Book Description

News to Me is an extraordinary firsthand account of fifty years of South Texas journalism. Born in Austin in 1918, cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at age twenty, Juliet Wenger helped shape how the news was covered in the infant days of radio and television, when women in her profession—any profession—were rare. The colorful characters in this chronicle cross all lines of class, race, notoriety, and prosperity. Notables include Walter Cronkite, Fred Gibson, Bob McCracken, President Lyndon Johnson, Bill Walraven, Oscar Wyatt, J. Frank Dobie, Roy Bedichek, Vann M. Kennedy, Nancy Heard, and Abe Katz. In her career as reporter, Juliet Knight Wenger worked for at least eight different newspapers, including the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and the Beeville Bee-Picayune. She was news director for radio station KSIX and its television counterpart, KZTV. She lives in Rockport, Texas, with her husband, Chris Wenger, and writes a column for the Ingleside Index and the Aransas Pass Progress. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent chronology of topics
Let me first confess that I am the named research aide who assisted Professor Johnson on this book. But what I didn't have anything to do with was his useful organization of the caselaw into topical segments. Not only is this book a useful work for the reasons stated by the other reviewer(s), but if someone wants to know the Court's holdings over time in a number of areas, such as the law of nations or separation of powers, this is a useful book. Professor Johnson organizes the book so that a researcher may use it to glean trends on a particular topic rather than presenting a jumble of topics and leaving it up to the reader to discern the development of the law on a given issue.

I might also note that Professor Johnson's conducted meticulous research over many years organizing Supreme Court decisions by topic in a fashion only rivaled by West Publishing.

Excellent legal analysis
For those who wish to read a biography of our greatest chief justice, this is not the book to read. For those who are interested in the jurisprudence of C.J. Marshall, this book provides an outstanding introduction. The book provides compelling, and accurate, evidence that in addition to John Marshall being a great jurist, he was also, and foremost, a founding father -- one of the few who realized the potential for our great nation. While it can be successfully argued that at times Marshall expanded the powers of the Supreme Court beyond those intended by the authors of the Constitution, the book also provides a compelling argument for the necessity of expanding those powers. Johnson successfully reasons that, where it not for Marshall's ability to occasionaly read "beyond" the strict guidelines of the Constitution, the role of judicial review (and hence our constitutional guarantees) would not exist today. Overall, an excellent study into a chief justice whose concerns where not those of partisanship -- but rather those of aiding a fledgling country through its formative years. ... Read more

Book Description

Trial and Error offers an unexpurgated examination of the past half-century of American jurisprudence through the life of one of America's most celebrated and accomplished lawyers. Here is John C. Tucker, a man who twice argued before the Supreme Court and won, challenged the nefarious and discriminatory practice of "contract lending" and lost, participated in such monumental cases as the Chicago Eight trial following the calamitous 1968 Democratic Convention-and retired at age fifty-one, securely established as one of the most respected jurists of his generation. In Trial and Error, he describes with poise and wit his encounters with as varied a cast of characters as Muhammad Ali, Abbie Hoffman, and Chief Justice Earl Warren, while chronicling the remarkable successes, and sobering disappointments, of his distinguished career. This is an honest and uncompromising analysis of the events that have shaped our court system, and the inspiring story of a man for principle in an increasingly unprincipled age for the legal profession. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An extraordinary insight into the law and lawyers
For any who lack faith in the America's legal system or think all lawyers are worthy subjects of jokes, Tucker's book is the proverbial lightbulb in the cave. Tucker recounts his journey through a lengthy career as a trial lawyer and along the way demonstrates that our judicial system, while short of perfect, is still the best in the world. Tucker helped the poor, the wealthy, the politically powerful and powerless and the reviled through the judicial system. Some cases he won; some he lost.
Win or lose, however, Tucker fought the good fight for his clients, often pro bono.
His story is complete. He reveals the importance of trial preparation -- an element that truly separates competent lawyers from their clumsy brethern (the latter of which I always seem to retain; while the former retain me as an expert witness). Tucker tells some wonderful stories about judges, good and bad. Like Tucker, I am from the Chicago area and am very familiar with bad judges. Tucker discloses that there have been many good judges in the area as well and provides useful insight into their judicial reasoning.
All in all, a wonderful book that will redeem lost faith in our judicial system. "Trial and Error" is not a courtroom thriller: it is far better than one -- it's real life and I for one am glad that Tucker decided to take the time to write his memoir. It is well worth reading.

