A History of American Law, Revised Edition (A Touchstone Book)
by Lawrence M. Friedman
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (21 January, 1986)
list price: $24.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (7)

Law in its Historical Context
Friedman's "History of American Law" is a remarkable achievement.It is the authoritative text on the historical foundation of the common law, its development and role in history, and to a lesser extent, the development of our legal system. There are few books out there that cover the history of American law, and none that do so in such detail.Where this book excels most is in its ability to convey the role social and economic phenomena have had in the development of law.Accordingly, the strongest chapters are those that deal with family law, commercial law, and property.

While all lawyers should be familiar with the history of their profession, this book will appeal primarily to history students.The primary reason is that although fascinating in a historical context, this book is of little utility to practicing lawyers.The bulk of the book is devoted to the development of law up to the 20th century.The majority of lawyers, however, have little practical use for such information, as the "law" they work with (especially federal statutory law) has developed entirely within the past 80 years or so.Additionally, this is a long, very detailed volume, that contains a fair share of non-essential, and perhaps redundant, information (see, for example, the multitudinous examples of early state constitutions and statutes).That being said, I still unreservedly recommend this volume to lawyers, though I fear that they would not have the patience to read it through.

Finally, readers would benefit greatly from an updated version covering 20th century law.It was in this century that American law evolved and expanded most, what with the labor and civil rights movements, federalism developments, the explosion of tort law, and the proliferation of federal statutes.These developments need to be placed within their historical context and understood by lawyers and laypersons.

No!
J'aurais du te dire ces mots que les hommes ne disent pas. Mais je n'avais pas les couilles afin de te les dire. Eh bien.. levez ton beret pour me saluer. Vieux mecs, mes chers, vous etes les meilleurs. Et voila. C'est la fin.

Better make time for this one
This is one long book (>700pgs). Unless you really have the time for it you might want to pass. It ate up alot of my free time.

Otherwise, I have found it to be a great intro for all sorts of (unsophisticated) legal lingo. Also a good base from which to build further legal knowledge. Friedman keeps what could be a miserable topic lively and engrossing with his prose. I will say that some of the chapter sections just can't be rescued - i was still bored. It's no one's fault but my own though. Colonial legal economics (among other topics) just aren't my thing.

Overall: thumbs up. ... Read more

Isbn: 0671528076
Sales Rank: 134679
Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. Law    4. Legal History    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Legal System    7. United States    8. Law / General   

Gideon's Trumpet
by ANTHONY LEWIS
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (23 April, 1989)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (16)

Sound the Horns for this Book
This is a fantastic story about one man's struggle for justice. Gideon was a poor, career criminal who was denied counsel in Florida for a charge of petty theft who challenged his right to an attorney all the way to the Supreme Court.

Like all court cases, there are long, human stories that lead up to the actual trial, but unfortunately those are seldom told and the only record we are left with is court opinions. In this book, however, a New York Times reporter did a staggering amount of research to present Gideon's personal history, as well as the development of his case, the preparation of his lawyers, the actual legal machinations that led to him winning his case before the Court. It is triumphant and interesting story for most readers, but it is also very educational and inspirational for aspiring lawyers who really don't understand the way the law works in the real world and needs a reminder that the law is really about helping people. I would highly recommend this book.

A fine work of legal history
In 1961, Clarence Earl Gideon was charged in the State of Florida with the offense of burglary, a felony. He asked the court to appoint an attorney to represent him. The judge refused, telling Gideon that Florida only provided counsel in capital cases. So Gideon went to trial, representing himself, and was convicted.

From the Florida State Prison in Raiford, in 1962, Clarence Earl Gideon wrote a letter to the United States Supreme Court, asking that his conviction be overturned on the grounds that he should have been given a lawyer. He was fighting an uphill battle. The Court had previously ruled in Betts v. Brady that the 6th Amendment right to counsel did not apply to the states. Gideon was asking the Court to change its mind, just twenty years later.

