1 comments about What Measure Ye Mete: The Life and Times of Judge Halsted Ritter.

1. On p. 85, second full paragraph, the words in [brackets] should be deleted: "Except for Minton, all of the Senators who voted to acquit Ritter on [one of] the first six articles also voted to acquit him on the seventh article."

3 comments about Fighting Injustice.

1. A vivid and engaging glimpse into the highstakes game of constitutional law. What's at issue is whether there will be any control at all over police and prosecutors in the USA. The cases and issues frame the world we in the USA will all have to live in, and it would be a far better one were Tigar's side to win. In the voice of an experienced (and winning) storyteller, Tigar takes the reader through the strategies, gambles and often humorous surprises of his stellar career of high profile cases. I'm a musician, not a lawyer (though I know some of the people Tigar mentions), and was never at a loss due to technical language left unexplained. A great book.



2. As I read this book, I found myself saying "this is why I went to law school" again and again. As an example of what someone can do with a law degree and a conscience, no one surpasses Michael Tigar. Young lawyers should read this for inspiration. Law students should read this to remind themselves why sitting through four hours of Contracts or Evidence or Federal Courts matters. Activists should read this to relish the victories and learn new approaches. Anyone who has ever watched The Practice or Law & Order should read this to understand what criminal defense lawyers really do.



3. In my first year of law school, the vocal Michael Tigar had a reputation around campus for being strategically dramatic and professionally pragmatic. In Fighting Injustice, however, the paper Tigar mixes history and amusement with quite personal anecdotes to gain the confidence, interest and compassion of his readers. The book is structured chronologically from his life as a child growing up in California through the recent past just before 9/11. He uses his own cases to exemplify the quest for justice in such areas as sexual/gender discrimination, military justice proceedings, draft board cases, death penalty and even the carefully orchestrated pomp of debates hosted by William F. Buckley, Jr.
   Fighting Injustice is the third book Tigar has authored for the American Bar Association, for which he served in various chair positions of the Litigation Section in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The book includes two important themes that have shaped Tigar's sense of justice and have gotten him into interesting and sometimes entertaining circumstances. One important theme is the light and dark aspects of affiliating with justice-seeking groups. Tigar begins the book with a discussion about his early childhood. His father worked at various jobs that were available to an ex-military man with minimal education until he ultimately joined a workers' union in California. His father's connection with the union resulted in young Michael's receiving autographed pictures of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, who were his movie heroes at the time. On one occasion, Roy Rogers came over to a table where young Michael and his father were seated to discuss hunting.
   
   Later in life, Tigar would experience a darker side of fraternizing with justice seeking groups. Throughout college, young Tigar worked tirelessly in student body government at the University of California at Berkley to support such causes as the free speech movement in the waning days of McCarthyism, abolishment of capital punishment and racial equality. His efforts included sit-ins, picketing and boycotts of stores that refused service to African-Americans. Later in law school, Tigar successfully led a campaign to remove the loyalty oath from the California bar student application. He argued that the oath unconstitutionally restricted freedom of speech by preventing bar members to "advocate the violent overthrow of the government." These activities later created political difficulties and pressures from the FBI and other governmental agencies when Tigar later sought employment as a law clerk to Justice Brennan of the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Brennan initially promised Tigar the position, but later reneged without any explanation. These and similar experiences recounted in Fighting Injustice suggest that Tigar's personal experiences with controversy motivated an understanding that justice seeking groups are made up of loved ones and heroes; whereas, those who execute the law can damage a person in ways that may have no practical defense or remedy.
   
   Another important theme of Tigar's theory of justice is his own desire for independence and control. As early as junior high school, young Tigar gained the election of student body president. Later, he practiced as an attorney for the renowned litigator Ed Williams in Washington D.C. at the Williams & Connolly law firm. Williams was famous for entertaining clients and other lawyers on any number of subjects at bars after work. Tigar, however, preferred to attend such gatherings only on occasion or when absolutely necessary. Tigar also experienced to his displeasure the leadership of Joe Califano at Williams & Connolly. Califano tended to lead the firm toward a bureaucratic practice that conflicted with Tigar's "organized chaos" conception of litigation.
   