Jerry

A PRIMER ON THE LAW....FOR EVERYONE
Twenty-one different courtroom cases are covered in this book by a most successful attorney who has his head on straight; by that I mean he mixes the intricacies of the law with living a "normal" life. He certainly puts in long hours in preparation, but that goes along with his job. The author states, "In the American Legal System, a lawyer's job is not to seek justice, but to win the case for his client." He relates many interesting cases, but two exceptional ones are defending a rapist who is truly mentally defective and one about defending the "Chicago Eight" in 1968. A lot of detailed information about that political incident is fascinating. Mr. Tucker does a lot of pro bono work and one of this type was defending the Contract Buyers League in Chicago...a race conflict of great proportions. Fine writing delineates complex legal cases that are most understandable. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1954, William L. Taylor, a recent Yale Law School graduate, joined Thurgood Marshall's NAACP Legal Defense Fund, where he would later write the victorious 1958 Supreme Court brief that forced Little Rock, Arkansas schools to desegregate. In this historic book, Taylor recalls the triumphs, setbacks, and ongoing challenges in the battle for civil rights from his own unique and influential perspective. From the tireless struggle to enforce the desegregation of public schools to recent victories protecting the interests of minority schoolchildren in St. Louis, Taylor has influenced policymakers across the political spectrum. He has written landmark pieces of legislation, lobbied them through Congress, and developed strategies that have led to significant social change. In this inspiring insider's account, Taylor discusses civil rights policy over the decades, while also chronicling his encounters with presidents, other legislators, his work with civil rights leaders, and his friendships with the people he has met in the movement. The civil rights movement has been the passion of our times since Brown v. Board of Education. The Passion of My Times is a significant contribution to the literature of the movement and one that promises to energize a new generation of activists. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I've worked with inmates who write better than this.
Book is poorly written with spelling and grammatical errors all over the place. This is a very trite and cliche account of what it's like to work in the corrections field. Skip it.

Isolated Incidents: Reflections of a Correctional Officer
I found this book intriging, informative, and very insightful. This book gives a shocking, truthful look at one of the nations Correctional Centers, and how corrupt the system can be. This is a must read! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Arthur Goldberg is perhaps best known as the Supreme Court Justice who, at the behest of President Lyndon Johnson, stepped aside to become Ambassador to the United Nations so that Johnson could appoint his pal Abe Fortas to the high court. David Stebenne's political biography, however, focuses on the period from 1948 to 1961, a time when organized labor's power and prosperity were at their peak and Goldberg was general counsel for the United Steelworkers of America. Stebenne sees, even in those years, the beginning of big labor's decline and the end of the postwar New Deal consensus. ... Read more

Amazon.com

King of the Mountain covers the juicy details of the 1992 scandal that besmirched New York State Court of Appeals chief judge Sol Wachtler: the astonishing discovery that he had sent obscene, harassing, and ultimately threatening letters to a former lover. But journalist John Caher also thoroughly documents Wachtler's brilliant legal and political career, arguing persuasively that the traits that sparked his success (an analytical, often manipulative intelligence and a huge ego) also prompted his downfall. Here's one tell-all biography that you can relish without hating yourself in the morning. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Somewhat disappointing biography of a South Texas legend
Reynaldo G. Garza is a giant in the political and legal history of Texas and is most deserving of biographical treatment.All Rise successfully recounts many of the highlights of Judge Garza's life and career.It ultimately disappoints, however.First, the author lacks the legal background necessary to explain the significance of many of Judge Garza's judicial opinions.Second, the book fails to fully introduce the reader to the biographical subject himself, leaving him portrayed as two-dimensional and leaving the reader wanting more. ... Read more

