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    Wisconsin Lawyer
    April 01, 1999

    Wisconsin Lawyer April 1999: Book Reviews

    Wisconsin Lawyer April 1999

    Vol. 72, No. 4, April 1999

    Book Reviews


    This Month's Featured Selections


    Killing SeasonThe Search for Truth:
    An Introduction to the Jury Trial Practice

    By Cornelius P. Callahan
    (Chicago, IL: Sextant Press, 1998).
    288 pgs. Retail $35.

    Reviewed by Brian W. Blanchard

    Keep yourself in the background. Get enough sleep. Avoid the appearance that a court ruling has hurt you. Take a pass on any cross examination that does not promise solid points. Never complain to a jury about how hard you have worked on the case. Be sure your witnesses understand your theory.

    It's all been said before. But the author of this unpretentious book with the pretentious title does not strive for originality. Instead, Cornelius P. Callahan has written a trial practice primer as an accessible sampling of the aphorisms and rules that trial advocacy instructors and mentors have offered to generations of young lawyers.

    An Illinois attorney since 1958, Callahan has primarily represented railroads in the types of cases that frequently cannot be settled in advance of trial.

    Reading this book is like sitting down for a long lunch with an experienced trial attorney who is in an extremely expansive mood. While most of it is familiar territory to anyone who has even watched an entire trial, much is worth hearing from Callahan's perspective.

    The author includes practical advice for dealing with a trial's impossible time demands, while still presenting to the jury "a sense of confidence and equanimity." He suggests getting exercise, reading the newspaper, and generally keeping a foot in the "real world" to the extent possible.

    Though heavy on war stories and apocryphal tales (punctuated by corny one-liners), Callahan occasionally steps back to name important concepts. For example, he borrows "semantic incursion" from diplomacy to describe an opponent's inevitable attempt to plant in the jury's collective mind substitutes for your key terms.

    Callahan also has a nice take on the "apparently superficial" but often "more effective" preparation of a witness whose testimony does not involve complicated issues. Callahan briefly prepares these witnesses:

    "You were present, you know what happened; the attorney cross examining you was not present and has no direct knowledge of what happened. You were there; he wasn't. Therefore, simply continue to tell the truth on cross examination. There is nothing that can be asked of you which you will not be able to answer. Any improper question, of course, I will object to."

    Two features of The Search for Truth require note. First, it is heavily oriented toward personal injury suits against railroads. Callahan justifies this on ground that "more than 90 percent" of all civil jury trials are personal injury claims. That may be so, but the absence of references to a broader range of business, environmental, and criminal litigation limits the book's value.

    Second, large portions the book consist of unedited, barely annotated trial transcripts from a particular Federal Employers' Liability Act case that Callahan defended in Illinois state court in 1980. The reader is left to do the hard work of mining many pages of transcripts for the most illustrative passages. Few readers will be inclined to do so.

    Nevertheless, The Search for Truth is a well-intentioned guide for the beginning trial attorney. The author's thesis can hardly be repeated too often: The respect of a jury is earned only through an honest, low-key presentation of relevant facts. If it is a choice between this book and a guide by an established trial expert such as Steven Lubet, Thomas A. Mauet, or James W. McElhaney, go with Lubet, Mauet, or McElhaney. If a newer lawyer also has room for an additional small set of reminders, he or she may want to add this book.

    Brian W. Blanchard, Northwestern 1989, is an associate with Quarles & Brady in Madison. He was a criminal prosecutor with the U. S. Attorney's Office in Chicago from 1990-97.

    Freedom of Speech in the Public Workplace:
    A Legal and Practical Guide to Issues Affecting Public Employment

    By Marcy S. Edwards, Jill Leka, James Baird & Stefanie Lee Black
    (Chicago, IL: ABA State & Local Government Law Section, 1998).
    Soft. 200 pgs. Retail $74.95.

    Reviewed by Timothy J. McAllister

    Arguments exist that the First Amendment right to freedom of speech has been carried too far and that "speech" has been viewed in an overly liberal context, but since the 1892 ruling in McAuliffe v. Mayor of New Bedford the U.S. Supreme Court has held that the freedom of speech protection for public employees is different than that afforded the general populace.

    A series of rulings has led to balancing tests (Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. 563) that attempt to rectify the rights/privilege issue. Public employees are not devoid of freedom of speech rights. Rather, their speech, which may carry a greater impact than nongovernmental individuals (particularly the speech of policymakers), is balanced by the state's interests.

