Law

The Final Volume in a Must-Have Trilogy of the Best Closing Arguments in American Legal History. In The Devil's Advocates , Michael S. Lief and H. Mitchell Caldwell turn to the dramatic crimes and trials of criminal law. The eight famous cases in this riveting collection have set historical precedents and illuminated fundamentals of the American criminal justice system. Future president John Adams illustrates the principle that even the most despised and vilified criminal is entitled to a legal ... more info>>

The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments to it). Also included are the Declaration of Independence, the 17 subsequent amendments to the Constitution, and brief biographies of the 55 of the Founding Fathers (those who were delegates from each of the thirteen original states except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates, to the Constitutional Convention, which was held in Philadelphia in 1787). This historical edition of the Constitutution is a ... more info>>

In this brilliant and immensely readable book, Lawrence M. Friedman tells the whole fascinating story of American law from its beginnings in the colonies to the present day. By showing how close the life of the law is to the economic and political life of the country, he makes a complex subject understandable and engrossing. A History of American Law presents the achievements and failures of the American legal system in the context of America's commercial and working world, family practices, and... more info>>

Johnnie Cochran gained international recognition for leading the "Dream Team" defense of O.J. Simpson. But long before and since then Johnnie Cochran has been a leader in the fight for justice for all Americans. While often vilified for his defense of Simpson, Cochran emerged from the trial as a leading African American spokes person. But he has done most of his talking through the courtroom in such high profile cases as: Abner Louima; Amadou Diallo; The Racially profiled New Jersey Turnpike Fou... more info>>

Jury duty happens to everyone. When the call came to Graham Burnett, a young historian, he had a shock in store. A Trial by Jury is his startling account of how performing this familiar civic duty challenged him in ways he never thought possible and turned into one of the most consuming experiences of his life. Burnett begins with the story of the trial: a body with multiple stab wounds found in a New York apartment, intimations of cross-dressing, male prostitution, mistaken identity. And then, ... more info>>

Was Clarence Darrow a hero or a jury tamperer? Was the "evolution" taught in the Scopes "monkey" trial really disguised racism? Did the Nuremberg trials free more Nazi war criminals than they convicted? Was Mike Tyson really guilty of rape? Great trials not only make great headlines, but also hold the keys to the passions and struggles of their times. In this fascinating and provocative survey, renowned defense attorney and bestselling author Alan M. Dershowitz aims a startlingly fresh spotlight... more info>>

When Wendy Murphy was a young prosecutor, she learned that the deck is stacked in favor of criminal defendants. Between their arrest and (potential) conviction, murderers, rapists, and drug dealers get more than a fair shake-they get an unfair advantage, often at the expense of their victims. In many states, for instance, defendants can subpoena a victim's private medical and counseling files, without any justification. They can threaten victims with brutal cross-examinations if they dare to tes... more info>>

The second volume in a must-have trilogy of the best closing arguments in American legal history. Every day, Americans enjoy the freedom to decide what we do with our property, our bodies, our speech, and our votes. However, the rights to these freedoms have not always been guaranteed. Our civil rights have been assured by cases that have produced monumental shifts in America's cultural, political, and legal landscapes. And the Walls Came Tumbling Down showcases eight of the most exciting closin... more info>>

Part drug war survival handbook, part criminal law 101, Busted! is the bible on how to not get busted, and what to do if you find yourself in any of these (and many other) situations. What to do if: I'm whacked-out and face-to-face with the fuzz ... My party warrants police action ... I get pulled over while wasted ... My boss springs a gotcha! drug test at the j-o-b ... I can't remember the Busted! Ten Commandments. Even if you don't get high, you know someone who does. Spare your loved ones th... more info>>

In the tradition of A Civil Action and Erin Brockovitch, Class Action is a story of intrigue and injustice as dramatic as fiction but all the more poignant because it is true. In the coldest reaches of northern Minnesota, a group of women endured a shocking degree of sexual harassment--until one of them stepped forward and sued the company that had turned a blind eye to their pleas for help. Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, the first sexual harassment class action in America, permanently changed the le... more info>>

The portable, constant companion for all law students, and the essential reference guide for laymen, business people, and all who desire a reliable guide to the law's special terminology, including that of European union law--terms available on the instant, thanks to the eBook format. The Collins Dictionary of Law has been written with special reference to the needs of legal secretaries, paralegals, legal executives, and business people. Features: Lists of statutes and cases mentioned within the... more info>>

Chicago was the nation's deadliest city in 2001, recording 666 homicides. For lawyers in the Cook County Public Defender's Office Murder Task Force, that meant a steady flow of new clients. Eight out of ten people arrested for murder in Chicago are represented by public defenders. They're assigned the most challenging and seemingly hopeless cases, yet they always fight to win. One of those lawyers is Marijane Placek, a snakeskin boot-wearing, Shakespeare-quoting nonconformist whose courtroom bra... more info>>

