Just Curious

academic work

Our second closed memo in the legal writing class is considerably more complicated than our first. But I think it should be fine.

Aside from course readings, I've finally finished Fried's "Contract as Promise." The book I'm currently reading is Edward H. Levi's "An Introduction to Legal Reasoning." Dr. Levi's basic thesis is that legal reasoning is neither inductive nor deductive, regardless of whether one is dealing with case law or statutory interpretation; and is highly problematic in that parties, in suing one another, effectively place themselves under the case law they themselves had participated in creating. In the first half of the book, he carefully traces the various difficulties in creating case law doctrines and in interpreting legislative 'intent' (as though in most cases there is one...)

The first Jewish president of a major nonsectarian research university (University of Chicago, 1968-1975), Edward Levi was a distinguished man in many respects. He was also the Attorney General who brought the Justice Department out of disrepute following the Watergate scandel (1975-1977) as well as Dean of the Law School and Provost at U of C (1950-1962, 1962-1968). My only complaint about him is that he didn't quite provide George Anastaplo with enough support when the latter was denied bar license in 1950 (see my previous post on Anastplo.)

In the meantime, my torts hornbook should be arriving at any time. I'm looking forward to it, since we pretty much focus exclusively on legal theory, rather than doctrines, in class.

posted by James Chang @ 4:42 PM