Legal skills and practice Books

Book Synopsis"...the uber-manual of all legislative drafting manuals" Statute Law Review, 2023, 44 If you’re involved in drafting or amending legislation in the Commonwealth, the EU or beyond, you need a guide that will help you with both the traditional and modern techniques of drafting good quality statutory law. Thornton’s Legislative Drafting is recognised as the leading professional title in this area, used and referred to by legal officers and drafters internationally. Completely refreshed and updated, the new sixth edition includes full coverage of contemporary drafting developments and advances. Fully updated and alongside the detailed, learned and professional guidance and examples of best, and bad, practice, the new 6th edition includes new chapters on: - Legislation as a Tool for Regulation - Transposition of EU Legislation - Pre- and post-legislative scrutiny: the lifecycle of legislation Thornton's Legislative Drafting helps the reader to: - Identify the aim of legislation as one of the regulatory tools - Align their concept of legislative quality with that of effectiveness of legislation - Use effectiveness as the criterion for resolving drafting dilemmas - Apply the effectiveness doctrine to all aspects of legislative drafting - Earn exposure to examples of best and bad practice drawn from a plethora of jurisdictions - Earn awareness of best practice in aspects of legislative drafting worldwide - Understand the “why” behind legislative conventions, thus becoming equipped with the tools for their application in practice.Trade Review...the uber-manual of all legislative drafting manuals...Like all legislative drafters around the world, I love Thornton’s Legislative Drafting both in its earlier editions and its new editions, and I will always regard it as an invaluable tool for those who wish to think more about the choices that they make in their everyday drafting activities. It is an essential work for which the legislative drafting community remains constantly grateful. -- Daniel Greenberg CB * Statute Law Review, 2023, 44 *The 6th edition of a legal text is in itself a tribute to its durability and usefulness. In the over 50 years since G.C. Thornton published his 1st edition in 1970, his book has stood the test of time … Under the direction of Professor Xanthaki, the 5th and now 6th editions … have continued to pursue Thornton’s original objective of providing practical guidance to those engaged in drafting legislation. -- John Mark Keyes, University of Ottawa * The Loophole *Table of Contents1 Legislation as a tool for regulation 2 Words 3 Syntax and punctuation 4 Style 5 Specific matters of style 6 Miscellaneous words and expressions 7 Interpretation Acts 8 The drafting process: Part 1 9 The drafting process: Part 2 10 Formalities and arrangement 11 Preliminary provisions 12 Powers and duties 13 Substantive and administrative provisions: Part 1 14 Substantive and administrative provisions: Part 2 15 Substantive and administrative provisions: Part 3 16 Supplementary provisions 17 Penal provisions 18 Final provisions 19 Amending legislation 20 Subordinate legislation 21 Transposition of EU legislation 22 Pre- and post-legislative scrutiny: The lifecycle of legislation

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Book SynopsisThis book tailored to the needs of researchers in examining varying methodological approaches from a practical perspective. In addition to the principal approaches now commonly used in legal research issues such as participatory and community-based research as well as empirical methods will also be

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Book SynopsisWhen a legal matter arises oftentimes a person is confronted by a bewildering array of legal concepts, procedures or complex jargon and are at a loss to understand what is going on. The purpose of this book is to simplify such complexities and multi-layered rules and provide quick solutions to various queries that may arise. The approach taken by the author is to provide an everyday query formulated much like a question one might find in a self-help legal column in a newspaper. A detailed answer follows, highlighting the general issues that the reader should be aware of and what steps they might take next. Everyday topics such as buying or selling a house, making a will, probate, family law queries, personal injuries, negligence, employment law, consumer law and defamation are addressed. Law for the Layperson: Life, Work & Death will be an invaluable reference book for all non-lawyers seeking guidance as required on legal issues.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Buying or Selling a House and Property Chapter 2: Renting and Renters: The Law Involved in Renting a Property Chapter 3: Family Law Chapter 4: Employment Law Chapter 5: Defamation, Bullying and Harassment Chapter 6: Farming and Agricultural Law Chapter 7: Consumer Rights Chapter 8: Personal Injuries, Accidents and Negligence Chapter 9: Last Will and Testament, Probate Law, Trusts, Enduring Power of Attorney

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Book SynopsisThe methodological approach and methods used in any particular research project are key to its success. In Legal Research Methods: Principles and Practicalities (Clarus Press, 2016), the contributors assessed the relative utility of a variety of methods and methodologies in the context of legal research generally. Taking a case studies approach, contributors to this text have written about the methods used in a particular piece of research, outlining the justification for the choice of that methodology; describing the methods used; detailing the advantages, disadvantages and challenges to the approach taken; discussing any ethical considerations that arose in the context of the research; reflecting on the approach taken; and concluding with advice to scholars engaging with similar methods or methodologies. Each chapter is structured in the same way in order to allow for ease of comparison between the approaches taken.