The Court agreed to hear his case, and appointed Abe Fortas to brief and argue it. The rest is history. Gideon won his case (and at retrial, with counsel, was acquitted), and indigent criminal defendants are now guaranteed the right to counsel. 2003 marks the 40th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, which is the foundation stone of indigent defense throughout the United States).

Anthony Lewis was for many years the New York Times Supreme Court correspondent. His work covering the Court was knowledgeable and incisive. In this book, he explains clearly and simply the legal history that Gideon and Fortas had to face, and how this historic change came about.

The story is fascinating.The commentary, however........
I saw the movie with Henry Fonda on video while I was in high school.The story was fascinating, and years later I read this book.The details of the story, again, were fascinating and Lewis relates them well.But along the way, you have to slog through a LOT of commentary about how selfless these lawyers are and how we owe them a debt of gratitude, etc.Well, fine.But it just got a little heavy-handed for my taste.The story on its own would have made that point FOR him.The constant "just-the-altruistic-lawyers-against-the-evil-system" argument is annoying mostly because it is precisely that system that ALLOWED the case to be brought forth and decided in the first place! ... Read more

Isbn: 0679723129
Sales Rank: 5642
Subjects:  1. General    2. Gideon, Clarence Earl    3. History - General History    4. Legal History    5. Right to counsel    6. Sociology    7. Trials, litigation, etc    8. United States    9. Wainwright, Louie L    10. Wainwright, Louie L.    11. Law / Legal History   

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (11 October, 1988)
list price: $6.99 -- our price: $6.29
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

"When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.... When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back on them, we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior, said it started long before that. He said it began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out."

Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up.

Like the slow-moving occupants of her fictional town, Lee takes her time getting to the heart of her tale; we first meet the Finches the summer before Scout's first year at school. She, her brother, and Dill Harris, a boy who spends the summers with his aunt in Maycomb, while away the hours reenacting scenes from Dracula and plotting ways to get a peek at the town bogeyman, Boo Radley. At first the circumstances surrounding the alleged rape of Mayella Ewell, the daughter of a drunk and violent white farmer, barely penetrate the children's consciousness. Then Atticus is called on to defend the accused, Tom Robinson, and soon Scout and Jem find themselves caught up in events beyond their understanding. During the trial, the town exhibits its ugly side, but Lee offers plenty of counterbalance as well--in the struggle of an elderly woman to overcome her morphine habit before she dies; in the heroism of Atticus Finch, standing up for what he knows is right; and finally in Scout's hard-won understanding that most people are essentially kind "when you really see them." By turns funny, wise, and heartbreaking, To Kill a Mockingbird is one classic that continues to speak to new generations, and deserves to be reread often. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Reviews (1395)

Not a bad read...
This epic novel is one of the best that I've read.This story has to do with the contraversial issues of racism.Taking place in the days where african-americans really didn't get respect,it is precise in every detail,and gives the reader a front row seat at the events that happen.Harper Lee is a critically acclaimed novelist,and this book gave her a place in the world of literature forever.


-Great Book! Recommended!!!!!!!!

A Must-Have Classic! Read it at least once!
To Kill A Mockingbird is a powerful masterpiece at it's best. This classic tale was brought to life by Harper Lee in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, and later became an Academy Award-Winning film. There are over 15 million copies in print with translations in forty languages. The story takes place in Alabama during the Depression, in the early 1900's. It is about a young girl, her brother Jem, and their lawyer father Atticus, who must teach his children the value of every human being, regardless of race. It is a life lesson that is taught not only to the characters in this book, but the reader as well. Harper Lee does a marvelous job allowing the reader to actually live the hatred, love, suspense and determination of this family to stand up for what they believe in. It is a test for them because in the days that To Kill A Mockingbird takes place, race issues were just coming to life, and the true lesson was yet to be learned.

