The Devil's Advocates: Greatest Closing Arguments in Criminal Law (Hardcover)

by Michael S Lief (Author), H. Mitchell Caldwell (Author)
Key Phrases: castle doctrine, voluntariness test, irresistible impulse test, Supreme Court, United States, Randy Weaver (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Each case fascinates, educates, and restores faith in the court system." -- Columbus Dispatch

"Each case fascinates, educates, and restores faith in the court system." --Columbus Dispatch --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"Makes for unexpectedly engaging reading -- not only the arguments themselves (each an example of rhetorical mastery) but also the history provided to give each argument context."

-- The American Lawyer

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (August 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743246683
• ISBN-13: 978-0743246682
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #505,619 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #47 in	Books > Nonfiction > Law > Perspectives on Law > Judicial System
  #79 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Trial Practice
  #80 in	Books > Nonfiction > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Trial Practice

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profound book about Great Law Cases, October 7, 2006

By	Gerard D. Launay (Berkeley, California) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Devil's Advocates: Greatest Closing Arguments in Criminal Law (Audio CD)

I simply cannot heap enough praise. Oh...how I wished I had this audiobook - of nineteen disks - when I studied criminal justice and trial practice in law school.

What makes this book extraordinary? The audiobook provides dramatic recreations of the great speeches before juries or stirring appellate arguments before the Supreme Court coupled with comprehensive and intelligent contextualization. The cases and arguments are explained within the framework of American history and jurisprudence. For example,in discussing the landmark case of Mapp v. Ohio which created the
exclusionary rule for evidence obtained in violation of the Bill of Rights, the authors delve into the history of the Warren Court, the biographies of the justices, the social changes in the 1960's and the entire legal history of search and seizure from the days before the American Revolution to the time of the argument and beyond. Yes, it is the marvelous background and explanation that makes this a five star book. Thinking of a gift for that young adult who just took her LSAT or gained admission to an Ivy League law school? This is IT.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, January 10, 2007

By	ucimike (Irvine, CA) - See all my reviews

This is a great book. Not all the arguments in the book are closing arguments, some are arguments made before the Supreme Court such as in Ch. 2, but all the cases in the book are very good and fascinating. What I really love about the book is that the authors give plenty of background information on the case and the events that led up to the case. This is a must read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Devil is in the Details, October 6, 2008

By	D. Shane Read "Author of Winning at Trial, wi... (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Advocates: Greatest Closing Arguments in Criminal Law (Paperback)

The authors once again have written a fine book which looks at landmark closing arguments. In this book, the third in their series, they focus on noteworthy crimes that formed the basis for trials. You will read the closing argument of Clarence Darrow, one of the 20th Century's most famous lawyers, that he gave in 1925 when he defended an African-American family that shot at a mob that was attacking their home. What I really liked about the book is that the authors put each trial in the social context in which it took place. In the example above, the authors give the reader a great insight to the racial tensions that existed in 1925 which provides needed background in order to understand the significance of the trial.