A Law and Economics Approach to Deciding Whether Law School Is Worth It
For those of you considering law school and its accompanying debt, you need to watch this video.
1
Mar, 2012
27
Feb, 2012
The Supreme Court’s Latest Miranda Ruling Is A Failure All The Way Around
What happens when no one comes to the defense of defenseless prisoners? Rulings like last week's decision in Howes v. Field, No. 10-680, where the Supreme Court held that law enforcement questioning of an inmate inside a prison about allegedly criminal events that occurred outside the prison is not necessarily a custodial situation for Miranda purposes. Or, [...]
25
Feb, 2012
Effective Cover Letters for Law School Students
Hey fellow law school students, if you are wanting some pointers on how to write an effective cover letter for externships, internships, summer jobs, and the like, then you should check out UCLA Professor Eugene Volokh's take on what makes an effective cover letter. The blog post is here.
22
Feb, 2012
Legal Education in Crisis?
At the New York Times, Professor Stanley Fish discusses the state of legal education. Fish writes: Uneasiness about the state of legal education has been around for some time, but in the wake of the financial meltdown of 2008, uneasiness ripened into a conviction that something was terribly wrong as law school applications declined, thousands of [...]
20
Feb, 2012
UCLA Law Professors Duel at the Supreme Court
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in United States v. Alvarez. At issue in this case is whether the Stolen Valor Act, 18 U.S.C. § 704(b)--which makes it a crime to falsely represent that you have been awarded any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces of the United States--is [...]
20
Feb, 2012
Law Man: My Story of Robbing Banks, Winning Supreme Court Cases, and Finding Redemption
Most of you who read the CockleBur frequently know that I have a memoir that Crown/Random House is publishing. Well, we now have a definitive publication date: August 7th. Annie and I will be busy between now and then promoting the book from a number of angles. If major promotional stuff comes up, I will [...]
17
Feb, 2012
The Rise and Decline of Miranda
I completely dropped the ball on this one. Back in October, University of Michigan Law Professor Yale Kamisar came to UW to talk about Miranda. If you have gone to law school in the past two or three decades, you have probably heard of the professor. His Modern Criminal Procedure book is the standard bearer [...]
17
Feb, 2012
My Son’s First Sadness
When people have their first children, they tend to remember the big things, like first steps, words, bumps on the head. Me, I tend to remember the little things. My son, Mark, usually has two standard emotions. When well fed, rested and receiving attention, he is generally a happy kid. When hungry, tired, or sick of [...]
17
Feb, 2012
Oral Arguments But No Briefs
In between reading gems, such as first-year law school textbooks, I've been reading David C. Frederick's book, Supreme Court And Appellate Advocacy. The book starts with a historical narrative of the Supreme Court. Surprisingly, the first decades of Supreme Court practice were geared around oral argument, and not written briefs. In fact, there were no written briefs! And [...]
13
Feb, 2012
The Way in Which Federal Prosecutors Charge Offenses Leads to Different Sentences Between White and Black Males
Professors Marit Rehavi and Sonja Starr recently published this piece, entitled Racial Disparity in Federal Criminal Charging and Its Sentencing Consequences. After analyzing data, the professors concluded that federal prosecutors charge offenders differently by race, and those charging differences often lead to disparities in sentences. Not surprisingly, men of color are charged, and therefore, sentenced more harshly. Here [...]