Review (PDF)

Blindfolds Off: Judges On How They Decide

Remarkably little is known to the general public, or even to the practicing legal profession, about judges—how they decide cases, how they allocate work between staff and themselves, their work ethic, their psychology, the extralegal influences that play on them. This important new book penetrates that veil of secrecy with thirteen interviews tape recorded in the chambers of the respective judges. The author, Mr. Joel Cohen, who practices at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, LLP in New York, is a skillful and tenacious, though invariably courteous, interviewer. He has picked as the interviewees federal district judges who have presided in famous, publicity-attracting cases, cases most likely to challenge a judge’s fidelity to a passive, formalistic—which is to say traditional—mode of judicial decision making, and he has focused the interviews on those cases. The book features selected specific, well known cases for the free-flowing dialogues which follow, from the thousands of cases to which these thirteen judges have been assigned. These are cases which have raised critical questions about justice, policy, precedent and the law and the way in which the currents and tides of their lives and of our ever-changing society have influenced those rulings. You'll discover if the judges have been open, even aware, of what experiences have influenced their rulings, and where judges acknowledge awareness of these potential influences—of their "priors" as Judge Posner would articulate it—are they fully candid, to themselves and others, about whether, and to what degree, it has informed their rulings? Or have they contrarily decided, after inwardly acknowledging the "awareness," that they can or did fairly decide the case, so that they needn’t publicly reveal themselves? If you are even remotely curious about how judges make decisions, this book provides some eye-opening interviews that will shed light on their decision-making process.

Paperback: 339 pages

Publisher: American Bar Association (October 7, 2014)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1627226796

ISBN-13: 978-1627226790

Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.7 x 8.7 inches

Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #677,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #123 in Books > Law > Legal Theory & Systems > Judicial System #357 in Books > Law > Rules & Procedures > Courts #164387 in Books > Reference

Was ok. After the first 2-3 interviews, they all seemed about the same. It got tedious

An amazing examination into the processes of judicial decision making. The candid responses to probing questions provide guidance to each of us as we daily make those daily judgments that guide our lives.

The interviews in this book were fascinating. The author explored pivotal legal cases and often uncovered what was going through judge's mind during the case. The book is not only for lawyers but for anyone who is interested in how cases actuallly get decided.

Amasses a great amount of information. I for one truly enjoyed it, being able to look into the lives of these judges and understand their approach to their decisions. As diversified in their decision making, yet ALWAYS holding true to the judging process.I enjoyed it, while learning. Ever American should read it, ever understanding our free choices and to appreciate our precious freedom.

Blindfolds Off: Judges On How They Decide A Tear And A Smile: "If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were." Living Off The Grid And Loving It: 40 Creative Ways To Living A Stress Free And Self-Sustaining Lifestyle (Simple Living, Off Grid Living, Off The Grid Homes, DIY Survival Guide, Prepping & Survival) Genetically Engineered Foods: Are They Safe? You Decide. Understanding Girls with ADHD, Updated and Revised: How They Feel and Why They Do What They Do The Big Book of Real Helicopters "How They Work * What They Do * Where They Fly" (Big Treasure Books) Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe The 100 Best Business Books of All Time: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You Great British Bake Off: Celebrations (The Great British Bake Off) VIDEO POKER PRIMER: Decide Up Front What Your Purpose In Playing Is Anatomy of a Jury: The Inside Story of How 12 Ordinary People Decide the Fate of an Accused Murderer Veronika Decide Morir (Spanish Edition) Quien decide lo que comemos (Spanish Edition) Los Senores de las Sombras: La Verdad Sobre el Tejido de Intereses Ocultos Que Decide el Destino del Mundo (Spanish Edition) Francesco decide volver a nacer (Spanish Edition) Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right for You How Voters Decide: Information Processing in Election Campaigns (Cambridge Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology) Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay: Decide Whether to Stay In or Get Out of Your Relationship The Art of Scouting: How The Hockey Experts Really Watch The Game and Decide Who Makes It What Every Woman Should Know About Divorce and Custody (Rev): Judges, Lawyers, and Therapists Share Winning Strategies onHow toKeep the Kids, the Cash, and Your Sanity