Kill All the Lawyers? Shakespeare's Legal Appeal - Hardcover

Kornstein, Daniel J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691032173 ISBN 13: 9780691032177

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 1994

Synopsis

How many lawyers does it take to screw in a light bulb? Depends; how many can you afford? The popular image of lawyers is taking a beating. Ironically, at a time when more people than ever hire lawyers, few want to defend them. Daniel Kornstein, a practicing attorney, finds in Shakespeare's drama the way toward a new respect for the profession and its place in contemporary society.

It is no wonder that lawyers and judges quote the Bard more than any other single source. Two-thirds of Shakespeare's plays have trial scenes; many deal specifically with points of law and lawyers. The Elizabethan age seems as litigious as our own. Inspired by numerous performances of Shakespeare, Kornstein considers how legal themes relate to contemporary issues. Of Measure for Measure Kornstein points out, "Then, as now, we have thought about how much public support and respect law needs, whether or not to enforce dead letter statutes, and if it is better to interpret laws strictly or equitably. Then, as now, all of us have considered the effect of power on human nature, how judges may be corrupt, and how important mercy is."

By discussing the plays in light of contemporary legal cases, Kornstein provokes thought about how law and civil justice are woven into modern society, just as they are on Shakespeare's stage. In Shakespeare, as in no other playwright, law, civil society, and humanity unite with dramatic and rhetorical brilliance. Kornstein shows how our reacquaintance with the master playwright may kindle our enthusiasm for law in our age. His objective, as a lawyer and playgoer, is to make the connections between law and literature, between the challenges of daily legal practice and the pleasures of art.

About this title

From the Back Cover

"I thoroughly enjoyed Daniel Kornstein's book. Inventive, gracefully composed, Kill All the Lawyers is great reading. Even Shakespeare would nod his head approvingly."--Jack Valenti, President and CEO, Motion Picture Association of America

"Kornstein's passionate love of Shakespeare and of law comes through on every page as he combines fascinating bits of legal history and ruminations of the role of law in society with perceptive exegeses of Shakespearean themes that still have great relevance today . . . . "--Marjorie Heins, Director and Staff Counsel, ACLU Arts Censorship Project

"What can Shakespeare teach the law and lawyers? Only everything: How to use language, how to tell stories, how to think about justice. The first thing we do is master Shakespeare. And there is no better place to start or continue this joyous task than with Daniel Kornstein's spirited study."--Stephen Gillers, New York University School of Law

About the Author

Daniel J. Kornstein, President of the Law and Humanities Institute, is a founding partner of Kornstein Veisz & Wexler in New York City. He is the author of Thinking under Fire: Courtroom Lawyers and Their Impact on American History (Dodd Mead) and The Music of the Laws (Everest House).

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0691032173
• ISBN 13: 9780691032177
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 296