It's all about getting even. We all know that women earn less than men, and unfortunately this also applies to the spoils of divorce. Veteran trial attorney and former divorce lawyer Stacy Schneider, Esq., knows what it takes to get women their fair share, and now, using examples from her own practice and her own divorce, she is making the strategies that worked for her available to you! In a single handbook, He Had It Coming answers your questions, calms your nerves, and walks you through the p... more info>>

This witty and accessible book addresses a question that has been raised frequently in recent times: Shall the United States abolish the jury system? Judge Dwyer's answer is a firm "no," and his reasons are laid out in a clear, convincing and entertaining argument that would gladden the heart of any jurist who appreciated a good brief. Except in this case the author's audience is not a fellow jurist, but the American lay reader, so that he has put his case with the limits of their knowledge of t... more info>>

Carefully selected to explore every major aspect and challenge of the legal process, the speeches showcased here highlight the tactics and strategies, colorful language, and stirring rhetoric that lawyers use to win judge and jury to their side. With a shrewd eye for courtroom stratagems and a keen understanding of the social currents that shape them, Manhattan assistant district attorney Joel Seidemann introduces and illuminates each speech from an insider's perspective. From an Israeli prosecu... more info>>

How does the trial advocate manage in just a few hours to summarize months of testimony and documentary evidence, transforming it into a compelling story that will persuade the jurors--and win the case? The closing argument is the lawyer's final opportunity to give perspective, meaning, and context to the evidence introduced throughout a lengthy trial. It is the last chance for the lawyer to forcefully communicate his position to the jury, to convince them why his version of the "truth" is corre... more info>>

Throughout America's history, our laws have been a reflection of who we are, of what we value, of who has control. They embody our society's genetic code. In the masterful hands of the subject's greatest living historian, the story of the evolution of our laws serves to lay bare the deciding struggles over power and justice that have shaped this country from its birth pangs to the present. Law in America is a supreme example of the historian's art, its brevity a testament to the great elegance a... more info>>

I wish I knew then what I know now! Don't get to the end of your law school career muttering these words to yourself! Take the first step toward building a productive, successful, and perhaps even pleasant law school experience--read this book! Written for students about to embark on this three year odyssey, by students who have successfully survived law school. Law School Confidential demystifies the life-altering thrill ride that defines an American legal education by providing a comprehensive... more info>>

With over 25% new material, this is a must-have guideBook for students who are about to embark on the three-year odyssey of law school. This isn't the advice of graying professors or battle-scarred practitioners decades removed from the experience--Miller has assembled a panel of recent graduates to act as "mentors", all of whom are perfectly positioned to shed light on what law school is like today. Together, they demystify the life-altering thrill ride that defines an American legal education ... more info>>

In 1742, Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, wrote, "There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of law and in the name of justice." Two hundred forty-three years later, in 1985, Dorothy Rabinowitz, a syndicated columnist and television commentator, encountered the case of a New Jersey day care worker named Kelly Michaels, accused of 280 counts of sexually abusing nursery school children--and exposed the first of the prosecutorial abuses described in ... more info>>

A journalist's unsettling and timely investigation into the ties between Beverly Hills, its oil wells, and a local cancer cluster. Beverly Hills High School is the crown jewel of a storied community that has long symbolized wealth and privilege. No one, including the author (class of 1971), thought twice about the oil pumps behind the school's athletic fields; the derricks were just a part of the landscape, bringing in a sizable amount of royalty money to the community. But in 2003, after a grou... more info>>

Lawyers and lawyer stories have been presented for consumption for centuries. Here is a remarkable collection of witty, eccentric, and astounding stories about life in the courts, guaranteed to be mostly true, supplied by hundreds of attorneys. This funny, revealing, sad, poignant, and even exciting collection reveals why the law is everyone's obsession.

America's most famous First Amendment litigator chronicles the fight to uphold our most cherished Constitutional rights The rights guaranteed in the First Amendment-including freedom of expression-are among the fundamental touchstones of our democracy. In Speaking Freely, Floyd Abrams, who for over thirty years has been our most eloquent and respected advocate for uncensored expression, recounts some of the major cases of his remarkable career-landmark trials and Supreme Court arguments that hav... more info>>

A tale more riveting than fiction, Storming the Court is the true story of idealistic law students who challenged the United States government in a battle for freedom and human rights that went all the way to the Supreme Court--and resonates today more than ever. In 1992, three hundred innocent men, women, and children who had qualified for political asylum in the United States were forced into a detention camp at the American naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and told they might never be free... more info>>

The Emmy Award-winning host of Court TV's "Catherine Cried Live" describes an American legal system dangerously out of control--and finds the lawyers guilty as charged. As a child, Catherine Crier was enchanted by film portrayals of crusading lawyers like Clarence Darrow and Atticus Finch. As a district attorney, private lawyer, and judge herself, she saw firsthand how the U.S. justice system worked--and didn't. One of the most respected legal journalists and commentators today, she now confront... more info>>