   Fighting Injustice includes very few aspects that will disappoint the reader. Tigar falls short of, however, a complete development of his criticism of civil law practice. He makes a few critical remarks about the apparent importance of billable hours and the apparent bureaucratic management in civil firms, but falls short of proposing an alternative to the problems. Indeed, his criticism appears to be little more than accusing civil law firms of being motivated by money and being too efficient. His contrast of civil practice with his criminal practice, which includes approximately one-third pro bono cases, lacks a fair discussion of the different factors and incentives involved in civil and criminal practices. Although his brief criticism demonstrates perceived problems, its presentation belies a thorough understanding of the differences between the civil and criminal practices of law or a reasonable alternative.
   
   The factors contributing to injustice in the U.S.A. in virtually every criminal law context are developed with mastery and passion in Fighting Injustice. Michael Tigar uses a writing style that entertains and educates readers without assuming legal training, while simultaneously providing gems of instruction in the art of legal advocacy.

1 comments about Ira Rowe, Caribbean Lawyer: Materials, Tributes & Cases.

1. It is wonderful to have a such a succint and engaging novel about a talented and intelligent jurist. So few books are written on Caribbean Jurisprudence, which makes this one all the more a treasure to be added to any library, large, small, private or public. It is my hope that all persons, laymen and lawyers a like, will find their way to this book and take the time to learn what molds and expands both Caribbean law and the jurists within such. Enjoy!

No comments about John Jay: Colonial Lawyer.

No comments about Great Jurists of the World (Continental Legal History Series).

1 comments about Cowboy Justice: Tale of a Texas Lawman.

1. Cowboy Justice won Westerners International Co-Founders Best Book Award and to great critical acclaim.

   "Cowboy Justice is a nonfiction masterpiece that shows us a lawman who enforced the law because the Rule of Law was sacred to him. There was no sense of personal gain or selfish career building, nor was there a sense of power for power's sake. Gober deserves a place beside Earp, Masterson, Garrett and others who gained fame for their law enforcement. And yet, he almost stands alone when it comes to greatness tempered with courage and humility." ---Michael Martin Murphey

No comments about Thomas Ewing Jr.: Frontier Lawyer and Civil War General (Shades of Blue and Gray).

2 comments about Crazy Rhythm: From Brooklyn and Jazz to Nixon's White House, Watergate, and Beyond.

1. Garment shines a little light on some of the more puzzling questions of the Nixon administration and on Iran/contra. He writes as he speaks, conversational and wandering. That's the book's salvation, however: finally here's the human side of some of the darker moments in Republican government. We see how the three branches, press and other groups play off each other to achieve their goals. Like any good serial author, he leaves us hungry for the next book, which will "tell all" about Watergate. I can't wait



2. I was enticed by this book from the moment I read about Garment's lively performance of "Tiptoe through the Tulips" at age 7 in his father's dress making factory. Having read several Watergate books, I felt that this one was different for one specific reason; Garment makes Nixon into a human being, and helps to bring Nixon's several positive qualities to life (such as his wonderful foreign policy) that many Watergate-related authors have falied to acknowledge. I especially loved the ending of the book at his daughter Annie's Bat-Mitzvah; it was a wonderful conclusion to to a nostalgic story. I am left with only one question...when will the movie be out?

No comments about The Last Liberal: Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. and the Decisions That Transformed America.

5 comments about The Tyrannicide Brief.

1. This is a book that should be read by all American lawyers and law students. It puts the lie to the various myths about the development of Anglo-American law and its near godlike propagandists like Coke and Hale. With a little thought we see exactly what the framers of the American constitution hoped to avoid when they put limits on the power of the government. Thank God, so to speak, that we no longer draw and quarter (as revoltingly described in great, yet necessary, detail) as punishment. The United States and the Commonwealth are fortunate to have inheirited their legal systems well after this dark period.
   
