The Florida State College of Law Research Center Blog

Closed Minds?

The problem with American higher education may not be too much politics but too little, at least that seems to be the conclusion of a recent book: Closed Minds? Political Ideology in American Universities.  The Chronicle of Higher Education recently discussed the book.  Here's a brief excerpt:

Closed Minds? was written by A. Lee Fritschler, director of executive education at George Mason's School of Public Policy; Jeremy D. Mayer, an associate professor at the school; and Bruce L.R. Smith, a visiting professor at the school. In their introduction, the authors say one of them considers himself a Republican, another a moderate Democrat, and the third a more-liberal Democrat—although they do not say who is who.

The authors lament what they see as a generations-long shift away from political debate on college campuses, which they contend is crucial to students' education. "Universities should be the home of lively and civilized political debate, and all too often, for a host of reasons, professors ignore political debate," they write.

Read the Chronicle article here.

Go to the Amazon site to see the book here.

Posted by Jon Lutz

The Mommy Track

Does the alarm bell on your biological clock signal an end to your legal career?   If you're contemplating an addition to the family, take a look at a book recently acquired by the Law Research Center.  In "Staying at Home, Staying in the Law," Julie Tower-Pierce summarizes the angst:

"You've got to be kidding, right?  You want to trade in your legal career and all you've worked for over the years for diaper duty and competitive soccer mom banter?  Have you lost your mind? ... Don't you still owe money on that degree?  How is the legal profession ever going to change if women like you leave the workplace?   What a waste.  Oh, by the way, thanks a lot for standing up for feminism."          (p. 16)

If any of this sounds familiar, Tower-Pierce  offers support and practical advice on topics including the transition from practicing law to staying home (and transitioning back again), money matters, how to keep your foot in the door, alternatives to the traditional track, alternative careers, and staying marketable.

For example, from a list of 84 ways to stay in the law (p. 75-79):  Become a freelance legal researcher -- offer to teach a seminar -- join a bar association committee and run for a leadership position -- volunteer at a legal aid clinic -- become a freelance writer on legal topics -- sign up for law-related listservs -- volunteer to be a moot court judge at your local law school -- enter legal writing contests -- listen to law-related podcasts -- mentor a law student -- borrow CLE videos from your local law library -- read a legal book and write a review -- start your own legal blog -- stay connected with your former colleagues and law school classmates --  become a bar exam proctor  -- mentor a law student --   seek out pro bono opportunities -- become a guardian ad litem -- do projects at home for past employers -- organize a community event for a legal-related charity -- hang out with lawyers.

You'll find Tower-Pierce's book in the Jobs/Career section of the Law Research Center at KF299.W6T68 2008, and other books concerning women in the legal profession under KF299.W6... upstairs.  Check them out!

Posted by Patricia Bingham-Harper

Virtue Jurisprudence

A new book titled Virtue Jurisprudence by Colin Farrelly and Lawrence Solum has just been published.  Here's the publisher's description:

In moral theory, virtue ethics offers a third way - an alternative to the deontological and consequentialist approaches that dominated modern moral philosophy until very recently. What would happen if we transplanted virtue ethics into normative legal theory? The essays in this anthology are part of a growing body of work that answers that question. According to the advocates of virtue jurisprudence, the final end of law is to promote human flourishing - to enable humans to lead excellent lives. Can the virtue ethics tradition really help us address the fundamental concerns of legal theory-like judicial review, criminal and tort law? The authors of this volume believe it can. By shedding the constraints of consequentialist and deontological theories, these authors illustrate how the virtue ethics tradition can enrich legal theory in distinctive and diverse ways.

Posted by Jon Lutz

Short Introductions

Philosophy of Law: A Very Short Introduction
by Raymond Wacks

This lively and accessible introduction to the social, moral, and cultural foundations of law takes a broad scope-- spanning philosophy, law, politics, and economics, and discussing a range of topics including women's rights, racism, the environment, and recent international issues such as the war in Iraq and the treatment of terror suspects.

To browse the whole lot of Very Short Introductions published by Oxford University Press, point your mouse cursor here.

Some stores provide convenient series subject packaging; I wonder if The Brain Box works.

Posted by Toni Urquhart

The Bioethics of Food

Two recently published books discuss the bioethics of food.  Eating with Conscience: The Bioethics of  Food by Michael W. Fox.  Fox discusses the inner workings of the national food industry, including the treatment of animals, the use of herbicides, the loss of topsoil, and more.  The second book is The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. One of the most eye opening issues Pollan discusses is the issue of the prevalence of corn in the American diet.  He points out that in a basic meal like a hamburger, fries and a soda:  the steer are feed corn, the fries are cooked in corn oil and the soda is sweetened with corn syrup.  He reports that in a 45,000 item grocery store a third of the items contain corn.  Pollan discusses the health and ethical impact of an agricultural corn monoculture.

Posted by Jon Lutz

The Asylum Primer

The AILA Asylum Primer by Regina Germain, a veteran asylum attorney and former Senior Legal Counselor of the Washington Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, is one of the Law Library's latest print acquisitions. "AILA's Asylum Primer provides practical, interpretive guidance of the entire asylum process. Intended for everyone from attorneys to government officials, from law professors to law students, from nonprofit organizations to asylum seekers themselves, AILA's Asylum Primer will help you understand and resolve critical asylum issues and provide answers to help you through the asylum process--from the first meeting until you close the case."  It is available in the Law Library on the third floor.

Excerpt taken from: http://www.ailapubs.org/ailasprim.html

Posted by Marin Dell

Freakonomics

"Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool?  What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers  have in common?  Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime?  These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask.  But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist."  The  Law Library owns this title as does Strozier, but both libraries have wait lists.  Purchase your copy at Amazon.

Posted by Trisha Simonds

Creating Winning Trial Strategies and Graphics

Creating Winning Trial Stratigies and Graphics by G. Christopher Ritter and published by the American Bar Association.  A "how to" book that not only teaches how to create winning trial graphics but also how and when to use them.  Available from Amazon.

Posted by Jon Lutz