The Case against Lawyers

In her new book, The Case against Lawyers (Broadway Books, 2002), Catherine Crier of Court TV argues that our legal system has become dangerously dysfunctional. On the civil side, Crier deplores the politicians, bureaucrats, and personal injury lawyers who have rigged the system so that they accrue wealth and power from our litigation-crazed culture. On the criminal side, Crier lambastes the insanity of the drug war, which diverts the limited resources of the police, courts, and prisons from the fight against violent criminals. Crier chastises her fellow lawyers for creating a legal system that produces results and profits for the few—and paralysis, frustration, and injustice for the many. Please join us for a wide-ranging critique of the American legal system and a discussion of what changes might improve that system.