Thinking Like a Lawyer

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000489906
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (4 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking Like a Lawyer by : Colin Seale

Download or read book Thinking Like a Lawyer written by Colin Seale and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-09-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Critical thinking is the essential tool for ensuring that students fulfill their promise. But, in reality, critical thinking is still a luxury good, and students with the greatest potential are too often challenged the least. Thinking Like a Lawyer: Introduces a powerful but practical framework to close the critical thinking gap. Gives teachers the tools and knowledge to teach critical thinking to all students. Helps students adopt the skills, habits, and mindsets of lawyers. Empowers students to tackle 21st-century problems. Teaches students how to compete in a rapidly changing global marketplace. Colin Seale, a teacher-turned-attorney-turned-education-innovator and founder of thinkLaw, uses his unique experience to introduce a wide variety of concrete instructional strategies and examples that teachers can use in all grade levels and subject areas. Individual chapters address underachievement, the value of nuance, evidence-based reasoning, social-emotional learning, equitable education, and leveraging families to close the critical thinking gap.

Thinking About Law

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000248208
Total Pages : 250 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking About Law by : Richard Johnstone

Download or read book Thinking About Law written by Richard Johnstone and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-07-23 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is more to law than rules, robes and precedents. Rather, law is an integral part of social practices and policies, as diverse and complex as society itself. Thinking About Law offers a comprehensive introduction to the ways in which law has been presented and represented. It explores historical, sociological, economic and philosophical perspectives on the major legal and political debates in Australia today. The contributors examine the position of Aborigines in the Australian legal system and the impact of the Mabo case; divisions of power in Australian society and law; the question of objectivity in law; the relationship between legislation and social change; judicial decision-making and other issues. Accessibly written, Thinking About Law is essential reading for students and anyone interested in understanding our legal system.

Thinking Like a Lawyer

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Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674062485
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking Like a Lawyer by : Frederick Schauer

Download or read book Thinking Like a Lawyer written by Frederick Schauer and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-04-02 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This primer on legal reasoning is aimed at law students and upper-level undergraduates. But it is also an original exposition of basic legal concepts that scholars and lawyers will find stimulating. It covers such topics as rules, precedent, authority, analogical reasoning, the common law, statutory interpretation, legal realism, judicial opinions, legal facts, and burden of proof.

Thinking and Writing about Law

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Publisher : Carolina Academic Press LLC
ISBN 13 : 9781531019532
Total Pages : 140 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (195 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking and Writing about Law by : Kevin Bennardo

Download or read book Thinking and Writing about Law written by Kevin Bennardo and published by Carolina Academic Press LLC. This book was released on 2021-07 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "While Thinking and Writing About Law is primarily geared toward law students, it should be accessible for anyone who wants to improve their abilities in legal analysis and communication. Written in an approachable, no-nonsense style, the book is divided into two parts. The first part guides readers toward an understanding of legal analysis in our common-law system. Properly conceptualizing our system of law is the most fundamental-and overlooked-component in the process of legal analysis. To that end, the book walks the reader step-by-step through the analytical process and then reinforces the reader's understanding by introducing a novel technique for visualizing legal analysis. The second part guides readers toward successful communicating their analyses to both inform and persuade. It draws upon the author's experiences as both a legal writing professor and a supreme court justice to bring a distinctive blend of academic expertise and judicial practicality to the subject"--

Thinking about Law

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1847313825
Total Pages : 430 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (473 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking about Law by : Oren Ben-Dor

Download or read book Thinking about Law written by Oren Ben-Dor and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2007-10-04 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What calls for thinking about law? What does it mean to think about? What is aboutness? Could it be that law, in its essence, has not yet been thought about? In exploring these questions, this book closely reads Heidegger's thought, especially his later poetical writings. Heidegger's transformation of the very notion and process of thinking has destabilising implications for the formation of any theory of law, however critical this theory may be. The transformation of thinking also affects the notions of ethics and morality, and the manner in which law relates to them. Interpretations of Heidegger's unique understanding of notions such as 'essence', 'thinking', 'language', 'truth' and 'nearness' come together to indicate the otherness of the essence of law from what is referred to as the 'legal'. If the essence of law has not yet been thought about, what generates deafness to the call for such thinking, thereby entrenching a refuge for legalism? The ambit of the legal is traced to Levinasian ethics, especially to his notion of otherness, despite such a notion being apparently highly critical of the totality of the legal. In entrenching the legal, it is argued that Levinas's notion of otherness does not reflect thinking that is otherwise than ontology but rather radicalises and maintains a derivative ontology. A call for thinking about law is then connected to Heideggerian ontologically based otherness upon which ethical reflection, that the essence of law protects, is grounded.

