Law Commons^™

The Mob Lawyer's Constitution, Sara Mayeux

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

This article reconstructs the constitutional rhetoric of mob lawyers, as well as drug lawyers and other icons of the high-priced criminal defense bar, from the 1970s through the 1990s-the heyday of federal organized crime prosecutions and thus, of the lawyers who defended against them. Drawing upon pop-culture sources including archival television footage, magazine features, newspaper coverage, and ghost-written mass-market memoirs, the article pieces together the constellation of soundbites through which mob lawyers disseminated their views. As the subjects of frequent media coverage, these lawyers advanced a coherent and distinctive (if crude) set of ideas about the proper relationship between individuals, …

The Law Of Friends, Ezra Rosser

Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals

A serious law professor would not write an article about the TV show Friends, but having just written a book and an article, I’m on a “break.” Besides, I’m not that serious a law professor. And Friends is as good a topic as any. For those of us of a certain age—too young to have watched M.A.S.H. when it came out and old enough to remember watching broadcast TV and not just through a streaming service on a device—Friends was and is a big deal. It both captured a particular moment in history and helped make that moment.

Looking back …

April 12, 2020: On Watching Ben-Hur, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “On Watching Ben-Hur“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

August 15, 2019: What Would “Bends Toward Justice” Mean To Doris Lessing?, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “What Would “Bends Toward Justice” Mean to Doris Lessing?“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

March 7, 2019: Network Message Endorses Nihilism, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Network Message Endorses Nihilism“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

October 23, 2018: "Because He Doesn’T Exist", Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, "Because He doesn’t exist" discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

October 16, 2018: Pittsburgh Foundation Grant, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Pittsburgh Foundation Grant“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

July 27, 2018: Special Prosecutors Are A Menace, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Special Prosecutors Are a Menace“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

June 7, 2017: The Play An Act Of God Cannot Decide What It Wants To Be, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The play An Act of God Cannot Decide What It Wants to Be“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

March 26, 2017: Tom Berry Vs Tomorrowland, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Tom Berry vs Tomorrowland“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

January 22, 2017: Deadpool Is Awesome, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Deadpool is Awesome“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

"Attendee Basics: Survival Guide For Patrons, Customers, Guests, And Goers" From The Pop Culture Business Handbook For Cons And Festivals, Jon Garon

Faculty Scholarship

This article is part of a series of book excerpts The Pop Culture Business Handbook for Cons andFestivals, which provides the business, strategy, and legal reference guide for fan conventions, filmfestivals, musical festivals, and cultural events.Cons use a range of labels for the people who attend the event as paid ticket holders. Whether thepeople are labeled attendees, patrons, guests, concert-goers, or customers, many of the chapters ofthis book identify how the Con organizers address these differing ticket holders and should plan andprepare to assure each group has a safe, fun, and memorable experience. This chapter focuses on theattendees and what …

August 30, 2016: Ben-Hur, Done That, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Ben-Hur, Done That“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

May 4, 2015: Choosing To Be Good Without God, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Choosing to be Good Without God“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

March 7, 2015: Watching The Left Behind Movie, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Watching the Left Behind Movie“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

December 30, 2014: The Radical Religious Message Of A Charlie Brown Christmas, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Radical Religious Message of A Charlie Brown Christmas“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

November 16, 2014: A Beautiful Movie, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “A Beautiful Movie“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

September 14, 2014: Chasing Moderates In Syria, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Chasing Moderates in Syria“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

June 9, 2014: “It Matters What’S True.”, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “ “It matters what’s true.”“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

May 3, 2014: The End Of The American Experiment, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The End of the American Experiment“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

January 21, 2014: Is Evil Real?, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “ Is Evil Real?“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

A Technological Trifecta: Using Videos, Playlists, And Facebook In Law School Classes To Reach Today’S Students, Dionne Anthon, Anna Hemingway, Amanda Smith

Anna P. Hemingway

The Economy Rules: An Analysis Of The Ever-Shifting Portrayal Of Attorneys In Popular Culture, Neely M. Peden

Neely M Peden

There has most definitely been a shift in the view of elite professionals within modern pop culture. Attorneys especially have come to face “anti-establishment” movement by popular culture. Those professions which used to be revered are now examples of ill-morals and ill-behavior. Indeed, popular culture goes out of its way to make villains out of attorneys by showing unprincipled characters in legal television shows or by churning out movies that revolve around attorneys whose lives and morals are so corrupt that they need to go through some sort of personal tragedy to be redeemed. It is this paper’s contention that …

April 7, 2013: The Broadway Show, The Book Of Mormon, Is Sick, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Broadway Show, The Book of Mormon, is Sick“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

February 9, 2013: Nihilism At Sports Illustrated, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Nihilism at Sports Illustrated“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

November 30, 2012: A Movie To Redeem Politics, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “A Movie to Redeem Politics“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

October 3, 2012: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

What Do Kim Kardashian And Lance Armstrong Have In Common?: Celebrity Complaints In The Classroom, Amy K. Langenfeld

Amy K Langenfeld

Every day brings a report of a celebrity suing or being sued. The complaints initiating these suits are available online within hours. Regardless of the merits or outcomes of these complaints by or against celebrities, celebrity complaints are a rich source of samples for the law school classroom. As supplements to course materials in civil procedure or legal writing, celebrity complaints are likely to generate discussion for several reasons. First, they show a range of strategies and persuasive writing techniques. Second, they engage students because they are real world documents, and because they have a pop culture setting. Third, they …

July 15, 2012: Our House, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Our House“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

November 23, 2009: A Serious Man, A Serious Movie, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “A Serious Man, A Serious Movie“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.