   That said, Geoffrey Robertson writes with great insight and wit. He is a pleasure to read with his insights into today's problems with tyrants and his acerbic observations. Robertson, surpisingly, even knows about "speed dating" and suggests that Puritans indulged. Imagine that.
   
   Robertson is one of those nice lawyers who enjoys afflicting the comfortable (the majority of lawyers) and comforting the afflicted.



2. Along with Dickens' Bleak House, this book is a must read for all common law lawyers and those who aspire to join the profession (to be read after Bleak House!!). It is a riveting story unto itself, describing the first piercing (and the last for another 300 years) of the shield of sovereign immunity by a low-born, commoner barrister whose courage, character and conviction allowed him to face down and bring to book one of the most brutal dictators of his day, King Charles Stuart I of England. The parallels between the trial of Charles 360 years ago and those of Milosevic and Saddam today are unnerving to say the least.
   
   If only we had Robertson's protagonist, John Cooke, with us today to take on similar prosecutions--Charles' trial , sentencing and execution took all of 2 weeks--a shameful rebuke to those incompetent bureaucrats running our present day War Crimes' Tribunals (which incompetents recently allowed Milosevic to slip the "noose" of justice, such as it is today, by dying in his bed after more than 4 years of aimless prosecution). To make matters worse, Charles was probably even afforded purer due process.
   
   Robertson's exhortation in his epilogue to human rights lawyers and campaigners to work towards the passage of an anti-tyranny covention under the auspices of the UN to allow for the lawful removal (as opposed to the current reliance on the principle of might makes right) of sovereign dictators and despots who are culpable of tyranny and other crimes against humanity towards their own citizens is spot on. The problem is that the UN today in many ways acts with the impunity of a tyrant towards its own staff and other third parties, and can never be trusted to be the court of last resort to prosecute the likes of Saddam, Mugabe and their ilk.



3. I confess: I like the way Geoffrey Robertson thinks and the way he writes even if I don't always agree with his conclusions. This book is a great read. If you can suspend your knowledge of the history (and any associated bias) and look at the events through the perspective of the law, then this is a wonderful fresh look at the legal issues uncovered/exposed by these events.
   This book is not just about the events of 17th century England. The issues discussed reverberate today in the trials of modern war criminals and leaders.
   
   Highly recommended to all who have an interest in history, the law and contemporary international events.



4. This is without doubt the most cynical re-writing of history I am yet to read (and believe me that is saying something). To present the illegal trial of King Charles I as a good deed beggars belief!
   This book falls down because it glosses over the fact that Colonel Pride purged the House of Commons of some 150 members leaving a small rump of 80 members who were totally dependent on the Army, therefore giving Cromwell his way to put the King on trial. Not to mention that the House of Lords were not part of the process.
   
   Having read the book and listened to Mr Geoffrey Robertson QC put forward his points in interviews, it is clear to me that he has his own agenda for writing such a book as this.



5. This is an excellent read. I did not know a whole lot about the trial and execution of Charles I before reading this book, but I always subscribed to the view that the dastardly Oliver Cromwell had unfairly done away with him. This book challenges that common assumption.
   
   However the real focus of Geoffrey Robertson's book is on John Cooke, the lawyer who accepted the brief to try the king. Robertson's account of John Cooke's life is a true inspiration to lawyers to abide by their principles rather than choosing the politically safer option. Unfortunately it is apparent from the book the John Cooke was quite exceptional amongst the lawyers of the time in taking a principled approach.
   
   Also as a Christian, I found the account of John Cooke's faith in Jesus Christ to be inspirational. It is this faith which gave John Cooke the strength to "die well" despite being drawn and quartered.
   
   A great read!