The storyline is about a young girl, Scout, who is at the age of curiosity. She wants to learn about everything, and looks to her older brother Jem to help her learn the ways of life. It is about a father that is forced to raise his children alone, after losing his wife. Through many hardships, this family learns about respect, love, personal growth, and most importantly they learn life lessons. "You never really know a man till you walk a mile in his shoes", says Atticus, who is defending an innocent black man, who is being charged for the rape of a white girl. In the end the real truth comes out, to no avail. The story is also about friendship, found in Dill, a boy that brings excitement to these two young characters. The three quickly become friends and they explore, play, learn, and love one another.

The story is based on Scout Finch, Jem, Dill, Atticus Finch, and many others who bring this book to life. The Radleys, who live next door to the Finches, are a strange and curious family to say the least. Through determination, they all quickly learn the Radleys aren't as strange as they would appear. There is Aunt Alexandra, who is very much against everything that Atticus believes in, she moves in with her brother and tempers flare. The neighbor, Miss Stephanie Crawford nurtures the children and aides them in ways only a woman can, since they lack a mother figure. Culprina, the black housemaid who has been helping Atticus raise his children, also guides this family into a world of understanding. Through all the characters, you find a perfect puzzle, that without just one piece, it would crumble.

The meaning of this book really touches on all the problems that are still very real in this world today. It is a true life lesson for the reader, young and old alike. I don't believe anyone can read this classic and not walk away with something truly special....Love For All.

Also recommended: THE LOSERS' CLUB: Complete Restored Edition by Richard Perez

To kill a Mockingbird or to kill man's freedom -great book!
The book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is much more educational than any government school.The title comes from a comment in the book about how it is not a sin to kill bluejays, as they are vicious vandals and pests, but it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, as a mockingbird only sings for us.All of you who have been physically attacked by bluejays (as I have) raise your hands. All the hands show that the title's subject is clearly true.

The "Mockingbird" analogy in the book is to the defendant falsely accused of rape.

Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman.

Readers can make comparisons with real life trials such as "An American rape: A true account of the Giles-Johnson case" by A. Robert Smith and read the book or view the documentary about "The Scottsboro Boys" -six sets of trials for nine defendents... all young black men wrongly accused of raping two white women while "riding the rails" through the deep south during the Depression.

The book explores the themes of racism, violence and doing what is right.There is even a setting in a government school in which the class discusses Hitler and the analogy is made to his persecution of people based on race or religion.

At the time set in the book, the government in the USA had taken over most schools and the government mandated segregation by law, institutionalized racism, and taught racism as official policy and did so even after the defeat of Hitler and his National Socialist German Workers' Party and well beyond, even into the 1970's.

Every day students would attend segregated government schools and chant the pledge of allegiance using the original straight-armed salute.The USA's pledge of allegiance was the origin of Hitler's salute, as discovered by the historian Rex Curry (the book "The pledge of Allegiance and the Bellamys).The salute was not from ancient Rome.

In 1892, Francis Bellamy began the pledge of allegiance with a military salute for the phrase "I pledge allegiance" and then the rest of the pledge was chanted with the arm outstretched toward the flag. The military salute became the Nazi salute. The hand was supposed to be turned upward for the main gesture, however it changed in time to the Nazi-style because of casual extension of the initial military salute straight toward the flag. Even when the palm was turned upward, people would see the relationship to the later Nazi-Sozi salute, and the USA's salute changed to the hand-over-the-heart.

When Jesse Owens competed in the 1936 Olympics in Germany, his neighbors attended segregated government schools where they saluted the flag with the Nazi salute.

As under Nazism, children in the USA (including Jehovah's Witnesses and blacks and the Jewish and others) attended government schools where segregation was imposed by law, where racism was taught as official policy, and where they were required by law to perform the Nazi salute and robotically chant a pledge to a flag. If they refused, then they were persecuted and expelled from government schools and had to use the many better alternatives. There were also acts of physical violence.

Jehovah's Witnesses were among the first people to publicly fight the government and its pledge ritual in the USA, during the same time that they fought it in Nazi Germany. They eventually achieved total victory over Nazi socialism. They achieved only partial victory over similar socialism in the USA. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that they could not be forced to perform the pledge. Laws still make teachers lead children in robotic chants of the socialist's pledge daily, on cue from the government. Jehovah's Witnesses and other children in government schools must watch the ritual performed by others.