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Book SynopsisA famous defender of the underdog, the oppressed, and the powerless, Clarence Darrow (1857-1938) is one of the true legends of the American legal system. This book collects Darrow's most influential summations and supplements them with scene-setting explanations and comprehensive notes.Trade Review"That Clarence Darrow was the great protagonist of that age, no one would deny.... In the present volume, Mr. Weinberg wisely permits him to speak for himself." (American Bar Association Journal) "All of Clarence Darrow's most celebrated pleas are here.... As Justice William O. Douglas observes in an appreciative foreword, 'His arguments are a full orchestration carrying great power in cold print' - despite, it might be added, their homespun, gallus-hitching style. The ghastly comedy of his deadpan interrogation of William Jennings Bryan on the origin of man in the Scopes case is particularly recommended." (New Yorker)"

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Book SynopsisAnd with this landmark study as their guide, readers will be able to make their own informed predictions.Trade Review"The best snapshot of Chicago lawyers.... Urban Lawyers is theoretically trenchant, methodologically highly sophisticated, and scrupulously careful. Essential reading for anyone interested in seeking to understand the future of the legal profession from a close reading of its immediate past." - Richard L. Abel, editor of Lawyers: A Critical Reader"

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Book SynopsisLeClercq covers everything a legal writer needs to know, from the mechanics of grammar and punctuation to the finer points of style, organization, and clarity of meaning.Table of Contents Foreword by Chief Justice Thomas R. Phillip Acknowledgments Part I. Introduction: Getting and Keeping a Competitive Edge Introduction 1. Writing like a Lawyer 2. Writing's a Touchy Subject 3. Focus on Density 4. Attorneys and Writer's Block 5. Min(d)ing the Field: Appellate Judges Speak Out Part II. Manipulating Legal Sentences: First Aid 6. The Long Sentence 7. Left-Handed Sentences 8. Marshmallow Constructions 9. Cases and Citations Within the Text 10. Coordination and Subordination: Defining Relationships 11. Examining Other Professional Prose 12. Emulating the Pro's Prose: Stylistic Consciousness 13. Deliberate Sentence Structure 14. Beware of Ambiguous Modifiers Part III. Manipulating Legal Organization: Structure Is Meaning 15. Organization and the Deductive Thrust 16. Organizational Advice for Successful Drafting 17. Quick Tricks for Organization Part IV. Manipulating Words: Bigger Isn't Better 18. Jargon: Manure, Margarine, and Moderation 19. Boilerplate: Empty Formalisms 20. Gender-Neutral Language 21. That's Not What I Meant Part V. Punctuating for Clarity: The Poetry of Punctuation 22. Allowing Commas to Create Meaning 23. Sentence Punctuation Guide 24. "Quotation Marks?" She Queried—or, The Arbitrary Rules Surrounding Quotation Marks 25. That Sophisticated Semicolon 26. Compound Adjectives and Noun Strings Part VI. Advice and References: So Go Be an Expert 27. Testing Your Basics 28. Grammar Rules Versus Suggestions 29. Advice to Partners About Advice 30. Reference Books for Legal Writers Index

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Book SynopsisLaw is a profession that requires the ability to read critically, write well, synthesize sources from research, and speak concisely and clearly. This title was developed to help non-native speakers improve their ability to understand and communicate in English with their legal counterparts around the world.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisOri Wiener is a strategic business development consultant and executive coach to senior executives of professional services firms. Ori founded GARA Consulting and co-founded the Møller PSF Group Cambridge, one of Europe's leading firms specialising in the support of professional services firms. He previously led global business development and marketing at Linklaters, and worked as an investment banker for S.G. Warburg/UBS and Lehman Brothers in London, New York, Frankfurt, Mexico and other locations. He has a unique combination of perspectives as a fee earner, client, insider and consultant to PSFs.Trade Review"One of the very few books that provides pragmatic guidance on how to raise assignment profitability at professional services firms" * Gareth Hughes, EMEA Head of Pricing, LPM and Analytics, Reed Smith *"This is a robust, research-grounded and above all practical guide, mixed with evidence from a seasoned professional in the field. A really useful addition for partners in any professional services firm." * Mike Mister, Partner, Moller PSF Group Cambridge *"Ori has been at the forefront of pricing and negotiation with PSFs for many years. He has a clear passion for, and understanding of, the complexity this area brings. This book will prove an invaluable guide to those seeking to navigate this increasing important area." * Stuart