Jurismania: The Madness of American Law

I look forward to Paul Campos' articles more than any others. Whether he addresses the topics of academia, jurispridence or even football, he argues with razor precision and mixes in just the right touch of humor. As an attorney with a belief that the system does work, I am hesitant to agree with assertions that American law is "madness." There is nothing outlandish or over the top with Mr. Campos' reasoning, however. He draws me in with his arguments, and in my determination to refute them I often fall short. He plays an important role when he shines the spotlight on the system I admire so much. He's worth reading. He's challenging and has the courage of his convictions.

Campos is polemical, wicked, funny--all of that. But this is a smart and serious book. It does not argue that all law is madness, or that all lawyers are mad. It argues that enough is enough, and too much is too much, and America has way, way too much. America has made a fetish of legal procedure, continuing to unwind legal red tape and generate numberless rules and hurdles long past the point where procedure does or can serve any rational purpose. Campos's method is rigorous enough to deserve the attention of lawyers who would prefer to dismiss him, and his style is vigorous enough to make him a good read on the bus. Not to be missed.

I got this book after reading a nasty review of it in the New York Times. The book had really upset the reviewer, and after reading it I can see why it did. It's a merciless indictment of the defenders of the legal status quo, and it's also hilarious. If you've ever thought the American legal system was crazy, this book explains why you were right.As someone who has practiced law for more than a decade, I can't think of a better book for a lawyer, or especially someone thinking about being a lawyer, to read. If we had more law professors who thought like Campos, we wouldn't have the system that he so thoroughly devastates in this book.

Paul Campos, a professor of law at the University of Colorado, offers an insider's view of the slow decay of law from a focus on justice to a focus on living up to the letter of ever more arcane law.Campos covers a wide swath of topics, from the arbitrary nature of NCAA rules to the O.J. and Paula Jones cases to the drug war to his own town of Boulder Colorado. It is impressive that he manages to tie all of these issues together into one specific theme--that society's litigiousness is undermining both the rule of law and the equitable and, paradoxically, the efficient functioning of society.He does not duck the tough issues; his takes on abortion, the drug war, and assisted suicide fit in with his overall theme and, while they may not please readers on either side of these controversies, he presents fresh arguments that will force open-minded readers to consider these issues in a new light.Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Campos covers all these topics in a succinct 198 pages. Lesser writers would have needed 800 pages to cover all the topics that Campos covers in much less space.Campos makes effective use of humor and cultural references (the Monty Python skit he cites--I won't spoil its use--is used brilliantly to illustrate his point).This book is not for everyone. Certainly people who don't have an interest in the vagaries of the law would avoid a book like this. People who have a direct stake in the arcaneness (there's the word again) of the current legal system will likely be bothered by this book, but I don't think that's a particularly bad outcome. Campos has written from an outsider's view (which is where I come from since I am not an attorney) with an insider's understanding of the jargon and the institutions, which make his indictment all the more devastating. I can certainly foresee this book being the subject of much debate in law schools in the years to come. I've jokingly told friends considering the legal profession "don't do it! We don't nee! d any more lawyers!" As long as we have a few lawyers with the perspective of Paul Campos there's still hope for the profession.

Campos uses pop culture and personal experience to weave a side-splitting account of how enamored we have become with the legal process. He handily demonstrates that even as we lament the shortcomings of the legal system, we become more and more dependent on this peculiar form of dialogue and decision-making. Like junkies who no longer enjoy the high, yet still reach for the needle, Americans not only continue to use the legal process to resolve all forms of dispute -- we also allow law into every corner of our lives. Campos takes us on field trips into grocery stores, classrooms, libraries, and even the doctor's office, while pointing out the legal markers which have infilitrated each of these bastions of 20th century life. This book is provocative, insightful, and a necessary reminder of how obsessive we have become. Most of all, it's so funny you'll enjoy the lecture.