Francis Bellamy put flags in every school to promote a government takeover of education for widespread nationalization and socialism, and Bellamy was a self-proclaimed national socialist who advocated "military socialism" for three decades before Hitler's National Socialist German Workers' Party.

Edward and Francis Bellamy were cousins and were national socialists who idolized the military and wanted to nationalize the entire US economy, including all schools. It was a philosophy that led to the socialist Wholecaust (of which the Holocaust was a part) where millions were murdered (62 million by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 35 million by the Peoples' Republic of China, 21 million by the National Socialist German Workers' Party) in the worst slaughter in history. That is why the Bellamys are known as America's Nazis. All Holocaust Museums could expand four-fold with Wholecaust Museums.

Many people forget that "Nazi" means "National Socialist German Workers' Party," and one reason people forget is because the word "Nazi" is overused by the writers who never say the actual name of the horrid party. A good mnemonic device is that the sick socialist swastika represented two overlapping "S" letters for "socialism" under the National Socialist German Workers' Party, as exposed in the book "Swastika Secrets."

The Bellamys wanted the government to takeover everything and impose the military's "efficiency," as he said. It is the origin of the modern military-socialist complex.They wanted government schools to ape the military. Government schools were intended to create an "industrial army" (another Bellamy phrase, and the word "army" was not metaphorical) and to help nationalize everything else.

Because of the Bellamy way of thinking, government-schools spread and they mandated the Nazi-style salute by law, flags in every classroom, and daily robotic chanting of the pledge of allegiance in military formation like Pavlov's lapdogs of the state.

After the government's segregation ended, socialism's legacy caused more police-state racism of forced busing that destroyed communities and neighborhoods and deepened hostilities.

Francis Bellamy wanted a flag over every school because he wanted to nationalize and militarize everything, including all schools, and eliminate all of the better alternatives.

At the height of Nazi power, the USA's government deliberately stepped onto the same path with national numbering imposed in 1935 with the social security system. The federal government was growing massively and attempting to nationalize the economy in many ways. The US Supreme Court struck down much of the new legislation as unconstitutional until the craven FDR pressured the Court into the "switch in time that socialized nine."

After the USA entered WWII, the pledge gesture was altered and explicit school segregation by government ended. The Government's schools still exist, the federal flag brands government schools, and government's teachers must chant the pledge daily. Students are kept ignorant of the pledge's original salute and history. That is why the pledge still exists.

The USA also continued its Nazi numbering (social security from 1935) and its robotic pledge, with no stopping.

Overall, the book was very revealing and educational and worth the time to review. ... Read more

Isbn: 0446310786
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fathers and daughters    3. Fiction    4. Girls    5. Legal    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. Literature: Classics    8. Race relations    9. Trials (Rape)    10. Fiction / Classics   

The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court
by Bob Woodward, Scott Armstrong
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1996)
list price: $7.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (25)

Stands the Test of Time
I learned more of the hows and whys of the Supreme Court from Bob Woodward's "The Brethren" than I did in my three years of law school. In addition to being an excellent and surprisingly interesting breakdown of the procedure and function of the high court, the book (which reads like a novel) paints a fascinating picture of the Burger Court and the contemporary influences thereon. Woodward gives background history and profiles of each justice on the court, how they were picked (and by whom they were nominated, as well as why they were nominated and others who nearly took their chair). Woodward also dissects the major decisions that faced the court (namely the case law developed from Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation and the abortion cases including and brought on by Roe v. Wade). Woodward explains the policy and personal influences affecting the justices and their decisions of the cases and the volatile and emotional toll taken during the writing of the opinions.

I anticipated that this would be one of those books that I "should" read, and would appreciate having read once I was finished. I was surprised when, not 20 pages in, I had a hard time ever putting it down until I finished.