J T Dodds, Director, Global Pricing and Legal Project Management, Baker & McKenzie Global Services *"A thoroughly well-researched and comprehensive book that tackles the difficult issue of how Professional Service Firms and their clients can best negotiate and agree prices. Ori really understands the realities of achieving better fees and better client relationships." * Kevin Doolan, Managing Partner, Møller PSF Group Cambridge *"In increasingly challenging and competitive markets, this book provides professionals with invaluable guidance in a key - and neglected - area of their relationships with clients." * Anthony Angel, Chairman, 4C Biomed Inc, and former Executive Managing Director EMEA, Standard & Poor’s, and Managing Partner, Linklaters *"Every partner and professional in a professional services firm should have a copy of this book and read it in detail." * Hartmut Papenthin, Managing Director Operations, CMS Hasche Sigle *"A must-have for any professional serious about managing the dilemma between building relationships and charging appropriate fees. I wish I had read it years ago." * Anne Scoular, Managing Director, Meyler Campbell Coaching *Table of Contents Chapter - 00: Introduction; Chapter - 01: What is Different about Buying Professional Services?; Chapter - 02: Why Professional Services Firms are Different; Chapter - 03: The Challenge of Pricing PSF Work; Chapter - 04: Generating Value with Fee Structures; Chapter - 05: How to Deal with Procurement — The Importance of Scope; Chapter - 06: Raising the Institutional Game; Chapter - 07: Preparing for Fee Negotiations; Chapter - 08: Critical First Steps — Planning; Chapter - 09: How to Raise Your Negotiation Success – Deliver a Credible Opening; Chapter - 10: Act 2 – Managing the Flow of Concessions to Capture Value; Chapter - 11: Act 3 – Locking in Gains Through Effective Closing; Chapter - 12: Creativity – The Ultimate Negotiation Skill; Chapter - 13: Negotiating with Style; Chapter - 14: The Impact of Culture and Gender; Chapter - 15: Having Another Go at Squeezing the Lemon – Advanced Techniques and Approaches; Chapter - 16: Managing PSF Project Profitability; Chapter - 17: The Impact of Effective Veto and Target Setting – Research Results

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Book SynopsisDetails the rapidly growing field of dispute resolution This nuts-and-bolts guide offers a blueprint for developing the skills you need to master the often complex and emotionally charged process of family mediation. In a lively and entertaining style, Robert Coulson, former president of the American Arbitration Association and an internationally recognized expert in dispute resolution, presents exactly what training, marketing, and experience are needed to compete successfully in this rapidly growing field. The family mediation process is revealed, from the first step of persuading parties to mediate through the last details of nailing down a settlement. Current information is provided on many legal issues, including: * marriage and divorce * child support * alimony * custody * visitationTrade Review?The practice of family mediation requires special skills and talent to effectively manage conflict. The future of the profession depAnds heavily on trained and committed practitioners. Robert Coulson's book offers a solid, clear overview of the work of a family mediator and what it takes to become one.? (Robert D. Benjamin, president, Academy of Family Mediation) ?A practical, down-to-earth guide. Present and future divorce mediators will find much helpful and sensible advice in this book.? (Frank E. A. Sander, professor, Harvard Law School) ?Fast, easy reading about the practice of family mediation.? (Marie R. Volpe, president, Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, 1996-1997)Table of ContentsThe Nature of Family Disputes. Family Disputes and the Law. Family Mediation in Action. Divorce Mediation. How to Become a Family Mediator.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"With his signature candor and penetrating analysis, Anthony C. Thompson contemplates a sea change in legal education. Thompson rightly demands that law school must prepare lawyers to lead. And his book goes one step further, offering a clear and compelling roadmap for reimagining the training of lawyers as leaders, and for the development of lawyer leaders who are accountable not only to their clients, but to their communities." -- Sherrilyn Ifill * President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund *"In this very important and original book, Anthony C. Thompson offers specific lessons focusing on what should be done differently so that law schools can effectively teach leadership skills. Beautifully written and comprehensively researched, Dangerous Leaders provides readers with excellent case studies as effective teaching and learning tools. This original book should be required reading for lawyers, law students, and legal educators." -- Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, University of California * Berkeley