Lessons from the Trial: The People V. O.J. Simpson

Law professor Gerald Uelmen was preparing for sabbatical on June 16, 1994, three days after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, when he got a call from Robert Shapiro, asking him to join in O.J. Simpson's defense. From that day until the reading of the verdict more than a year later, Professor Uelmen was at the epicenter of the trial of the century. His position on Simpson's legal "Dream Team" was unique: He was not only an advocate for his client, but also a teacher and a scholar.
Lessons from the Trial is Professor Uelmen's account of what the Simpson case can teach all of us. He addresses hotly debated legal strategies - from jury selection to Johnnie Cochran's closing arguments - as well as the broader social issues, such as race relations and spousal abuse, that were thrust into the public's consciousness.
For the countless millions who became engrossed by the case. Lessons from the Trial is the perfect book to help gain a fuller understanding of what really happened in the courtroom, and what it all means - for Simpson, for the justice system, and for the country as a whole. Professor Uelmen's legal insight and his insider status allow him to speak with authority where pundits and journalists can only speculate. And his thoughtful, evenhanded approach gives Lessons from the Trial an objective tone that will be difficult to match in books from the other principal players in the case.

Gerald F. Uelmen is a professor and former dean at Santa Clara University School of Law.