A Snapshot of the Burger Court
The 'Introduction' says the Supreme Court is the highest court and final forum. It operates in absolute secrecy, only revealing its judgments in formal written opinions. Their decision making has been kept secret from the people who are affected. This book tells about the inner workings of the Burger Court from 1969 to 1976. The Supreme Court can reinterpret laws, the Constitution, and prior cases. Numerous confidential sources provided information. It tells how 'LIFE' magazine was used to discredit Abe Fortasto force his resignation (pp.18-19). Page 21 gives the political reasons for Burger's selection. Page 24 suggests the fix was in: the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously recommended Burger. The next seven chapters cover the years 1969 to 1975; each Supreme Court term coves one year from October to June or early July.

Do you know that newspapers manipulate the news (p.31)? [You can see this if your area has more than one newspaper.] One of Burger's first actions was against the rigorous code of ethics proposed for federal judges by Earl Warren (p.32). Next he restricted the normal intercommunication between the law clerks (pp.34-35). Was Burger "petty, unpleasant, and dishonest" (p.71)? Page 85 tells how Burger tried to change the rules to benefit a monopoly. This was a violation of judicial restraint and strict constructionism! Burger then backed down from Douglas' proposed dissent. While the emphasis is on Warren Earl Burger, the personalities and characters of the other Judges are displayed. Many cases were undecided because the Court was deadlocked 4 to 4. Blackmun would provide the deciding vote on these and future cases. This ended Burger's first term as Chief Justice. This book seems slow-paced in covering many details about the Justices. After 25 years, this then important story has faded into the background of history. But its important to understand that the Justices are politicians who do not need popular approval. This book does not go into much detail as to why a specific judge was picked.

The "Constitutional Journal" by Jeffrey St. John was written as a journalistic summary of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Article III Section 1 defined the Court system. They left further changes to Congress. There is nothing in Section 1 that mandates life-tenure, except by default. Congress could specify a term for a fixed number of years, or an age limit. There are examples from history for an age limit. There were six Justices in Washington's era, seven for Jefferson, and nine for Jackson. About one Justice for every two states. If this example was followed we could have had twenty-one Justices by FDR's era. This could allow more work to be done more quickly.

Still the best book to read to understand the Supreme Court
This is still a must-read for people seriously interested in the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, some of my fellow reviewers had to read this for class or were not interested in the topic, which is really too bad, but these individuals should not be the last word on the issue. I would also like to respond to some of the more outrageous comments from other reviewers:

"It is not an easy reading."


To those who do not have trouble reading the newspaper, it will be extremely easy reading. In fact, it is written in such a clear style, with short, to-the-point sentences, as to be among the easiest books I have ever read.


"The secretive world of the court would be difficult for any journalist to penetrate, and here Woodward and his cohort Armstrong prove themselves not to be up to the task."


Whoever wrote this obviously had not come of age when the book was published. The publication of "The Brethren" ranks as probably the most scandalous moment in the history of the Supreme Court, because no one to that date had even come close to gaining the insider access that Woodward and Armstrong did-- and no journalist has gotten this close to the Court since. This is an utterly glib and untrue comment. As close as is humanly possible, Woodward and Armstrong penetrated the Court.

"'The Brethren' is, more than any book I've ever read, a product of its times. It reflects the anti-war, anti-establishment, anti-Nixon, pro-activist, and downright revolutionary times of the early 1970s. If you choose to read "The Brethren," you should understand that it takes positions as being either right or wrong. And with political powder kegs (abortion, busing, the Watergate tapes, the death penalty, etc.), that is an intellectually risky proposition."

Funny, because when I read it I had the exact opposite reaction-- I was upset by the excesses of that period. However, I should note that "The Brethren"'s presentation of the issues is absolutely non-judgmental. It notes with honesty what each justice's view was, in such simple language that it often sounds reductionist. People who have read Woodward's other books know that he is not a partisan hack.

Again, people who are really interested in the Supreme Court should definitely hunt this down. ... Read more

Isbn: 0380521830
Sales Rank: 110451
Subjects:  1. Civil Procedure    2. General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: American    6. Legal System    7. Supreme Court    8. U.S.    9. United States - 20th Century    10. United States.   

