior Assistant Dean for the JD Program and Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center"Brilliant and innovative, the authors capture the essence of the legal experience in one fell swoop."—Marc H. Morial, Esq., President and CEO of the National Urban League"The handbook for every prospective law student."—Pascal Calogero, Jr., retired Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court"If you're thinking about law school, do yourself a favor, read this book first."—Everett Bellamy, Senior Assistant Dean for the JD Program and Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center"Brilliant and innovative, the authors capture the essence of the legal experience in one fell swoop."—Marc H. Morial, Esq., President and CEO of the National Urban League

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Book SynopsisDo judges use the power of the state for the good of the nation? Or do they create new laws in line with their personal views? When newspapers reported a court ruling on Brexit, senior judges were shocked to see themselves condemned as enemies of the people. But that did not stop them ruling that an order made by the Queen on the advice of her prime minister was just 'a blank piece of paper'. Joshua Rozenberg, Britain's best-known commentator on the law, asks how the judges can maintain public confidence while making hard choices.Trade Review"A brilliant, readable and timely survey of a topic of central importance in our troubled times. Joshua Rozenberg has produced a gripping account, including very recent material." Dinah Rose, QC, Blackstone Chambers "A very readable and engaging book which I'd certainly recommend to students as part of their introduction to common law. It uses high-profile cases to demonstrate how cautiously the judges proceed." Professor Dame Hazel Genn DBE QC (hon), University College London "Never before have our judges been under greater scrutiny. But what they do and how they do it remains mysterious to many. There is an urgency to the themes tackled in this book. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of this vital branch of government." Catherine Dobson, St Edmund's College, Cambridge "This is a book for lawyers, journalists, students and the concerned citizen. There is no more trusted and knowledgeable commentator than Joshua Rozenberg to hold up a mirror to the judges and to the public wherein each sees the other." Baroness Ruth Deech, DBE QC (hon) "This urgent and timely book is essential reading for anyone concerned with the future of our democracy and the proper role of the legal system within it. Through deft analysis of recent case law, Rozenberg comprehensively de-bunks the pernicious myth of an activist judiciary whose actions improperly impinge on the exercise of executive power." Dr Natalie Byrom, The Legal Education Foundation "Joshua Rozenberg's views are clear throughout this engaging study of the role of the judiciary in contemporary Britain. At times he seems positively prescient. We need this sort of contribution to our current and frenzied debates." Sara Nathan OBE, former Judicial Appointments Commissioner "An informed and entertaining account of the role of our judges in deciding sensitive cases by our pre-eminent legal commentator." Lord Pannick QC, Blackstone Chambers "A highly readable, hard-hitting and perceptive defence of our judges against the accusation that they are too activist. It should be read by anyone interested in this important constitutional question." Rt Hon Lord Dyson, former judgeTable of Contents1 New Readers Start Here; 2 The Miller Tale; 3 Creating Crimes; 4 Families and the Law; 5 The Right to Death; 6 Discerning and Discriminating; 7 Rites and Rights; 8 Privacy and the Press; 9 Access to Justice; 10 Friends, Actually

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Book SynopsisLegal professionals are thought to have higher levels of mental health issues and lower levels of wellbeing than the general population. Drawing on qualitative data from new research with legal practitioners, this in-depth study of mental health and wellbeing in the UK and Republic of Ireland’s legal sector is a timely contribution to the urgent international debate on these issues. The authors present a comprehensive discussion of the cultural, structural and other causes of legal professionals’ compromised wellbeing. They explore the everyday demands and difficulties of the legal working environment and consider the impacts on individuals, the legal profession and wider society. Making comparisons with systems overseas, this is an invaluable resource that provides evidence-based suggestions for swift and effective organisational and policy-related interventions in the legal sector.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Unhealthy Justice, Damaged Society Late to the Party? Legal Practice and Wellbeing Catch ’Em Early: Making a Lawyer Law as a Commodity, Individuals as Packages The Daily Toil: Interactional Demands and Difficulties The “S” Word: Stress and the Legal Profession Conclusion: Challenging the Status Quo: A Manifesto for Change

