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Rating: 
Summary: DISCOVERING THE FLAWS IN LEGAL PRACTICE
Review: A very interesting diagnostic of the major flaws in the U.S. legal system, by Deborah L. Rhode, Professor of Law at Stanford Law School. Well written, this book unveils many of the fundamental reasons for the perception that the public at large has of the lawyers and their trade..... The chapters titled Lawyers and their discontent, The advocate's role in the adversary system, and the Regulation of the profession, are truly revealing vis a vis the current problems that plague legal practice. Professor's Rhode suggestions as to possible solutions towards a betterment of the workings of the legal system are thought provoking.
The funny thing about this book, is that you can extrapolate many of the revelations about the rocky road of legal education and the structural problems that now affect legal firms in the U.S., to other legal systems, outside the common law area..... So, even as a mirror of the flaws and shared problems that affect the legal profession in other countries, such as the commercialization of practice and the underestimation of ethical standards in favor of lawyer's economic self interest, this book is recommended reading.
Rating: 
Summary: another pointing out and failure of tangible remedy
Review: I have a shelf of 20 books describing the shortcomings of legal practice today. I do not find anything new in Rhode Members of the legal profession are worried, and the public holds much of the profession in low regard. Yet, we must have the law and at its best it truly holds our society together, and establishes standards of free discussion of evidence.The Rhode book is full of suggestions preceded by "should", "need to", "desirable that", "train lawyers" and "reduce need for". The last is not quite so. There is much need for conflict resolution which does not go to court owing to the hassles with lawyers and judges. Those who should follow up and implement these "shoulds" and provide the remedy, namely the judges and the legislators, are themselevse lawyers. The problem is stubbornly analogous to Aids, where the disease fighting system becomes itself diseased. There must be external oversight. We need strong citizens commission formed with a majority of non-lawyers. I have written a short book to this effect but it does not yet have a publisher. I welcome support on publication. .....
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Mix of Fact and Opinion
Review: Rhode's assessment of the U.S. legal system's problems is presented clearly and comprehensively, and, to some extent, persuasively. I found the writing at times dry, typical of what one might expect in an academic paper. However, if you're interested in the law, you are likely to gain some insight from Rhode into the legal system's woes as seen by those within and outside the profession. Although the book appears to be thorough, well researched, and documented, Rhode sometimes mixes her own biases and opinions with the facts, without making a clear distinction. For instance, with respect to hiring, mentoring, and promotion of lawyers in law firms, Rhodes states that disfavoring women and minorities stigmatizes and subordinates the entire group, while disfavoring white males does not. On this issue, her point is that preferential treatment is needed to remedy discrimination encountered by certain groups, which requires disfavoring members of other groups (presumably straight white males). In this example, her statements related to affirmative action are largely passed off as fact. Presumably, the reader is expected to accept these comments at face value, without substantiation or discussion of alternative views or approaches that address problems of employment discrimination. From her mixing of fact and opinion on this topic, readers may wonder what is really accurate in this book, and what is not.
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