The Study of Law

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Publisher : Aspen Publishing
ISBN 13 : 154382076X
Total Pages : 1057 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (438 download)

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Book Synopsis The Study of Law by : Katherine A. Currier

Download or read book The Study of Law written by Katherine A. Currier and published by Aspen Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-02 with total page 1057 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proven effective in the classroom, The Study of Law: A Critical Thinking Approach, now in its Fifth Edition, brings real-world perspective to understanding basic legal concepts and the mechanics of the American legal system. The authors’ acclaimed critical thinking approach actively engages students in the process of legal reading, analysis, and critical thinking. The text offers a thorough introduction to core topics and concepts, including sources and classifications of law, the structure of the court system, civil litigation and its alternatives, analyzing and interpreting the law, and substantive law. New to the Fifth Edition: Streamlined with the student in mind. For example, an enhanced explanation of how to brief a case in Chapter 1 (Introduction to the Study of Law), and a clearer discussion of executive orders and memoranda in Chapter 2 (Functions and Sources of Law). Chapter 5 on Civil Litigation and Its Alternatives is edited to focus on the key topics. Updated throughout, including: Chapter 6 (Constitutional Law): Packingham v. North Carolina regarding First Amendment rights as they relate to the internet; Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, addressing the balancing act between giving states the right to legislate for the general public good and the individual right to express religious beliefs; American Legion v. American Humanist Association with examples of how the Supreme Court applies the Lemon test; and an enhanced discussion of the internet and the U.S. Constitution. Chapter 7 (Torts): Contemporary torts related to the #MeToo movement, cyberbullying, and cybertorts. Chapter 9 (Property and Estate Law): Matal v. Tam and expanded discussion of cases related to the Lanham Act. Chapter 10 (Laws Affecting Business): New coverage of public benefit corporations and the Family Medical Leave Act. Chapter 11 (Family Law): expanded discussion of Obergefell v. Hodges; Terrell v. Torres; and new discussion of DNA testing and its impacts on family law. Chapter 12 (Criminal Law): Commonwealth v. Carter Chapter 13 (Criminal Procedure): Mitchell v. Wisconsin regarding blood testing without a warrant; Carpenter v. U.S. regarding use of cell-site locations without a search warrant New co-author, Marisa Campbell, brings her extensive teaching experience to the book. Professors and students will benefit from: Critical thinking approach introduces students to the study of law, encouraging them to interact with the materials through hypothetical scenarios and exercises, realistic examples, discussion questions and legal reasoning exercises. Strong pedagogy reinforces well-written text presented in an accessible and well-organized format. Edited cases in every chapter teach students how to read and analyze the law. Thorough introduction to substantive law, with chapters on torts, contracts, property and estate law, business law, family law, and criminal law and procedure, and professional responsibility and ethics.

A Student's Guide to Legal Analysis

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Author :
Publisher : Aspen Publishers
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis A Student's Guide to Legal Analysis by : Patrick M. McFadden

Download or read book A Student's Guide to Legal Analysis written by Patrick M. McFadden and published by Aspen Publishers. This book was released on 2001 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This concise, accessible text provides law students with a way of organizing and thinking about their coursework and about the cases, laws, and regulations they confront every day.Among the features of this book: - based on the premise that despite the law's complexity, there are three primary questions that recur in different guises throughout legal practice: - Is there a law? - Has it been violated? - What will be done about it? - brings order to the multitude of legal issues that law students confront in the cases and materials they study - introduces the dynamics of legal argument - helps students recognize the basic questions posed in a legal dispute as well as the predictable reasons lawyers give for reaching one resolution or another - contains a helpful Glossary of Legal Terms and extensive index, as well as a list of suggested readings

Thinking Critically About Law

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317298381
Total Pages : 253 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (172 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking Critically About Law by : Amy R. Codling