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Book Synopsis'This is a gripping memoir from one of our country's greatest jury advocates, offering a fascinating, no-holds-barred tour behind the scenes of some of the most famous criminal cases of modern times' The Secret Barrister'Gripping' - The Times'Mixes the excitement of the courtroom and some practical tips on the advocacy with the more mundane life of the working lawyer' - Sunday Times 'Between such serious case studies, his jovial memoir reflects on the challenges and satisfactions of life as a barrister.' - Daily Mail___________ How can you speak up for someone accused of a savage murder? Or sway a jury? Or get a judge to drop a case?In this memoir, murder case lawyer William Clegg revisits his most intriguing trials, from the acquittal of Colin Stagg to the shooting of Jill Dando, to the man given life because of an earprint.All the while he lays bare the secrets of his profession, from the rivalry among barristers to the nervous moments before a verdict comes back, and how our right to a fair trial is now at risk.Under the Wig is for anyone who wants to know the reality of a murder trial. It has been praised as "gripping" by The Times, "riveting" by the Sunday Express and "fascinating" by the Secret Barrister, who described the author as "one of our country's greatest jury advocates."Several prominent barristers, including Matthew Scott and Bob Marshall-Andrews QC, have said Under the Wig is a "must read" for anyone with an interest in the criminal law. Switch off the TV dramas and see real criminal law in action. Well-known cases featured:The Murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common The Chillenden Murders (Dr Lin and Megan Russell) The Trial of Private Lee Clegg The Murder of Jill Dando The first Nazi war crimes prosecution in the UK The Murder of Joanna Yeates The Rebekah Brooks Phone Hacking TrialTrade ReviewThis is a gripping memoir from one of our country's greatest jury advocates, offering a fascinating, no-holds-barred tour behind the scenes of some of the most famous criminal cases of modern times. * The Secret Barrister *Countless veteran lawyers have produced page-tuners based in the fictional world of law, but in Under the Wig William Clegg, QC, has distilled his extraordinary life in the criminal courtroom into a yarn equally as gripping. * The Times *Mixes the excitement of the courtroom and some practical tips on the advocacy with the more mundane life of the working lawyer. * Sunday Times *Between such serious case studies, his jovial memoir reflects on the challenges and satisfactions of life as a barrister. * Daily Mail *This breezy account of life as a barrister dealing with some of the most important cases in recent British history is enjoyable and addictive. * New Books magazine *Enjoyable and addictive. * NB magazine *

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Book SynopsisHaben grew up spending summers with her family in the enchanting Eritrean city of Asmara. There, she discovered courage as she faced off against a bull she couldn't see, and found in herself an abiding strength as she absorbed her parents' harrowing experiences during Eritrea's thirty-year war with Ethiopia. Their refugee story inspired her to embark on a quest for knowledge, traveling the world in search of the secret to belonging. She explored numerous fascinating places, including Mali, where she helped build a school under the scorching Saharan sun. Her many adventures over the years range from the hair-raising to the hilarious.Haben defines disability as an opportunity for innovation. She learned non-visual techniques for everything from dancing salsa to handling an electric saw. She developed a text-to-braille communication system that created an exciting new way to connect with people. Haben pioneered her way through obstacles, graduated from Harvard Law, and now uses her talents to advocate for people with disabilities.HABEN takes readers through a thrilling game of blind hide-and-seek in Louisiana, a treacherous climb up an iceberg in Alaska, and a magical moment with President Obama at The White House. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating memoir is a testament to one woman's determination to find the keys to connection.

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Book Synopsis"I don't think there is anyone in the academy these days capable of more patient and attentive reading of the constitutional text than Akhil Amar."--Jeremy Waldron, New York Review of BooksIn The Constitution Today, Akhil Reed Amar, America's preeminent constitutional scholar, considers the biggest and most bitterly contested debates of the last two decades and provides a passionate handbook for thinking constitutionally about today's headlines. Amar shows how the Constitution's text, history, and structure are crucial repositories of collective wisdom, providing specific rules and grand themes relevant to every organ of the American body politic.Prioritizing sound constitutional reasoning over partisan preferences, Amar makes the case for diversity-based affirmative action and a right to have a gun in one's home for self-defense, and the case against spending caps on independent political advertising and bans on same-sex marriage. He explains what's wrong with presidential dynasties, advocates a "nuclear option" to restore majority rule in the Senate, and suggests ways to reform the Supreme Court. And he revisits three dramatic constitutional conflicts--the impeachment of Bill Clinton, the contested election of George W. Bush, and the fight over Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.Leading readers through the questions at stake in each episode while outlining his abiding views regarding the Constitution's letter, its spirit, and the direction constitutional law must go, Amar offers an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand America's Constitution and its relevance today.

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