    Public versus personal speech rights need to be balanced. The specific facts of individual cases determine the public/private issue. Speech motivated by self-interest is far less protected than speech exposing corruption and waste. Safety issues may be public or private depending upon circumstances. Gossip is not a protected form of speech for public employees. Speech that is completely unrelated to public employment is most likely protected, depending upon the context.

    For public employees, particularly those in the educational and public safety fields, a major issue is the context of their speech. It has been said that a spectrum of First Amendment rights exists, from professors to police officers. While professors expound upon potentially controversial thought to make a theoretical point, the speech of police, fire department, and corrections personnel is ruled by discipline and the authoritarian necessity of maintaining an esprit de corps.

    The text addresses the problem of the variance in decisions made by circuit courts that the U.S. Supreme Court has left unresolved. Judge Scalia is reported to have stated that "uncertainty breeds litigation," and this is certainly going to be the case as the imprecision of the law is narrowed.

    The authors do a reasonable job of covering the issues of the U.S. Supreme Courts' interpretation of the First Amendment, the roles of content and context, and balancing competing interests. Most of this information is common knowledge to the educated public employee, and certainly to attorneys who work in public employment relations.

    Freedom of Speech in the Public Workplace: A Legal and Practical Guide to Issues Affecting Public Employment is a decent enough guidebook for seminars or a primer for pre-law students, but its mediocre index and table of cases (which needed to be supplemented by stapled papers tucked into the text) are obvious shortcomings.

    Tim McAllister is employed by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections at the Wisconsin Resource Center.

    The Internet Fact Finder for Lawyers

    By Joshua D. Blackman with David Jank
    (Chicago, IL: ABA Law Practice Management Section, 1998).
    157 pgs. Retail $39.95.

    Reviewed by Stephanie L. Melnick

    Publication of the Starr Report online tested the Internet's ability to quickly make information available worldwide. The Internet passed the test. After this most recent demonstration of the Internet's potential, lawyers should recognize its value as a research tool.

    Using the Internet can provide Wisconsin lawyers with access to seemingly unlimited information, from locating experts to searching SEC filings, to finding opposing counsel's email address. On the other hand, finding useful material on the Internet can be time-consuming and frustrating. In The Internet Fact Finder for Lawyers, Joshua D. Blackman and David Jank attempt to guide lawyers through the Internet maze. Although a potentially useful resource for the beginner, the book is not for the advanced Internet user. More importantly, the rapid technological advances of the Internet make the book, published only months ago, seem dated. For example, although the authors list Web sites that appear useful, the constant changes on the Internet make finding those sites now difficult and sometimes impossible.

    Part one of the book instructs lawyers how to conduct Internet research. The authors begin by offering a summary of research methods generally, including definitions of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Chapter three discusses research methodology, including discussions of what type of information is available on the Internet and when to use the Internet for research. For anyone familiar with the Internet, part one of the book is review.

    The authors next discuss accessing and navigating the Internet. For the novice user, this discussion of the Internet's structure is helpful. For example, the authors dispel the common misconception that only the speed of the modem determines the speed of the user's Internet access. The last chapter in part two covers "Navigating the Net" and describes Web browser features, compares search engines, and defines electronic bulletin boards and electronic mailing lists. The authors include many useful tables, for example, a detailed comparison of search engines helps when deciding which search engine is best suited to a specific type of research.

    Part three of the book is most useful. This section includes how to find news, experts, people, companies, "competitive intelligence," and medical information on the Internet. The most significant problem with these chapters is that many Web sites listed have been moved or eliminated. Also, conspicuously absent from this section is a chapter describing how to find statutes and case law on the Internet. Although the authors may have concluded that the Internet is not the best source for legal research, they did not even list state bar or U.S. Courts of Appeal Web sites, generally sources for such information.

    Overall, The Internet Fact Finder for Lawyers is an adequate Internet guide for lawyers who are novice Internet users. It also includes lists of Web sites lawyers might find helpful. However, despite the authors' claims, reading the book is no guarantee that you will find what you are looking for on the Internet.

    Stephanie L. Melnick, U.W. 1994, concentrates in business litigation and appellate practice at Melnick & Melnick S.C., Milwaukee.

    Strengthening Your Firm: Strategies for Success

    By Arthur G. Greene, Editor
    (Chicago, IL: ABA Law Practice Management Section, 1997).
    175 pgs. Retail $74.95.

