JURIST: Books-on-Law is edited by Ronald K.L. Collins and David Skover of the Seattle University School of Law

Editorial Consultants:

Since April 1998, Books-on-Law has published some 75 original reviews of new law-related books, plus replies and commentaries.  We are also proud of our "Past-Perfect" publication of reviews by the likes of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. and Arthur L. Corbin.

This month, we bring you two perspectives on The Politics of Law: A Progressive Critique, edited by David Kairys.  The first perspective is by Andrew J. Morris, and the second by Robert W. Gordon.  Then, onto two exchanges between reviewers and authors.  The first exchange features Christine A. Littleton's review of Heterophobia, followed by a reply from the author, Daphne Patai.  In the second exchange, Nan Goodman responds to John C.P. Goldberg's review of her book, Shifting the Blame: Literature, Law, and the Theory of Accidents in Nineteenth-Century America.  Richard T. Ford next offers his insights on Race, Place, and the Law: 1836-1948.  Finally, Tom Goldstein (Dean of Columbia School of Journalism) examines Television News & the Supreme Court.

Our thanks to our Board of Editorial Consultants; they deserve much credit for helping us to identify the "right" reviewers.  In the coming year, we all hope to do still better with new books, reviewers, and ideas.  We always welcome your input, so be sure to talkback to us.  Meanwhile, we highlight Books-on-Law's first-year’s publications below.

We have tried to be varied in our selection of topics, with reviews on books concerning:

• advisory opinions
• capital punishment
• clinical education
• common law
• constitutional law
• constitutional law in Soviet Union
• Congress & courts
• employment law
• evidence
• family law
• federal courts
• human rights
• legal biography
• legal research
• mental health law
• presidential powers
• privacy
• property law
• race & law
• religious freedom
• Roman & civil law
• torts
• TV & law
• welfare law.

Sometimes a book, topic, or even a book persona prompts us to set aside more cyberspace. Thus, we have published special issues or exchanges on:

• Edward Lazarus’ much-noticed book on the Supreme Court: Closed Chambers
• Daniel Farber & Suzanna Sherry’s Beyond All Reason
• an interview with Niko Pfund of New York University Press
• an issue devoted to books on law and legal fiction
• and two exchanges on the topic of euthanasia, one in November of 1998 followed by another in our last issue.

Ever faithful to the First Amendment, a good number of our reviews have dealt with recently published books on freedom of speech. The range of topics has included:

• pornography (Jensen & McElroy)
• hate speech
• regulation of electronic media
• cyberspace
• legal history
• along with a review and an essay on censorship.

Look for yet more commentary on free speech books, including a special issue (coming this Fall) on Steven H. Shiffrin’s Dissent, Injustice, & the Meanings of America (Princeton, 1999).

Women & the Law

Both the number and variety of books on women and the law allowed us to publish reviews concerning:

• men, women, & the law
• gender & crime
• women & law firms
• women lawyers & American history
• women & tax law
• women & gay rights
• women & pornography

Books on jurisprudence have very much caught our attention, with reviews concerning:

• law & legal theory
• critical perspectives on law
• liberal jurisprudence
• constitutional interpretation
• Nazi jurisprudence
• rights & obligations
• impartiality (reply)
• legal discourse
• ideology
• jurisprudence of civil liability

• Pierre Schlag, reviewing H. Aram Veeser, editor, The Stanley Fish Reader (Blackwell, 1999)

• Michael Fischl, reviewing Pierre Schlag, The Enchantment of Reason (Duke University Press, 1998)

• Janet Ainsworth, reviewing Melissa Macauley, Social Power and Legal Culture: Litigation Masters in Late Imperial China (Stanford University Press, 1999)

• David O'Brien, reviewing Kermit Hall, editor, The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions (Oxford University Press, 1999)

• Dennis Patterson, reviewing E. Allan Farnsworth, Changing Your Mind: The Law of Regretted Decisions (Yale University Press, 1998)

• Donald Dripps, reviewing Malcolm Feeley & Edward Rubin, Judicial Policy Making and the Modern State (Cambridge University Press, 1998)

• Alex Wohl, reviewing Jethro Lieberman, The Evolving Constitution (University of California Press, 1999)

Ronald K.L. Collins & David M. Skover, Editors, Books-on-Law

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JURIST: Books-on-Law™ is edited by Ronald K.L. Collins and David M. Skover of the Seattle University School of Law.

Board of Editorial Consultants: Raj Bhala, George Washington University Law School; Miriam Galston, George Washington University Law School; Kermit Hall, Ohio State University College of Law; Yale Kamisar, University of Michigan Law School; Lisa G. Lerman, Catholic University of America School of Law; David M. O'Brien, University of Virginia Department of Government and Foreign Affairs; Judith Resnik, Yale Law School; Edwin L. Rubin, University of Pennsylvania Law School; Steven H. Shriffrin, Cornell Law School; Nadine Strossen, New York Law School; David B. Wilkins, Harvard Law School.

Administrative Assistant for Books-on-Law: Ms. Nancy Ammons

© Ronald K.L. Collins and David Skover, 1999. —————————————————————————————
JURIST: The Law Professors' Network™ is directed by Professor Bernard J. Hibbitts, Associate Dean for Communications & Information Technology, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in consultation with an international Advisory Board. E-mail JURIST at JURIST@law.pitt.edu.

© Bernard J. Hibbitts, 1999. All rights reserved. These pages may not be copied, reposted, or republished, in whole or in part, electronically or in print, without express written permission.

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