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A collection of witty, dramatic, and moving stories from twenty top lawyers, revealing the human side of landmark cases and the comical absurdities of a life in the law
In Legal Briefs: The Ups and Downs of Life in the Law, editor Roger Witten takes us behind the scenes of some of the most fascinating court cases of the last few decades, while introducing us to the sometimes strange, and sometimes comical situations these lawyers have experienced during their long careers.
This collection features twenty lawyers of varying backgrounds and expertise writing with pizzazz, humor, and passion about such significant events as the Watergate break-in; the 9/11 Commission; the Iranian hostage crisis, and more. They write of tackling issues concerning money in politics and Citizens United; same-sex parental custody rights; and the contempt charge against Martin Luther King Jr. And we are also treated to intimate portraits of some unique clients and towering figures in the legal world.
This book will delight all readers, not just those with a specific interest in the law. As Roger Witten writes in the introduction, these stories “reveal the ups and downs of a life in the law by telling stories that are dramatic, moving, and/or amusing Some are tongue-in-cheek. Others are serious but never dull.”
Introduction
Section I—Events
Chapter 1—“For One Brief Shining Moment” by Roger M. Witten
Chapter 2—“The White House and the 9/11 Commission” by Daniel Marcus
Chapter 3—“ Who Knows What Will Happen Next?” by Robert Mundheim
Chapter 4—“Dealing with the Iranian Hostage Crisis” by Richard Davis
Chapter 5—“Richard Nixon and Me” by Henry L. Hecht
Chapter 6—“Fighting Public Corruption and Serving the Rule of Law: A Prosecutor’s Reminiscence” by Stuart M. Gerson
Chapter 7—“‘FEC’ = ‘Feckless Election Commission’” by Trevor Potter
Section II—People
Chapter 8—“Prelude to a Massacre” by Roger M. Witten
Chapter 9—“Resilience” by Andrew Tannenbaum
Chapter 10——“You win some …” by James L. Quarles
Chapter 11—“Defense of a Public Figure” by N. Richard Janis
Chapter 12—“Life with Justice John Paul Stevens” by Carol F. Lee
Chapter 13—“A Pair of Giants” by Louis R. Cohen
Chapter 14—“Name That Statute—Senator John Sherman And the Origin of Antitrust Law” by William Kolasky
Chapter 15—“Stabbing from the Shadows” by Nelson Johnson
Chapter 16—“The Stand-up Guy” by Roger M. Witten
Section III—Experiences
Chapter 17—“The Case of a Lifetime” by Harriet Newman Cohen
Chapter 18—“The Cost of Winning” by Dean Martha Minow
Chapter 19—“Silence is Golden” by Michael S. Helfer
Chapter 20—“The Law as Cross-Cultural Adventure” by Warren Cooke
Chapter 21—“Justice Delayed” by Roger M. Witten
Chapter 22—“Hungry for Justice” by Mark Kessel
Chapter 23—“Off to a Good Start” by Martin Kaplan
Chapter 24—“Good Intentions” by Roger M. Witten