Anatomy of a Murder
by Robert Traver
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 March, 1983)
list price: $13.95 -- our price: $10.47
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (5)

Combines great writing and suspense with a unique setting.
This book is based on a true murder case which happened in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula about fifty years ago.The last half of the story is almost entirely courtroom drama and is second to none for suspense in this genre. Not only do we get excellent character development and an exciting story, but also a nice sense of place, as Traver lived in the U.P. much of his life.Additionally, this book contains the most eloquent use of the modern English language I've ever read, particularly the character Parnell's quotes.Highly recommended to fans of courtroom drama or classic literature.

The Book That Sets The Standard For"Legal Thrillers"
Many contemporary readers seem to find this novel "dated" or "trite."With all due respect, I find this type of thinking analogous to those who say the same about Bronte's "Jane Eyre," never taking the time to realize that she -- like Travers in this instance -- was breaking new ground, setting the standard for successive (and in all too many instances lesser) writers to equal and exceed, if only they could.

In "Anatomy," there is never a question that army Lt. Manion is responsible for the death of tavern owner Barney Quill in a relatively remote "upper peninsula" Michigan locale.Witnesses to the shooting death are hardly in short supply; add to that the fact that Manion himself readily admits to the homicide.What is at issue -- and which, frankly, may remain at issue even after the last page is turned -- is the question of Manion's culpability; was his killing of Quill justified, in the strictest legal sense, or was it otherwise?

Travers leaves that question dangling in the minds of his reader, diverting our attention, rather, to the practice of criminal law and trial strategies; his protagonist, recently-deposed County Prosecutor Paul ('Polly') Biegler, faces an uphill battle against not only his successful rival, Mitch Lodwick, but a high-powered deputy from the state attorney-general's office (from 'downstate' in Flint, Michigan) who promptly emerges as his true antagonist.Relative issues of guilt vs. innocence quickly take a backseat to questions of "gamesmanship" in the trial as Biegler fights to introduce evidence that the prosecution fights equally hard to suppress. "Truth" quickly becomes a secondary issue -- if an issue at all.

Nor are Biegler's problems confined simply to the courtroom; he finds himself entertaining a hearty dislike for his client -- as would most people as well as, one suspects, the man's own wife --even as he finds himself compelled to 'coach' his client through a recounting of the events leading up to the death of Quill (while always remaining within the American Bar Association's canons of conduct) which may or may not provide an "affirmative defense."

Travers chooses to recount his narrative through the first-person, and wisely so.Biegler's account is delivered in a somewhat wry, and at times whimsical, voice that is nonetheless passionate in its love for -- and belief in -- the law and the way it is practiced in the courtroom.

"Anatomy Of A Murder" emerges -- and today, almost 50 years later, remains -- as a classic novel of the American legal process.Anyone who thinks to term this novel as "dated" or "trite" need only to look to the fact that the book is still in publication, and readily available, as opposed to far too many of its "successors" . . .

A dated potboiler.
A bestseller in its day (the 1950s), this novel is of interest now mainly as a period piece and as the source for the celebrated Otto Preminger film."Robert Traver" was the pen name of a former prosecutor and judge who wanted to write a novel that showed what *really* happens in a murder trial.He more or less succeeded in the accuracy department, but otherwise this novel is a fairly routine potboiler, with a touch of sex and violence, a wrongly slandered maiden whom only the hero appreciates, an alcoholic mentor who helps the hero behind the scenes, a scrappy secretary who never gets paid on time, etc.