Book Description

The Lady and the Law The Remarkable Life of Fanny HoltzmannA WAIF FROM BROOKLYN, SHE BROUGHT THE MGM COLOSSUS TO ITS KNEESThis is the amazing, true story of Fanny Holtzmann, a shy teenage high school dropout from Brooklyn who battled her way into Fordham Law (the only girl in the night school class of 1923), overcame ridicule and prejudice, and emerged as the most glamorous, unpredictable, brilliantly accomplished woman lawyer of her time. Noel Coward, Eleanor Roosevelt, the Grand Duchess of Russia and George Bernard Shaw were her friends; Joseph P. Kennedy her bitter enemy.Critical Comment:A lively, at times hilarious, and often moving account of the life of the witty and formidable lawyer Fanny Holzmann.Daphne du MaurierAn admirable job. Fanny emerges not as a fairy-tale princess but as a generous human being who makes some mistakes and unwittingly hurts a few people along the road to success. A good old-fashioned success story is good for the soul now and then, and this one is a winner. Buffalo NewsAn affectionate biography . . . more about the lady -- the negotiator, diplomat, party giver, painter and friend of artists, actors and authors -- than about the law; an account of a woman who had led a remarkable, charmed life. New York TimesAn awe-inspiring and highly engrossing life story, a major work of social portraiture for our era. Meyer Levin in MidstreamAn extremely well written and fascinating story. George BurnsAn absolutely fascinating book. Sheilah GrahamA remarkable biography. Berkman, a fine writer, has looked beyond the obvious and inherent glamor in this story to write a coherent, compassionate and penetrating account . . . Even Walter Mitty would not have dared fantasize about the meteoric life Miss Holtzmann has so demonically pursued." St. Louis Post-Dispatch"When the subject is truly fascinating, and the biographer has done his job well, (biography) can provide the most soundly satisfying kind of reading. Ted Berkman's book is engagingly personal. The important point, enchantingly made, is that Fanny Holzmann is indeed remarkable . . . She is a joy to know, and author Berkman has done a magnificent kindness by sharing her with us." Norman Nadel, Scripps-Howard Cultural Editor"A wonderful mix of news, nonsense, humor - you name it. Fanny did work wonders which still amaze and dazzle the most jaded reader." Patricia A. Farrell, King Features Syndicate"With earthy Yiddish wisdom, Fanny Holzmann guided the personal lives and fortunes of movie moguls, diplomats, and royalty. She commuted between Broadway, Hollywood, and overseas capitals and entertained foreign ministers in her living room. Profoundly inifluenced by her grandfather's Talmudic reasoning, she acquired a persistent, flexible, and imaginative approach to the law. 'I don't follow precedent,' she once said. 'I establish it.'" Anne Bowers, Best Sellers"Berkman conveys the personality of Fanny Holzmann and a sense of her law practice with economy, wit, and lucidity. I had my copy with me in Boulder, Colorado. There I saw, the Rockies over my left shoulder and the world of the Shtetl eight thousand miles away. I read about Angela and Tante Fimme and cried from beginning to end. My hat is off to you." Irving Younger, Cornell Law School ... Read more

Book Description

Bruce Cutler, one of the most famous lawyers in America, has never told his story—until now. Best known for his tenacious and highly publicized defense of John Gotti in the 1980s and early 1990s, Cutler personified a confidence, passion, and legal thoroughness that repeatedly defied a government determined to bring Gotti to his knees. A ubiquitous presence at Gotti’s side in and out of the courtroom—and on the front pages of newspapers around the country—Cutler became almost as infamous as his client. And, as John Gotti became a lightning rod for every prosecutor seeking glory, reputation, or promotion, Cutler too became a lightning rod for controversy. According to the feds, Bruce Cutler may have gotten too close, and they made sure that both he and his client paid the price.