School of Law *"The legal profession is a noble one with the ability to positively or adversely impact our society. This important book thoroughly dissects the implications of that power and enlightens us about the importance of training lawyers to be honorable public citizens. Professor Thompson's work is a compelling exploration of the role that training lawyers as civic-minded custodians of the rule of law can play in impacting the public good." * Congressman Hakeem Jeffries *Table of ContentsContents and AbstractsIntroduction: A New Vision of Leadership for Lawyers chapter abstractAn increasingly uncertain and globalized world demands that lawyers be leaders, yet legal education has failed to prepare lawyers for that responsibility. Consequently, lawyers have made decisions that corrupt organizations and structures, ultimately making them "dangerous leaders." The chapter introduces a new framework called intersectional leadership that will allow leaders to navigate the current complex and unpredictable society. This model has five key components: (1) develop and rely on a team that brings dissimilar experiences to the leader; (2) learn from unlikely sources; (3) collaborate for the greater good, not the leader's incentives; (4) be suspicious of consensus; and (5) have moral courage. 1Piloting the Boat by Looking at the Wake: Leadership Challenges for the Legal Profession chapter abstractThe chapter explores how existing theories of leadership overlap and differ from an intersectional leadership model. The intersectional model is distinct in that it does not assume leadership as hierarchical; rather, it recognizes that leaders should be collaborative and situated at nodes of various networks. This chapter details how each of the five dimensions of intersectional leadership enables the lawyer-leader to assume a broader enterprise function and to expand beyond technical skills taught in law school. It posits that in order for a lawyer to advise his or her client effectively, he or she must rely on truly diverse, and at times competing, perspectives not limited to his or her technical expertise. The chapter concludes by examining how the 2008 financial crisis necessitates a more creative and proactive model of leadership to deal with the demands of a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous global climate. 2Is There an Echo in Here? Diversity, Tension, and Accountability in the Leadership Team chapter abstractThis chapter uses two case studies to illustrate how failure to construct diverse leadership teams creates blind spots in judgment that can lead to corrupt practices. The first details how Governor Chris Christie created a culture of insularity within his administration and enabled his officials to retaliate against a town that refused to support Christie's bid for reelection. The second case explains how Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Letten turned a blind eye to his top trusted officials' misconduct and compromised his investigation and ultimately the administration of justice. The chapter identifies takeaways regarding the risks of insularity and outlines concrete steps that law schools and educators can take to foster more diverse and critical lawyer-leadership teams. 3"A Fish Rots from the Head Down": Leadership Failures Behind Closed Doors chapter abstractThis chapter argues that lawyer-leaders must develop practices to ensure integrity in conduct carried out behind closed doors, showing the risks through two examples from the criminal justice system. In each example, prosecutors, although mandated to serve as ministers of justice, permitted their own biases to pollute the environment in which they led—and their behavior cast a wide shadow. Others within an organization look to the leader for guidance on behavior and values; if ugly behavior occurs at the top, it will likely spread across the ranks. When the lawyer-leader sinks to base behavior, this not only drags others down to that level but actually threatens the integrity of the legal system at large. The chapter details several cases in which evidence of racial motivations for striking jurors was used to successfully challenge capital punishment, highlighting the importance of continual integrity and transparency. 4Getting the Balance Right: Personal Ambition vs. the Greater Good chapter abstractThis chapter calls for a framework to help lawyer-leaders make decisions when personal interests and greater goals are in tension. It argues that ethics are foundational to a good legal education, particularly given how many lawyers seek elected office. The chapter outlines two instances where public decisions collided with personal ambition. First, Justice French of the Ohio Supreme Court was running for reelection when she ruled in favor of imposing the death sentence without acknowledging her political ambitions of maintaining a conservative court. Second, when then-governor Bill Clinton was running for president and was criticized for being soft on crime, he refused to grant clemency to a man on death