Readers looking for a novel about a trial that is both accurate and well written would be better off buying *The Just and the Unjust,* by James Gould Cozzens.If you choose to read *Anatomy of a Murder* or to see the film, you would also benefit from reading the chapter on the film in *Reel Justice,* which points out some ways in which the story is less than accurate. ... Read more

Isbn: 0312033567
Sales Rank: 65386
Subjects:  1. Detective and mystery stories    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Legal stories    5. Michigan    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. Trials (Murder)    9. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

The Common Law
by Oliver Wendell Holmes
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (22 July, 1991)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (11)

Philosophy in historical dress
Grant Gilmore, the late professor of contracts at Yale, got The Common Law right when he wrote in The Ages of American Law (1977) that Holmes' lectures have "long since become unreadable unless the reader is prepared to put forward an almost superhuman effort of will to keep his attention from flagging and his interest from wandering." (52)I also agree with Gilmore that Holmes is attempting to disguise a philosophic statement in historical dress.The Common Law may even be "an elaborate joke" that Holmes was amused to play on his audience.Influential, yes; worth reading, no.

The Philosophical Basis For Our Legal System
This book is a little tedious for us non-lawyers, but it does illustrate some interesting points:
Law emerged from the need to get away from revenge/feud dynamics.And it originated during times when most people couldn't write, so the issue of proving a case (such as in a agreement) is troublesome (especially in times when plagues and such could kill witnesses at any time).The world is a fuzzy set, and yet the law needs to set a finite set of rules in place, so exceptions constantly challenge.The needs of the state can supercede the issue of fairness, such as in the rule that "ignorance is no excuse".Judges are generally friends of the wealthy and not compatriots of the commoner.If a man has large debts, and dies, how can his children, who were not party to the agreements, be held liable via the estate?Many such questions arise and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. tries to address the fluid basis for our legal system.

A walk through time with a Great legal author
Some may not agree with all or much of Holmes legal philosophy, but regardless, this book is well written and provides a first-hand perspective on one of America's foremost legal figures. ... Read more

Isbn: 0486267466
Sales Rank: 23935
Subjects:  1. Common law    2. General    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Reference    6. History / General   

Law School Without Fear: Strategies for Success (University Textbooks (Paperback))
by Helene Shapo, Marshall Shapo, Helene S. Shapo
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 August, 1996)
list price: $20.95 -- our price: $20.95
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (3)

Informative overview of the legal system and the law
This book was recommended in a class I took which had both law students and non-law graduate students like public health students.I found it a very readable introduction to both the legal system and the basics of law. Topics include the concept of jurisdiction, different levels of appeal,rulings vs. dicta, different types of law (legislative, administrative,common law, etc.)While the book is targeted at people about to start lawschool, it may be surprisingly interesting for the general reader as well.Even sections on how to summarize cases and write essays on law, mightcarry over to other kinds of professional writing as well.

A thoughtful road map that hits and misses.
Law School Without Fear has its heart in the right place and fine sections regarding briefs, exam strategies, and psychological traps a typical first year law student will face.However, they bog down a great portion of the book with policy issues that give a forum for the authors personal beliefs.A clunky writing style doesn't win the book any stars, but the practical pointers make the book worth reading.

A world of knowledge packed into a small book.
I have read several books about preparing for law school and I found this one to be the best. It had a broad range of topics, each having an impact on a first year law student. I did not buy the book myself, the ONU Law School Dean Of Admissions sent it to me. It covered topics including- breifing cases, civil procedure, conons of statutory construction and more. Overall I found it really helpful. ... Read more

Isbn: 1566624282
Sales Rank: 159321
Subjects:  1. Law    2. Legal Education    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Legal research    5. Study & Teaching    6. Study and teaching    7. United States   

A Time to Kill
by JOHN GRISHAM
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 June, 1992)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.19
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This addictive tale of a young lawyer defending a black Vietnam war hero who kills the white druggies who raped his child in tiny Clanton, Mississippi, is John Grisham's first novel, and his favorite of his first six. He polished it for three years and every detail shines like pebbles at the bottom of a swift, sunlit stream. Grisham is a born legal storyteller and his dialogue is pitch perfect.

