Next week the Christian Legal Society's Law Student Ministries begins its Summer Reading Program. Think of it as an online book club. I'll be facilitating most of the discussion with the help of Dan Kim at LSM.
We suggest that participants begin reading June 1, but the discussion begins June 5, a week from today. The discussion will happen in the Cross & Gavel discussion forum, so sign up for the C&G Community (it takes about 20 seconds) to join. It's a short list, but here's what we'll be reading this summer:
Michael P. Schutt, Redeeming Law (InterVarsity 2007) (read the introduction and the first chapter online free at IVP)
Harold L. Berman, Law and Revolution (Harvard 1983)
Aquinas, Treatise on Law
J. Budziszewski, Natural Law for Lawyers (Blackstone 2006)
Go here for the full syllabus, complete schedule, and instructions. The more, the merrier!!
Also new this week at Cross & Gavel: C&G Audio, my weekly podcast. The first two episodes are online, and we hope to post a new one every Thursday.
May 29, 2009
May 28, 2009
Clients, not Causes?
There's an interesting discussion happening around the "reply-all" hubbub at the LA-based Quin Emanuel law firm.
You can read the short version over at the ABA Journal, or follow the discussion at ATL. The gist is that the firm won a federal court trademark case for the Washington Redskins. In response to the firm-wide email from a partner announcing the victory, an associate "replied to all," questioning the morality of the representation in the first place.
One of the more interesting aspects of the discussion is the matter of a young lawyer stepping in to provide a "moral viewpoint" about a particular representation. Most of the discussion focuses on the manner and timing of both the response and the eventual fallout. But I find this statement, from a Quin partner, most provocative:
"We represent clients, not causes." According to the Journal, the partner said that the firm would have been happy to win the case for the opposing party, had it been hired to do so.
The partner is certainly right about "clients, not causes" in a very important sense. Yet that can't be the whole story, the only response: we can't shut down a conversation about the morality of a particular course of action by stating "that's what we were hired to do."
What role should a young associate-- would it be different for a partner?-- take in providing a moral check on a firm's activities? Fun stuff.
We're talking about it over at Cross & Gavel, too.
You can read the short version over at the ABA Journal, or follow the discussion at ATL. The gist is that the firm won a federal court trademark case for the Washington Redskins. In response to the firm-wide email from a partner announcing the victory, an associate "replied to all," questioning the morality of the representation in the first place.
One of the more interesting aspects of the discussion is the matter of a young lawyer stepping in to provide a "moral viewpoint" about a particular representation. Most of the discussion focuses on the manner and timing of both the response and the eventual fallout. But I find this statement, from a Quin partner, most provocative:
"We represent clients, not causes." According to the Journal, the partner said that the firm would have been happy to win the case for the opposing party, had it been hired to do so.
The partner is certainly right about "clients, not causes" in a very important sense. Yet that can't be the whole story, the only response: we can't shut down a conversation about the morality of a particular course of action by stating "that's what we were hired to do."
What role should a young associate-- would it be different for a partner?-- take in providing a moral check on a firm's activities? Fun stuff.
We're talking about it over at Cross & Gavel, too.
May 22, 2009
Announcing Cross & Gavel
I am excited to announce that Regent Law School and the Christian Legal Society, through ICLS, have launched Cross & Gavel, a comprehensive web resource for Christian law students and lawyers. Here's a taste of the main sections:
Browse resources relating to the intersection of faith & law. Dig into the blogroll, search the web magazines and print journals for interesting articles and opinion, or look for an organization to help you fulfill your own calling in law.
You'll find the latest in legal news and issues of interest to the Christian legal community. Explore links to major legal news providers, feeds updating you on current events, and a range of opinions on the news.
Connect to others thinking about law from a Christian perspective. If you want to find a speaker or scholar to address a particular topic, hope to start a discussion on an issue, or desire feedback on a note, essay, or article you've written, visit our community.
Find ways to get involved, visit our list of events that will help you engage the law faithfully. If you're looking for summer jobs, symposia, academic seminars, competitions, or essay contests, check here first.
This is an exciting project, and I'll be sharing more about it in the next few weeks.
You'll find the latest in legal news and issues of interest to the Christian legal community. Explore links to major legal news providers, feeds updating you on current events, and a range of opinions on the news.
Connect to others thinking about law from a Christian perspective. If you want to find a speaker or scholar to address a particular topic, hope to start a discussion on an issue, or desire feedback on a note, essay, or article you've written, visit our community.
Find ways to get involved, visit our list of events that will help you engage the law faithfully. If you're looking for summer jobs, symposia, academic seminars, competitions, or essay contests, check here first.
This is an exciting project, and I'll be sharing more about it in the next few weeks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)