row with a severe mental disability. The chapter concludes that lawyer-leaders must not only be transparent when the greater good conflicts with their personal interests but also must subordinate personal goals in service of the public good. 5If You See Something, Say Something: Leadership Responsibility and Systemic Failures chapter abstractThis chapter explores the role of lawyer-leaders who may not have an explicit role to monitor breaches of public trust but witness ethically ambiguous conduct. By way of example, the chapter details how Enron's outside counsel failed to take their concerns to Enron's executives about the shell companies that ultimately concealed Enron's fraud. The chapter also details how the obvious judicial misconduct of Judge Ciavarella in juvenile court went unreported for six years, despite many prosecutors, public defenders, court officers, and police witnessing his tactics to send kids to his private detention center. The chapter concludes by arguing that lawyer-leaders must be morally attuned to the entire ecosystem within which they operate and sustain difficult conversations to ensure the integrity of the enterprise. 6"Keeping Your Head on a Swivel": Maintaining Multiple Vantage Points chapter abstractThis chapter explores the challenges that emerge when conflicts are essentially baked into the lawyer's role, and the dangers that result when lawyer-leaders fail to balance their competing demands. Focusing on the role of general counsel, this chapter examines how lawyers have historically served two principal functions: guiding the business through its strategic priorities and ensuring compliance with the law at all times. As the general counsel role has evolved, the obligations have become increasingly multifaceted and involve greater complexity and tension than previously. The author uses the examples of two specific general counsels, from Hewlett-Packard and Wells Fargo, whose choices to favor one role over competing roles and to ignore the position's broad mandate damaged the interests they were assigned to protect. The chapter concludes by arguing that lawyers must hold multiple perspectives simultaneously or risk threatening the integrity of the system that they safeguard. 7What Got You Here Won't Get You There: Pulling Together the Leadership Lessons for Lawyers chapter abstractThis chapter debunks the view that lawyers need only rely on their technical expertise to lead. Instead, the chapter argues that lawyer-leaders will need to operate as intersectional leaders embracing the five key leadership attributes that are foundational to the intersectional lawyer-leader. This chapter pulls together the leadership lessons gleaned from the examples in the previous chapters to argue that more is required of today's lawyer-leader than business as usual. The author argues that the intersectional leader must be able to connect people and networks in the service of a common good and shared goal. The chapter also explains that effective lawyer-leaders will need to tap into and hone a set of key skills and attributes that enable them to be emotionally intelligent, cognitively competent, culturally competent, and broadly connected. 8Reducing the Danger Ahead: Teaching Lawyers Leadership chapter abstractThis chapter argues that exposing law students to intersectional leadership education is an important first step toward reducing the danger posed by ill-prepared lawyer-leaders. The chapter contends that if law schools seriously intend to prepare the next generation of leaders, they must recognize and embrace the duty to start this process of learning by exposing law students to leadership concepts and lessons through their pedagogy and substantive discussions. Similarly, practicing lawyers who currently function as leaders or have ambitions to such roles will also need to train for this new form of leadership. The chapter urges law schools to provide leadership learning opportunities for students in dedicated courses as well as traditional courses. The chapter suggests that intersectional leadership is a place to start. Conclusion chapter abstractConsidering the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the Brexit movement in the United Kingdom, and the particular populist leaders they have ushered in, this chapter challenges the notion that appeals to nativism, xenophobia, and division are examples of genuine leadership. The author insists that there are three fundamental components to effective leadership. First, the leader must unite people who may have previously disagreed with the leader. Second, a leader must inspire those whom he or she leads, meaning the entire enterprise, its stakeholders, and its clients. Finally, once the leader has united the organization, enterprise, or country, he or she must move it toward a shared vision of a greater good. Given the decentralized nature of governing and complexity of issues the next generation of lawyer-leaders will face, law schools must teach them intersectional leadership to prepare them for the world that is unfolding.