The plot turns with jeweled precision. Carl Lee Hailey gets an M-16 from the Chicago hoodlum he'd saved at Da Nang, wastes the rapists on the courthouse steps, then turns to attorney Jake Brigance, who needs a conspicuous win to boost his career. Folks want to give Carl Lee a second medal, but how can they ignore premeditated execution? The town is split, revealing its social structure. Blacks note that a white man shooting a black rapist would be acquitted; the KKK starts a new Clanton chapter; the NAACP, the ambitious local reverend, a snobby, Harvard-infested big local firm, and others try to outmaneuver Jake and his brilliant, disbarred drunk of an ex-law partner. Jake hits the books and the bottle himself. Crosses burn, people die, crowds chant "Free Carl Lee!" and "Fry Carl Lee!" in the antiphony of America's classical tragedy. Because he's lived in Oxford, Mississippi, Grisham gets compared to Faulkner, but he's really got the lean style and fierce folk moralism of John Steinbeck. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (316)

Better than the movie!!!!
I loved the movie and the book is even better. A Time to Kill gives you a powerful look at family, NAACP, KKK, and politics. Jake Brigance defends a client(Carl Lee)who has killed the 2 men that raped his little girl. Jake must over come one major problem, Carl Lee is black and the men he killed were white. To make this problem worse the case will be tried in Clayton, Mississippi. A HEAVILY white County. This is one Grisham's best.

Grisham's Greatest
A Time to Kill definitely contains all the elements a great book should have: a firm, ongoing plot; stylish main characters with more minor, yet characteristic, characters; just the right amount of imagery - not too much, not too little; a perfect amount of dialogue that keeps your mind from wandering; danger, crime, love, and determination all in a single bundle of pages.

Tonya Hailey, a 10-year-old black girl, is raped by two white men. As the trial for these two rapists begin, Carl Hailey (the father of Tonya) decides to take the matter in his own hands. After acquiring an illegal M-16 rifle from a fellow Vietnam War veteran, Carl kills both men and accidentally injures another white police officer. Now the situation is awkward enough to make you catch your breath. A black man has killed not just one, but two white men - intentionally...for it is obvious that his murder was premeditated. This is where the hero of the day - young defense attorney Jake Brigance - enters the scene. Very reliable, very ambitious, and totally backed up with support from Lucien Wilbanks (former boss) and Ellen Roark (new law clerk), Jake is one of those guys that you can describe as: "if he can't do it, no one can."

As I pause in the middle of this summary, I would like to take this time to mention how fascinating the theme already is. Imagine a father's wrathful vengeance upon two young white men who didn't know what they were getting themselves into. Now imagine a black father's wrath upon two white men. And now imagine a white defense attorney trying to defend a pre-planned murder of a black man against two white men...with the argument of "insanity." Because that is indeed what Jake Brigance does. He sets up an insanity plea, saying that Carl Hailey did not know what he was doing at the time of the murder.

As the trial date approaches, the story turns drastic and racially-violent. The Klu Klux Klan and black protestors meet head on, each group inflicting deliberate and accidental violence on the county. My personal opinion tells me that the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) was more of a terror than the black protestors; after all, all the black protestors did was to scream "Free Carl Hailey" and fight the KKK members. The KKK, on the other hand, terrorizes individual members of the court, including the potential jury members, Jake, Ellen, and Jake's secretary Ethel. This outside conflict, resulting in numerous injuries and a few deaths, tells the reader that the plot has taken a sharp turn towards a more violent and more racially-involved storyline.

In the end, the all-white, ten-female, 2-male [they say that white females are the least sympathetic towards blacks] jury votes Carl Hailey as not guilty due to insanity. This expected, yet unexpected-at-the-same-time, verdict is a pleasant surprise to readers and gives a nice, calm ending to a rather volatile plot. In conclusion, as a book-lover myself, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a sophisticated adventure with many twists and turns - all in one sitting. John Grisham definitely doesn't disappoint in his first and best novel.

good book
it was really well written, grishams talent definitely shows here.

but the ending was predictable, its not a bad read for $7 ... Read more

Isbn: 0440211727
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Psychological Suspense    3. Legal    4. Suspense    5. Thrillers    6. Fiction / General