Download or read book Thinking Critically About Law written by Amy R. Codling and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-01-31 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: So you’ve arrived at university, you’ve read the course handbook and you’re ready to learn the law. But is knowing the law enough to get you the very best marks? And what do your lecturers mean when they say you need to develop critical and analytical skills? When is it right to put your own views forward? What are examiners looking for when they give feedback to say that your work is too descriptive? This book explores what it means to think critically and offers practical tips and advice for students to develop the process, skill and ability of thinking critically while studying law. The book investigates the big questions such as: What is law? and What is ‘thinking critically’? How can I use critical thinking to get better grades in assessments? What is the role of critical thinking in the work place? These questions and more are explored in Thinking Critically About Law. Whether you have limited prior experience of critical thinking or are looking to improve your performance in assessments, this book is the ideal tool to help you enhance your capacity to question, challenge, reflect and problematize what you learn about the law throughout your studies and beyond.

How to Think About Law School

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Publisher : R&L Education
ISBN 13 : 1475802471
Total Pages : 155 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (758 download)

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Book Synopsis How to Think About Law School by : Michael R. Dillon

Download or read book How to Think About Law School written by Michael R. Dillon and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2013-02-21 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Handbook provides a comprehensive guide for college students and high school seniors considering law school. It teaches how to build an undergraduate resume, how to gather information about law school and legal careers, how to prepare for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and how to navigate the pitfalls of the law school application process. It also leads students through the law school curriculum, the central importance of the first year (1L), the roles played by Law Review, clinical programs, Moot Court, Mock Trial, interviewing, networking, summer associate positions and clerkships. Finally, it concludes with seven lessons to carry from law school into legal practice. This Handbook arises from the author’s two careers---one as a university professor and pre-law advisor, the other as a magna cum laude law school graduate and a successful practicing attorney. Along the way it conveys the author’s love of the law and admiration for the role of law in the United States. -Adopts a broader and longer perspective than any of its competitors, beginning with freshman year, and covering each year as an undergraduate, through law school admissions, the three years of law school, and into the beginnings of legal practice. -Provides useful, concrete and practical information including, lists of Dos and Don’ts, a Four Year Checklist, information about key resources, a step-by-step explanation of the law school application process, as well as a formula for selecting “competitive”, “safe” and “reach” law schools. -Presents detailed information about the law school curriculum each year, the importance of Law Review, clinical programs, Moot Court, interviewing skills, and summer associate positions. -Addresses current downsides to the practice of law in a more open way than any of its competitors, including the exhorbitant cost of law school, the difficulty repaying law school debt, the lack of opening legal positions in the wake of 2008, the high levels of job dissatisfaction in the profession, the stresses practice places upon a personal live. -Concludes with seven lessons to carry from law school into the practice of law.

Re-thinking Legal Education under the Civil and Common Law

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351814583
Total Pages : 276 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (518 download)

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Book Synopsis Re-thinking Legal Education under the Civil and Common Law by : Richard Grimes

Download or read book Re-thinking Legal Education under the Civil and Common Law written by Richard Grimes and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-20 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whilst educational theory has developed significantly in recent years, much of the law curriculum remains content-driven and delivered traditionally, predominantly through lecture format. Students are, in the main, treated as empty vessels to be filled by the eminent academics of the day. Re-thinking Legal Education under the Common and Civil Law draws on the experience of teachers, practitioners and students across the world who are committed to developing a more effective learning process. Little attention has, historically, been paid to the importance of the application of theory, the role of reflective learning, the understanding and acquisition of lawyering skills and the development of professional responsibility and wider ethical values. With contributions from across the global north and south, this book examines the history of educating our lawyers, the influences and constraints that may shape the curriculum, the means of delivering it and the models that could be used to tackle current shortcomings. The whole is intended to represent what might be desirable and possible if we are to produce lawyers that are fit for purpose in the 21st century, be that in either in civil or common law jurisdictions. This book will be of direct assistance to those who wish to understand the theory and practice of legal pedagogy in an experiential context. It will be essential reading for academics, researchers and teachers in the fields of law and education, particularly those concerned with curriculum design and developing interactive teaching methods. It is likely to be of interest to law students too – particularly those who value a more direct engagement in their learning.