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Book SynopsisWritten by the leading authority on legal decision making, Professional Judgment for Lawyers integrates empirical legal research, cognitive and social psychology, organizational behavior, legal ethics, and neuroscience to understand and improve decision making by attorneys, clients, judges, arbitrators, mediators, and juries.Trade Review‘Buy it. Read it. Make better judgments and decisions. … Professional Judgment for Lawyers can help you understand what is going on, become more self-aware, understand your cognitive limitations, and know how to get help when you need it. … Like all of Kiser's books, Professional Judgment for Lawyers is well written, accessible, and a pleasure to read. … Law schools should offer courses on this subject with this book as the core text. Law firms should conduct in-house seminars and workshops with this book as the guide. Bar associations should offer CLE programs based on Professional Judgment for Lawyers."‘This new book, like Randy Kiser’s others, truly is a must-read. It showcases his unusual and enviable talent for pulling together empirical work from very diverse fields. So insightful for practice and law teaching alike. Highly recommend.’ -- Donna Shestowsky, Director of Lawyering Skills Education and Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law, U.C. Davis School of Law, US‘Randy Kiser’s Professional Judgment for Lawyers is a tour-de-force book every lawyer, law student, judge, arbitrator, mediator, and public policy maker should read and study. It draws on empirical research and theoretical models about human decision-making and judgment. The chapter capsules which end chapters offer wonderful syntheses of the breadth of empirical studies and theoretical frameworks about lawyering, decision-making by actors in legal systems, and policies to improve the quality of legal rules and institutions. This masterpiece is a gift for those who are in the legal profession to help them improve their professional and personal decision-making and judgment.’ -- Peter H. Huang, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado, Law School, US‘This is a fascinating and important book. Its overarching aim is vital: to improve decision making in all corners of the world of law. A wonderful antidote to the superficial blogs that threaten to obscure our understanding of lawyers and lawyering, Kiser has gifted us a fine volume that is clearly the result of extensive empirical research and deep reflection.' -- Richard Susskind OBE, President of the Society for Computers and Law‘It’s been nearly 15 years since Randall Kiser jumpstarted the field of lawyer decision making with his seminal study in the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. Now, several books later, we have Professional Judgment for Lawyers, which weaves together the threads of neuroscience, evolutionary biology, psychology, emotion, and decision making with the context of lawyers, clients, judges, mediators, arbitrators, and jurors. This book can be safely viewed as Kiser’s magnum opus, as the depth and breadth of learning (combined with its accessibility) is truly staggering. This is a book that belongs in every lawyer’s library.’ -- William Henderson, Indiana University, Maurer School of Law, USTable of ContentsContents: 1 Principles and Challenges 2 Neuroscience and Cognition 3 Emotions. 4 Legal Analysis and Reasoning 5 Attorneys and Clients 6 Judges, Arbitrators, and Mediators 7 Jurors and Juries 8 Insight, Hindsight, and Foresight 9 Expertise, Motivation, and Wisdom 10 Decision-making Styles 11 Individual Decision-making Expertise 12 Group Decision-making Expertise 13 Ten Decision-making Tenets Index

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Book SynopsisWritten by the leading authority on legal decision making, Professional Judgment for Lawyers integrates empirical legal research, cognitive and social psychology, organizational behavior, legal ethics, and neuroscience to understand and improve decision making by attorneys, clients, judges, arbitrators, mediators, and juries.Trade Review‘Buy it. Read it. Make better judgments and decisions. … Professional Judgment for Lawyers can help you understand what is going on, become more self-aware, understand your cognitive limitations, and know how to get help when you need it. … Like all of Kiser's books, Professional Judgment for Lawyers is well written, accessible, and a pleasure to read. … Law schools should offer courses on this subject with this book as the core text. Law firms should conduct in-house seminars and workshops with this book as the guide. Bar associations should offer CLE programs based on Professional Judgment for Lawyers."