Cutler, the son of a detective turned lawyer, resolved his choice of profession early in life and plunged headlong into the tumultuous and at times surreal world of the New York legal system. In Closing Argument, Cutler recounts his time as an aggressive, tireless assistant D.A. in Brooklyn; how he switched sides and became a fiercely dedicated defense attorney working with Barry Slotnick, one of New York’s
premier criminal attorneys; and the path that led him to John Gotti’s side in court. It was March 28, 1985,
to be precise: He was thirty-six years old, and it was a moment that would change both men’s lives forever.

Closing Argument is the inside story of how Bruce Cutler and John Gotti frustrated the feds so much
that they finally had to break the rules themselves to convict the so-called Teflon Don. The years Cutler and Gotti spent together were a kind of golden age of criminal (and in particular organized crime) litigation, and both lawyer and client were at the red-hot center of it all. What neither man may have realized then is that the famous trials were mostly about the government’s wanting to put an end to a certain way of life, one that John Gotti and his like embodied. The conviction of Gotti, and his subsequent death in 2002 while serving a life sentence in solitary confinement, marked the end of an era. Closing Argument is a glimpse into the world of John Gotti: the talk around the table at the notorious Ravenite social club; the murder of Paul Castellano; Gotti’s feelings about the treachery of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano and the alleged betrayal by Wilfred “Willie Boy” Johnson; and what it took to make it in a world with its own set of unbreakable rules.

This fascinating document makes clear that Gotti and Cutler were perfectly matched. Their inability to compromise, their full-throttle approach to their defense, and the charisma that made them the favorites of the press, were their strengths and, ironically, what made them such inviting targets to a host of prosecutors.

Bruce Cutler, in typical style, pulls no punches in Closing Argument. It is very rare for a practicing lawyer to talk with the kind of candor he does here, and it is rarer for any lawyer to ever become as passionate
and emotionally involved as he did with his client, John Gotti. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Give me a break!
Bruce Cutler is a self serving loud mouth who spends an entire book telling us what a great lawyer he is. Given the allegations of jury tampering (which was the reason he was banned from representing Gotti a third time and may be the reason Gotti was acquitted the first two times) and his pitiful track record anywhere else where the true practice of law is required, it is no wonder he wrote a book - no one who values their rights and their freedom would hire this guy.

Courtroom Gladiator and Bare Knuckles Champ
The cure for everyone tired of slick lawyers whose business cards should say "Have Word Processor, Will Travel." Cutler is the Method Actor of the Bar. He tries cases from the inside out, with no cynicism, no patronization of the jury, and no distaste for the client hidden under a barrel of glib professionalism. Cutler lays his thoughts and feelings bare in this book, and it's an inspiration. If you're in law school, reading it may remind you why you bothered. If you're in practice, it will inspire you to try cases. If you're a gangster, it will make you check your address book to see if you have Cutler's number. For everyone else, a hugely entertaining, edifying book about America, the legal system, the System, and a guy who has the b--ls to buck it and often win. ... Read more

Book Description

May It Please the Court presents the story of one man's rise from a struggling sole practitioner to the senior partner of the largest suburban law firm in the United States. Although this book is an autobiography of attorney Leonard Rivkin, it is much more. Because of its wealth of information and insights into the life of an attorney, the book could have been titled:

So You Want to Be a Lawyer? - since it goes into the real life practice of law as well as the pragmatic ups and downs of a law practice; or

What Law Schools Don't Teach You - since it covers "getting" new clients, how to hold clients, the general marketing of a law office, solid tips on how to run a law office, and many other practical aspects that are rarely, if ever, covered in law school; or even