Thinking Like A Lawyer

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Author :
Publisher : Westview Press
ISBN 13 : 9780813322049
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (22 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking Like A Lawyer by : Kenneth J. Vandevelde

Download or read book Thinking Like A Lawyer written by Kenneth J. Vandevelde and published by Westview Press. This book was released on 1996-03-08 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Students of the law are often told that they must learn to “think like a lawyer,” but they are given surprisingly little help in understanding just what this amounts to. Generally, they are expected to pick up this ability by example and perhaps by osmosis. But it remains the case that very few lawyers—even very good ones—are consciously aware of what it means to think like a lawyer.In this insightful and highly revealing book, Kenneth J. Vandevelde identifies, explains, and interprets the goals and methods of the well-trained lawyer. This is not a book about the content of the law; it is about a well-developed and valuable way of thinking that can be applied to many fields.Both practical and sophisticated, Thinking Like a Lawyer avoids the pitfalls common to most books on legal reasoning: It neither assumes too much legal knowledge nor condescends to its readers. Invaluable for law students and practicing lawyers, the book will also effectively interpret legal thinking for lay readers seeking a better understanding of the often mysterious ways of the legal profession.

Introduction to Law for Paralegals

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Publisher : Aspen Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1543809715
Total Pages : 1303 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (438 download)

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Book Synopsis Introduction to Law for Paralegals by : Katherine A. Currier

Download or read book Introduction to Law for Paralegals written by Katherine A. Currier and published by Aspen Publishing. This book was released on 2019-02-26 with total page 1303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Balancing practice and theory, Introduction to Law for Paralegals: A Critical Thinking Approach offers a well-rounded introduction to law and the American legal system. Currier, Eimermann, and Campbell’s thoughtfully revised seventh edition offers comprehensive coverage combined with interesting topics, timely cases, and effective pedagogy. Through hypotheticals, examples, and well-designed questions, the authors engage students in the process of critical thinking and analysis. New to the Seventh Edition: Updated with changes in the law, new NetNotes and Web Exercises, and additional Discussion Questions and Legal Reasoning Exercises New case excerpts on trademark issues and the constitutionality of the disparagement clause (Ch. 13); same-sex marriage, paternity, and custody disputes (Ch. 15); inducement to commit suicide (Ch. 16); and cell phone privacy (Ch. 17) Revised chapter on Ethics, including revisions to the ABA Rules of Professional Conduct, a discussion and comparison of rules of conduct and ethical rules, the addition of notary public law, and a new ethics alert regarding client confidentiality Discussion of defamation in the era of digital media and the Communication Decency Act of 1996, contemporary torts in the digital age, and reference to the “MeToo” movement in Chapter 11 on Torts New co-author, Marisa Campbell, brings her extensive experience in the paralegal field to the book Professors and students will benefit from: Clear and effective organization—the text is divided into three parts, reflecting the topics addressed in an introductory course: Part I, Paralegals and the American Legal System; Part II, Finding and Analyzing the Law; and Part III, Legal Ethics and Substantive Law A critical thinking approach that introduces students to the study of law, encouraging them to interact with the materials through discussion questions and legal reasoning exercises Text that is readable without talking down to students—the structure of chapters ensures that students understand and learn the material Comprehensive coverage of key legal concepts Effective and thoughtful pedagogy throughout, with chapter objectives, ethics alerts, marginal definitions, internet references, and review questions Helpful appendices, including Fundamentals of Good Writing and Basics of Citation Form

How to Teach Lawyers, Judges, and Law Students Critical Thinking

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 202 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (89 download)

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Book Synopsis How to Teach Lawyers, Judges, and Law Students Critical Thinking by : Edwin Scott Fruehwald

