Economics of Law Practice Seminar
University of Iowa College of Law
Iowa City, Iowa
Fall 2001
Nicholas Johnson
Reading Assignments
First class session, August 30, 2001, 6:15 p.m. An overview, with emphasis on American lawyers.
Begin with the article "Legal Profession" in the Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Click on http://www.eb.com, then (at least from a law school computer with subscription account access) "College, School, Library & Business users," this will take you to a page where you can enter a search phrase. Enter "legal profession" -- be sure to use the quotes. This produces links to 61 articles. Choose the first one: "Legal Profession."Second class session, September 6, 2001. We begin our overview of comparative legal systems and the role of lawyers. This is designed to serve two purposes: to open our minds to a wider possible range of lawyers' roles, and to prepare you for what will, inevitably, be a much more global focus to your law practice than would have been the case 50 years ago.Although not assigned, you might enjoy for a humorous interlude and contrast, "A Short History of Lawyers."
American Bar Foundation, "The Legal Profession: Chicago Lawyers II."
For links to a lot of British material go to http://www.compactlaw.co.uk/.
Cynthia Losure Baraban, "Inspiring Global Professionalism: Challenges and Opportunities for American Lawyers in China." Given the fact that one out of every four persons in the world is Chinese, the likelihood of your being involved in some way with Chinese law and lawyers during the course of your lifetime is high. This article provides insights into the history of the changing role of lawyers in China, the nation's legal system, and some tips on how you can be most effective representing your clients' interests there.Third class session, September 13, 2001. There seems to be sufficient interest in solo practice that I thought we'd spend an evening talking about it. As you may know, I clerked for Justice Hugo L. Black, who started his legal career as a general practitioner in small towns in Alabama. It was what he always kind of hoped I would do on my return to Iowa, but I never did.Two single pages from the Daini Tokyo Bar Association present the mission and some of the history of lawyers in Japan -- the United States' largest overseas trading partner. Brief as it is, you will see basis for some of the characteristics of the Chinese system Baraban describes.
"Internationalization of Legal Values and Legal Practices," an ABA Foundation publication, briefly refers to Latin America, Korea, India, Hungary, Russia and South Africa.
For one of the best collection of links to global legal resources generally, be sure to check out Hieros Gamos.
I thought you might enjoy the story of his small town practice, told in his own words, in an autobiography written by "The Judge" (as family and clerks called him) and his wife, Elizabeth (Hugo L. Black and Elizabeth Black, Mr. Justice and Mrs. Black (New York: Random House, 1986), chapters 4, 5 and 6.There is a videotape of a program/interview CBS did some years ago, "Justice Black and the Bill of Rights," from which we may watch an excerpt or two.
If I find some additional material you would find of interest -- or any of you have anything you'd like to suggest -- I'll post it later. I'm thinking, for example, of possible selections from Clarence Darrow's Autobiography or Herndon's Life of Lincoln.
Finally, the current issue of the American Bar Association Journal, has an article by Margaret Graham Tebo, "Law in the Low Country," about the "civility and collegiality that in some places have become largely relics of the past," but continue in Charleston, South Carolina, where most lawyers still practice solo or in firms of three or fewer lawyers. If you are an ABA member, or otherwise have access to the Journal you can read it in hard copy. But it is also available from the ABA Web site. Go to http://www.abanet.org/, and you'll see a link to it from the top of the page you'll be looking at.