Lawyers Behind Closed Doors - since it shows how legal strategies evolved in some of the most well-know cases of our generation. The reader goes behind the scenes into the conference room as well as the courtroom and get a look at defense tactics utilized in cases such as Agent Orange (then the largest mass tort case of its time); Franklin Nation Bank (then the country's largest bank failure); Asbestos, and many others. May It Please the Court is a great antidote to current media perceptions of lawyers (Ally McBeal, etc.) and a real-life balance to popular novelists such as John Grisham and Scott Thurow. Every young or would-be lawyer will benefit from reading this book, as will practicing attorneys. And with our society's fascination with legal matters, general audiences will find this a readable, engaging look at the legal world. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Awesome
This is a fascinating review of a very interesting life. The "greatest generation" didn't always lead to such incredible success, but in this case Rivkin took his GI money to law school, a one person practice and built it into a big law firm despite incredible odds, some real setbacks and a lot of determination. The inside story on the Agent Orange case was a real eye opener even for another lawyer but would be just as interesting (maybe even more so) for lay people. Highly recommend.

May It Please The Court!
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I found Leonard Rivkin's book, "May It Please The Court!" to be very entertaining, interesting, and very easy to read. My trepidation of picking up and reading a book written by a lawyer were totally unfounded.

I expected to be bored by legal mumbo jumbo and boring statistics. It was quite a pleasant surprise to find the book reading more like a novel. My principle purpose was to read the chapters on Agent Orange. Mr.Rivkin's accounting of the "behind the scenes" activities and proceedings truly opened my eyes to many obscure, but highly pertinent details and facts. I have come away with a new attitude toward the subject.

My assessment of this book, and Mr. Rivkin's ability to shed light on Agent Orange where it has not been shown before, gets my "two thumbs up".

Capt Patrick McCrary ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Excellent insight into the downfall of the judicial system"
"Jack's Law" is a well written documentation of corruption and abuse within the judicial system. Written with the precision of an investigative reporter, Steve Joynt provides the reader with a factual basis for the inevitible conclusion to a corrupt public official.

Steve's research into his subject begins with details of Montgomery's early childhood and continue through a lifetime devoted to deception and self grandeur that led to his eventual downfall and death.

Well worth reading, particularly for anyone interested in the backrooms of "justice". ... Read more

Book Description

In Pursuit of Right and Justice chronicles the life of the United States District Court's Judge Edward Weinfeld, from his humble Lower East Side origins to his distinction as one of the nation's most respected federal judges. Judge Edward Weinfeld's personal growth and socio-economic mobility provides an excellent illustration of how Catholics and Jews descended from turn-of-the-century immigrants were assimilated into the mainstream of New York and American life during the course of the twentieth century. Weinfeld left a rich collection of personal papers that William E. Nelson examines, which depict the compromises and sacrifices Weinfeld had to make to attain professional advancement. Weinfeld's jurisprudence remained closely tied to his own personal values and to the historical contexts in which cases came to his court.

Nelson aptly describes how Weinfeld strove to avoid making new law. He tried to make decisions on preexisting rules or bedrock legal principles; he achieved just results by searching for and finding facts that called those rules into play. Weinfeld's vision of justice was simultaneously a liberal one that enabled him to develop law that reflected societal change, and an apolitical one that did not rest on contested policy judgments.