‘This new book, like Randy Kiser’s others, truly is a must-read. It showcases his unusual and enviable talent for pulling together empirical work from very diverse fields. So insightful for practice and law teaching alike. Highly recommend.’ -- Donna Shestowsky, Director of Lawyering Skills Education and Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law, U.C. Davis School of Law, US‘Randy Kiser’s Professional Judgment for Lawyers is a tour-de-force book every lawyer, law student, judge, arbitrator, mediator, and public policy maker should read and study. It draws on empirical research and theoretical models about human decision-making and judgment. The chapter capsules which end chapters offer wonderful syntheses of the breadth of empirical studies and theoretical frameworks about lawyering, decision-making by actors in legal systems, and policies to improve the quality of legal rules and institutions. This masterpiece is a gift for those who are in the legal profession to help them improve their professional and personal decision-making and judgment.’ -- Peter H. Huang, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado, Law School, US‘This is a fascinating and important book. Its overarching aim is vital: to improve decision making in all corners of the world of law. A wonderful antidote to the superficial blogs that threaten to obscure our understanding of lawyers and lawyering, Kiser has gifted us a fine volume that is clearly the result of extensive empirical research and deep reflection.' -- Richard Susskind OBE, President of the Society for Computers and Law‘It’s been nearly 15 years since Randall Kiser jumpstarted the field of lawyer decision making with his seminal study in the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. Now, several books later, we have Professional Judgment for Lawyers, which weaves together the threads of neuroscience, evolutionary biology, psychology, emotion, and decision making with the context of lawyers, clients, judges, mediators, arbitrators, and jurors. This book can be safely viewed as Kiser’s magnum opus, as the depth and breadth of learning (combined with its accessibility) is truly staggering. This is a book that belongs in every lawyer’s library.’ -- William Henderson, Indiana University, Maurer School of Law, USTable of ContentsContents: 1 Principles and Challenges 2 Neuroscience and Cognition 3 Emotions. 4 Legal Analysis and Reasoning 5 Attorneys and Clients 6 Judges, Arbitrators, and Mediators 7 Jurors and Juries 8 Insight, Hindsight, and Foresight 9 Expertise, Motivation, and Wisdom 10 Decision-making Styles 11 Individual Decision-making Expertise 12 Group Decision-making Expertise 13 Ten Decision-making Tenets Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review‘This is a highly useful, clear and interesting read. David Cowan guides us through why great communication is such a vital skill for legal professionals but then, most importantly, he gives the tools which enable us to do this ourselves - impactfully and simply. An excellent contribution.’ -- Christina Blacklaws, entrepreneur and innovator, Chair of LawTech UK and former President of the Law Society of England and Wales‘If communication, as David suggests, is better understood as the activity of sharing, then I think we are all fortunate that he has shared with us his insights into effective communication in this invaluable book. As a practising lawyer, I would rank effective communication as the most valuable skill a lawyer can possess; one that we must continually develop. The Dialogue Box is an excellent practical tool which aids that development for everyone from the first year law student to the most seasoned practitioner.’ -- Tara Doyle, Matheson, Dublin, Ireland‘This book does much more than it says on the tin. As well as being a first-rate practical guide, it offers a deeply informed analysis of the changing nature of legal communications in a digital society. Wide-ranging, well-researched, and ambitious, it should be mandatory reading across the world of law.’ -- Richard Susskind, President, Society for Computers and LawTable of ContentsContents: Preface 1. Dialogue and law – new horizons 2. Law as communication, communication as law PART I THE COMMUNICATING LAWYER 3. Emotional lawyering 4. Collaborative lawyering 5. Changing channel 6. Changing paradigms – confront or collaborate? PART II THE DIALOGUE BOX FOR LAWYERS 7. Introducing the Dialogue Box 8. The Intelligence Zon 9. The Emotion Zone 10. The Interpretation Zone 11. The Narrative Zone 12. Ready to dialogue? Index

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