Download or read book How to Teach Lawyers, Judges, and Law Students Critical Thinking written by Edwin Scott Fruehwald and published by . This book was released on 2020-02-04 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Critical thinking is essential for lawyers, judges, and law students. Yet law schools have never systematically taught critical thinking to their students. The main purpose of this book is to help law professors teach lawyers, judges, and law students how to become critical thinkers. It first explains critical thinking to professors, and, then, it shows how they can teach this knowledge to students. Lawyers, judges, and law students can also use this book to teach themselves critical thinking.Chapter One introduces the reader to the need for critical thinking in the law, and it will give two methods of evaluating how critical thinking works within legal education. Chapter Two helps the reader understand the basics of critical thinking. Most scholars think that critical thinking is domain specific, so Chapter Three presents the domain of the law. Chapter Four applies critical thinking basics to law's domain, and it shows how to teach critical thinking to lawyers, judges, and law students. Chapter Five shows how critical thinking processes can improve the use of the Socratic method in legal education. Chapter Six discusses how critical thinking can make law professors better teachers. Chapter Seven demonstrates how critical thinking can produce better legal writing professors. Chapter Eight focuses on judges and critical thinking. The final chapter brings everything together and highlights the most important aspects of teaching critical thinking to lawyers, judges, and law students. Two appendices contain sample Socratic dialogues that employ critical thinking. I have included exercises and problems on critical thinking throughout the book.

Thinking Like a Writer

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Publisher : Practising Law Inst
ISBN 13 : 9781402403187
Total Pages : 415 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (31 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking Like a Writer by : Stephen V. Armstrong

Download or read book Thinking Like a Writer written by Stephen V. Armstrong and published by Practising Law Inst. This book was released on 2003 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a different kind of book about legal writing. It assumes its readers are good writers who have already absorbed most of the usual advice about legal writing. But they may lack the intellectual framework for 'thinking like a writer' with the same incisiveness with which they think like a lawyer. This book provides that framework. It focuses on the underlying principles for communicating complicated information clearly and for establishing your credibility with demanding audiences. As a result, it helps to transform good writers into first-rate ones, and to make them far more efficient and powerful editors of their own writing and of others' drafts. Its unique approach will benefit supervising lawyers who do more editing than writing, as well as lawyers who do their own drafting.

Thinking Through the Body of the Law

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Publisher : NYU Press
ISBN 13 : 0814715451
Total Pages : 295 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (147 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinking Through the Body of the Law by : Pheng Cheah

Download or read book Thinking Through the Body of the Law written by Pheng Cheah and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 1996-07 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Issues that are drawn from, and bear on, disciplines including philosophy, law and legal studies, feminist studies, social and political theory, communication studies, critical theory and cultural studies.

How Lawyers Think

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Publisher : Kessinger Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9781436694964
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (949 download)

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Book Synopsis How Lawyers Think by : Clarence Morris

Download or read book How Lawyers Think written by Clarence Morris and published by Kessinger Publishing. This book was released on 2008-06 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Minding the Law

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Author :
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674020200
Total Pages : 467 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis Minding the Law by : Anthony G. AMSTERDAM