    Reviewed by Jason T. Studinski

    This book offers a practical guide "designed to assist the small and medium-sized firms in recognizing and implementing the changes they need to make in order to continue to survive and thrive." Strengthening Your Firm: Strategies for Success, the second in a three-volume set discussing law firm operations, identifies common problems experienced by law firms and recommends clear and concise solutions.

    The contributors do a particularly good job of identifying the competing influences that can destroy firm unity and alienate productive people within the firm. The challenges of responding to clients' needs in a competitive legal market require firms to contend with financial challenges, staffing needs, institutional vision, compensation schemes, and leadership issues, which previously were not cause for concern.

    The editor recommends a flexible approach to firm governance and operations that features several important components. First, the firm needs the right leaders to define, instill, and perpetuate a shared firm vision. This guiding principle serves as a source of unity, even in divisive situations. The firm members must then have the discipline to practice in conformity with their mission statement, which may require subordinating individual autonomy in furtherance of firm goals.

    Second, the contributors emphasize he importance of communication in furthering inclusion for associates and staff. This consists of clearly defining expectations, listening to recommendations for change, and conducting meaningful reviews where positive feedback and constructive criticism can be exchanged. Improved communication can increase efficiencies resulting in greater productivity, all for the same cost.

    Third, the firm must acknowledge, solve, and develop systems to prevent personnel, financial, and partner disputes. For example, if a particular partner fails to perform up to standard, the firm must not blindly defer to the partner's autonomy, but must instead hold the partner accountable. Such measures previously would have been poorly received. However, given the new marketplace, these measures are necessary. Moreover, firms should institutionalize methods for dealing with such recurring problems to avoid claims of disparate treatment among attorneys.

    This book offers a concise guide to dealing with the unique challenges facing law firms in today's competitive marketplace. It recommends what would have been bold initiatives several years ago, but which today have become central tenets for developing, maintaining, and perpetuating a thriving law practice.

    Jason T. Studinski, U.W. 1998, practices law in Madison.

    Why Lawyers BehaveWhy Lawyers Behave as They Do

    By Paul J. Haskell
    (Boulder, CO: West-view Press 1998).
    160 pgs. Soft. Retail $18.
    To order, call (303) 444-3541.

    Reviewed by Jami S. Hubbard

    After reading this book I still don't know. I did not find the profound, psychological explanation that the title promises. In fact, it took me about 20 sittings to force myself to finish the 160-page book.

    When I did finish it, however, I appreciated the daunting task that Mr. Haskell had undertaken - to analyze the shortcomings of our system of professional rules, which allow attorneys to transgress into morally gray waters, and to offer suggestions for improving the rules (that is, making the rules more stringent where appropriate).

    This book generally reads like a law school professional responsibility course book. It is laced with a variety of sample ethical conflicts from all practice areas and with well-reasoned explanations of what sort of attorney conduct is allowable and why. Unfortunately, the sample problems raised by the author are mild and, in some cases, so tame that prior to reading this book I would not have given them a second thought. For example, in one scenario the client tells his attorney that, although many years have passed, he still owes the plaintiff a large sum of money for which he's being sued. Haskell then questions whether it is appropriate to raise the statute of limitations as a defense when it's the sole defense available to the client. Personally, I don't know a single attorney who would hesitate to raise this defense.

    Additionally, if the author truly intended for the rest of the world (including clients) to comprehend the rules of professional responsibility, he has missed the mark. The Grisham-fed general public just does not have the attention span, nor does it care enough about the ethical rules that govern attorneys, to dedicate a serious effort to reading and contemplating the issues raised in this book. A book that educates the public and offers practical tips to nonattorneys about using the judicial system, and explaining the steps involved in commencing a civil action or in conducting a criminal defense, would go further towards demystifying what lawyers really do. When the public understands such things as the difference between statutory and common law, discovery, and attorney billing practices - in short, when the public takes a more active role in the judicial system, it will be harder for lawyers to take advantage of clients, or to transgress into other "morally gray" areas.

    The answer to our ethical dilemma lies not in amending the professional rules as the author proposes, but in educating the consumer. Unfortunately, this may take a lot of time. New York state, for example, has made it mandatory for law firms to post a "Statement of Client Rights" in a visible location (that is, the waiting area or conference room) that explains clients have a right to have their cases pursued diligently, have their phone calls returned, and so on. Since this mandate went into effect in January 1997, I've seen the "Rights" posted in exactly two law firms, one of which posted them in the staff copying room. Amending the Rules of Professional Responsibility will probably not stop unscrupulous attorneys from bending the rules, but an educated consumer will.

    Jami S. Hubbard, U.W. 1997, practices law in New York, N.Y.


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