Book Description

In short biographical chapters the authors tell the story of ten crusading lawyers from throughout America's history who, through their moral stance, intellectual integrity, and sheer brialliance, made use of the law to fight injustice in American society. Each chapter includes a biography of the lawyer's life and career, a chronology of key events, a review of major cases prosecuted by the lawyer, and an annotated bibliography. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Superb Volume for High School, College and Other Readers
This book is a must-buy for anyone interested in the study of social change and the legal systems. The authors provide important social commentary and exciting legal history in a scholarly but eminently readable style. The accounts of the lives from Belva Lockwood's in the mid-late Nineteenth century through Ralph Nader's in the mid-late Twentieth provide not only intriguing biography, but also an excellent tour of the American history of the past 150 years and some of the key social and legal issues confronted. The portraits of, for example, Mrs. Lockwood's battles for the legal rights of women and Samuel Leibowitz's for the black "Scottsboro Nine," are moving and the more compelling because they are juxtaposed alongside the equally dramatic stories of Clarence Darrow, Louis Brandeis, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ralph Nader, Charles Houston, William Kunstler, and Morris Dees .

PEOPLE'S LAWYERS should be in every public library, high school library, and college library in the country. It should also be in the collections of people deeply interested in the law, the constitution, and in understanding historical social change in America. I also wish that today's crop of politicians and lawyers would read it!

COMPELLING, READABLE, SCHOLARLY, TIMELY,
Peoples' Lawyers presents comprehensive, scholarly, yet highly
engaging accounts of the lives of lawyers who made a *positive*
difference in the U.S. Some of them are well known and still active such as Ralph Nader, Morris Dees and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Others are less well known such as Belva Lockwood, Samuel Leibowitz and Charles Hamilton Houston. ALL have made major contributions to American society by helping to close the gap between the American "ideal" of "freedom and justice for all"
and the realities of discrimination, class advantage and political and corporate corruption.

The authors present detailed accounts of the lawyers including the variety of early childhood experiences which contributed to their passion for justice. The depiction of of their personal lives coupled with the obstacles the lawyers had to overcome in their pursuit of justice for all make for compelling and inspiratinal reading.

Another plus of the book is the detailed descriptions of the major court cases the lawyers were involved with.These are wisely
placed in a separate section after the biography of the
respective lawyers.

The book is written by two scholars and thus is very well documented. The writing is lucid and compelling. Thus, both scholars AND the intelligent general public would find the book
of interest. Detailed bibliographies enable those interested to
pursue their study of the lawyers.

During a time when the news is filled with accounts of corporate,
political and journalistic corruption and injustices, Peoples'Lawyers, reminds us that there were and still are some whose patience, persistence and perseverance for the cause of justice can lead to victory and increased justice.

A Fascinating Account of Ten Individuals...
People's Lawyers. Crusaders for Justice in American History. By Diana Klebanow and Franklin L. Jonas. M.E. Sharpe: Armonk, New York and London, 2003. Reviewed by John C. Greene.

People's Lawyers is a fascinating account of ten individuals, two of them women, who devoted their legal careers to defending the rights of persons most of whom were treated harshly by the authorities because of their race, gender, or radical views. Some of these lawyers - Clarence Darrow, Louis Brandeis, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Ralph Nader - are well known figures in American history. Others - Belva Lockwood, Samuel Leibowitz, Charles Houston, William Kunstler, and Morris Dees - are less well known, but all felt the call to see that the poor, the defenseless, the radical, the unpopular were given the protections guaranteed by the Constitution and that their persecutors were brought to justice.
For each of these champions of equal justice under law the authors provide a life chronology, a biography, a summary of the chief cases in which each was involved, and an extensive bibliography of the sources consulted by the authors. The biographies, full of drama and, in some cases, risk to life and limb by lawyers confronting racial prejudice head-on, are told in fluent prose presenting the historical facts fairly and with full command of the legal issues involved. The authors obviously admire the courage and skill of their "people's lawyers", but they describe them warts and all as fallible human beings.
The summaries of leading cases following each biography presents both the majority ruling of the court and the dissenting opinions if any, and then indicate the significance of the case in the long view of American constitutional history. Readers having some familiarity with that history will find these cases especially interesting, but no such previous knowledge is required to appreciate the drama and importance of the lives and work of these ten "people's lawyers".

John C. Greene is Professor of History Emeritus, University of Connecticut. He resides at 651 Sinex Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950 ... Read more