Download or read book Minding the Law written by Anthony G. AMSTERDAM and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-30 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this remarkable collaboration, one of the nation's leading civil rights lawyers joins forces with one of the world's foremost cultural psychologists to put American constitutional law into an American cultural context. By close readings of key Supreme Court opinions, they show how storytelling tactics and deeply rooted mythic structures shape the Court's decisions about race, family law, and the death penalty. Minding the Law explores crucial psychological processes involved in the work of lawyers and judges: deciding whether particular cases fit within a legal rule ("categorizing"), telling stories to justify one's claims or undercut those of an adversary ("narrative"), and tailoring one's language to be persuasive without appearing partisan ("rhetorics"). Because these processes are not unique to the law, courts' decisions cannot rest solely upon legal logic but must also depend vitally upon the underlying culture's storehouse of familiar tales of heroes and villains. But a culture's stock of stories is not changeless. Amsterdam and Bruner argue that culture itself is a dialectic constantly in progress, a conflict between the established canon and newly imagined "possible worlds." They illustrate the swings of this dialectic by a masterly analysis of the Supreme Court's race-discrimination decisions during the past century. A passionate plea for heightened consciousness about the way law is practiced and made, Minding the Law/tilte will be welcomed by a new generation concerned with renewing law's commitment to a humane justice. Table of Contents: 1. Invitation to a Journey 2. On Categories 3. Categorizing at the Supreme Court Missouri v. Jenkins and Michael H. v. Gerald D. 4. On Narrative 5. Narratives at Court Prigg v. Pennsylvania and Freeman v. Pitts 6. On Rhetorics 7. The Rhetorics of Death McCleskey v. Kemp 8. On the Dialectic of Culture 9. Race, the Court, and America's Dialectic From Plessy through Brown to Pitts and Jenkins 10. Reflections on a Voyage Appendix: Analysis of Nouns and Verbs in the Prigg, Pitts, and Brown Opinions Notes Table of Cases Index Reviews of this book: Amsterdam, a distinguished Supreme Court litigator, wanted to do more than share the fruits of his practical experience. He also wanted to...get students to think about thinking like a lawyer...To decode what he calls "law-think," he enlisted the aid of the venerable cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner...[and] the collaboration has resulted in [this] unusual book. --James Ryerson, Lingua Franca Reviews of this book: It is hard to imagine a better time for the publication of Minding the Law, a brilliant dissection of the court's work by two eminent scholars, law professor Anthony G. Amsterdam and cultural anthropologist Jerome Bruner...Issue by issue, case by case, Amsterdam and Bruner make mincemeat of the court's handling of the most important constitutional issue of the modern era: how to eradicate the American legacy of race discrimination, especially against blacks. --Edward Lazarus, Los Angeles Times Book Review Reviews of this book: This book is a gem...[Its thesis] is easily stated but remarkably unrecognized among a shockingly large number of lawyers and law professors: law is a storytelling enterprise thoroughly entrenched in culture....Whereas critical legal theorists have talked among themselves for the past two decades, Amsterdam and Bruner seek to engage all of us in a dialogue. For that, they should be applauded. --Daniel R. Williams, New York Law Journal Reviews of this book: In Minding the Law, Anthony Amsterdam and Jerome Bruner show us how the Supreme Court creates the magic of inevitability. They are angry at what they see. Their book is premised on the conviction that many of the choices made in Supreme Court opinions 'lack any justification in the text'...Their method is to analyze the text of opinions and to show how the conclusions reached do not always follow from the logic of the argument. They also show how the Court casts its rhetoric like a spell, mesmerizing its audience, and making the highly contingent shine with the light of inevitability. --Mitchell Goodman, News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) Reviews of this book: What do controversial Supreme Court decisions and classic age-old tales of adultery, villainy, and combat have in common? Everything--at least in the eyes of [Amsterdam and Bruner]. In this substantial study, which is equal parts dense and entertaining, the authors use theoretical discussions of literary technique and myths to expose what they see as the secret intentions of Supreme Court opinions...Studying how lawyers and judges employ the various literary devices at their disposal and noting the similarities between legal thinking and classic tactics of storytelling and persuasion, they believe, can have 'astonishing consciousness-retrieving effects'...The agile minds of Amsterdam and Bruner, clearly storehouses of knowledge on a range of subjects, allow an approach that might sound far-fetched occasionally but pays dividends in the form of gained perspective--and amusement. --Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn, Washington Times Reviews of this book: Stories and the way judges-intentionally or not-categorize and spin them, are as responsible for legal rulings as logic and precedent, Mr. Amsterdam and Mr. Bruner said. Their novel attempt to reach into the psyche of...members of the Supreme Court is part of a growing interest in a long-neglected and cryptic subject: the psychology of judicial decision-making. --Patricia Cohen, New York Times Most law professors teach by the 'case method,' or say they do. In this fascinating book, Anthony Amsterdam--a lawyer--and Jerome Bruner--a psychologist--expose how limited most case 'analysis' really is, as they show how much can be learned through the close reading of the phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that constitute an opinion (or other pieces of legal writing). Reading this book will undoubtedly make one a better lawyer, and teacher of lawyers. But the book's value and interest goes far beyond the legal profession, as it analyzes the way that rhetoric--in law, politics, and beyond--creates pictures and convictions in the minds of readers and listeners. --Sanford Levinson, author of Constitutional Faith Tony Amsterdam, the leader in the legal campaign against the death penalty, and Jerome Bruner, who has struggled for equal justice in education for forty years, have written a guide to demystifying legal reasoning. With clarity, wit, and immense learning, they reveal the semantic tricks lawyers and judges sometimes use--consciously and unconsciously--to justify the results they want to reach. --Jack Greenberg, Professor of Law, Columbia Law School