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Making Your Case: The Art Of Persuading Judges (2008)

by Antonin Scalia(Favorite Author)

3.81 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0314184716 (ISBN13: 9780314184719)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

West Publishing Company

review 1: I will admit that I didn't read the section of the book about writing briefs. I'm not a lawyer and that portion just didn't apply to what my kids are doing in the class where I'm using this.The overall lessons of the book (how to structure your thinking, how judges make decisions, etc.) were applicable to anyone who engages in any form of persuasion and the book is engagingly written. No one is more surprised that I'm recommending Antonin Scalia than me.
review 2: Garner and Scalia provide an easily-digestible and very readable compendium of tips and insights on, first and foremost, endearing one's self to a court. This is not a book about legal philosophy, but rather how to be an advocate that is useful to the judge(s) before whom you may appear, and in doing ... moreso, how to cultivate a reputation of professionalism and competence that will make you a more effective advocate in the long-term.Although much of the advice is common sense (i.e. arrive at court on time, answer judges' questions forthrightly, etc), many of the authors' insights are counter-intuitive (i.e. do not argue to persuade the "swing" vote) or pertain to issues that might not seem terribly important (i.e. do not write in the first person). As an entering 1L who will not be writing briefs or arguing before a judge for some time, I found myself outside the target market of this book. However, its broad themes pertain to all manners of argument and persuasion, and are applicable far beyond the context of the courtroom. Furthermore, the organization of the work -- the authors provide over 100 self-contained tips that come in at about 1-2 pages each -- make it easy to jump in at any point of the text, and to easily refer to relevant sections (brief writing, oral argument, etc) without re-familiarizing yourself with the preceding text. I can easily see myself coming back to this work in the future as I near the conclusion of law school.In all, this is a valuable but sometimes pedantic book. At its $29.95 price tag, I can't say that it is worth it for the oftentimes basic and common sense advice it offers. But certainly get a copy from the library, and if you can find a used copy at a good price, this book would make an excellent addition to your bookshelf, and a valuable resource for anybody in the business of law or persuasion. less

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