Every year, thousands of people seek asylum in the United States because they have been persecuted in other countries due to their race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion. In seeking refuge and protection, these immigrants must rely on the American court system to help them achieve safety from the great harm they have suffered.

In her unique and compelling judicial memoir, Susan Yarbrough, a former US immigration judge, highlights five significant asylum cases that she heard and decided during almost eighteen years on the benchcases that profoundly changed her not only as a judge, but also as a person.

Yarbrough recounts heartrending testimony described against the background of the countries in which the persecution took place, following each account with personal reflections on how she was emotionally and spiritually transformed by each person who testified. From Josue Maldonado, persecuted in El Salvador because of his religion, to Daniel Quetzal, an Indian from Guatemala who was tied naked to a pole and tortured because of his political opinion, the cases that the author shares provide an unforgettable glimpse into the lives of courageous people who risked everything for peace and freedom in the United States.

Bench-Pressed is the story of five asylum seekers and the judge who was irrevocably changed by the intersection of her life with theirs.

How to qualify as a lawyer in four or five years after you leave high school. There is a way to do this obtaining a degree in law, becoming a barrister and an attorney at law all in four or five years The book explains how to do this and gain access to law in the US, the UK and the EU let alone worldwide at the bars of some of the nations of the British Commonwealth. This book shows you how to do this and save years and significant sums of money.

From the incorrigible Judge Sparks to the benchslap factory known as the Seventh Circuit to the rural districts of Kentucky, the humiliating judicial opinions in this book are accompanied by an entertaining and wide-ranging discussion of the glories and vagaries of the U.S. legal system. You will laugh at the judicial take downs described in this book, but you should laugh nervously. After all, you could be next

"Benchslapped" is more than compilation of legal snippets. It contains substantial passages drawn from some of the most interesting and amusing benchslaps ever published, along with back-stories, commentary and analysis. These opinions address a broad range of malfeasance, including frivolous litigation, professional misconduct, discovery abuse, rules violations, poor work product and insulting the bench. While funny, "Benchslapped" also provides meaningful advice for attorneys hoping to avoid their predecessors' miscues. It is an excellent legal primer for new and aspiring attorneys and is a fun and thoughtful read for established lawyers. Although "Benchslapped" contains some legal terms, it is written so even readers with little or no legal background can enjoy the courtroom antics.

Please direct questions, comments or press inquiries regarding "Benchslapped" to [email protected].

The volume turns a spotlight on the nature of this interlocking trio, revealing that their consistent integration into both the design and the implementation of development efforts is indispensable if successful outcomes are to result. Written by seasoned practitioners and eminent scholars from across the globe, the volume's 24 chapters illuminate the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to development. Development practitioners devoted to rule of law and justice must work with experts from various disciplines to create a synergistic dynamic that can optimize the integration of voice, social contract, and accountability into development efforts.

In this memoir, Attorney Sanford Perliss narrates a fascinating and surprising insider's journey into the world of criminal and immigration law in the multicultural melting pot of Southern California. A former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney, Perliss became the first American lawyer licensed by the People's Republic of China to open a foreign law office in Central China, Sichuan Province, City of Chengdu. Perliss' unorthodox journey began as a prosecutor, and quickly evolved into criminal defense lawyer, then immigration lawyer, then American lawyer practicing in China. Perliss writes of his involvement in famous cases such as The Night Stalker, The Thai Slavery Case, and The German Tourist Slaying Case; and not so famous but intriguing cases: The Mayan Maestro of Break-dance, The Dim Sum Kidnapping, Murder of a Government Informant and Dead Body in the Park. Perliss tells of unusual Chinese immigration cases in Los Angeles County's San Gabriel Valley: A Politician from Taiwan, A Twice Hapless Widow, and Mr. Fan & the Red Envelope. Finally, he relates startling cases he stumbled upon in China, like The Case of the Five Million Dollar Bond. Throughout the journey, Perliss reminds the reader of the world's interconnectivity, how one client leads to another, how one idea evolves into many, how one acquaintance, friend or source of business combines with others to resolve a client's case. Perliss' own sensibilities are always just below the surface although at times they emerge. In the section entitled Europe and the Dancing Girl, on behalf of a client imprisoned in Holland and referred by a Southern California lawyer and friend, Perliss enlists the help of a Belgian lawyer whom he met under comical circumstances in Beijing while receiving his China law office license. While defending this matter, an odd and chance encounter overwhelms Perliss' usually steady demeanor. In developing his practice in China, he becomes acquainted with his Taiwan-born wife's long-lost China family, which included a high-ranking member of the People's Liberation Army, and in a toast, Perliss turns the tables on the Colonel. Another member of the China family and employee of Perliss' Chengdu law firm disappears on a visit to America. Perliss weaves legal cases together in a way that fascinates and teaches the reader the essentials of American law. At the same time, he describes the emotional rollercoaster of a law practice, and the life of a Los Angeles lawyer in America as well as an American lawyer in China. While Perliss never loses his Midwestern Jewish-American roots, he finds himself profoundly immersed in Chinese culture as lawyer to the Chinese community and son-in-law of Taiwan and the People's Republic of China.

This book presents over 150 brief biographical sketches of lawyers and judges in Erie County, Pennsylvania, arranged roughly in order of admission to the Erie bar. Sketches vary in length, but most are one to two pages. The first subject is Hon. Thomas Hale Sill (1783-1856); the last is Lee Griswold, Esq. (1899-1928). The sketches are written in a pleasant style that provides enough personal detail about character traits and physical description to breath life into the subject. Biographical information generally includes: date and place of birth; date, place and cause of death; place of burial; legal experience; civil, political, and/or military service; and names of associates. Many also list parents, spouse and/or children; some touch on the subject's early life and/or hobbies. While extolling the accomplishments of Hon. Samuel A. Davenport (1834-1911), Judge Walling states that: "Strong lawyers make other lawyers strong. Our bar is greater because of what our fathers were. For a century Erie county has been blessed with an able bar." A full-name index completes this work.

Illinois political scandals reached new depths in the 1960s and '70s. In Illinois Justice, Kenneth Manaster takes us behind the scenes of one of the most spectacular. The so-called Scandal of 1969 not only ended an Illinois Supreme Court justice's aspirations to the US Supreme Court, but also marked the beginning of little-known lawyer John Paul Stevens's rise to the high court. In 1969, citizen gadfly Sherman Skolnick accused two Illinois Supreme Court justices of accepting valuable bank stock from an influential Chicago lawyer in exchange for deciding an important case in the lawyer's favor. The resulting feverish media coverage prompted the state supreme court to appoint a special commission to investigate. Within six weeks and on a shoestring budget, the commission mobilized a small volunteer staff to reveal the facts. Stevens, then a relatively unknown Chicago lawyer, served as chief counsel. His work on this investigation would launch him into the public spotlight and onto the bench. Manaster, who served on the commission, tells the real story of the investigation, detailing the dead ends, tactics, and triumphs. Manaster expertly traces Stevens's masterful courtroom strategies and vividly portrays the high-profile personalities involved, as well as the subtleties of judicial corruption. A reflective foreword by Justice Stevens himself looks back at the case and how it influenced his career. Now the subject of the documentary Unexpected Justice: The Rise of John Paul Stevens, this fascinating chapter of political history offers a revealing portrait of the early career of a Supreme Court justice.

7 Crucial Questions Answered..... Which bar exam course is right for me? How do i apply to the bar exam? What is the MBA? Are the myths true? What is the best strategy for taking the bar exam What bar exam laws will I study? What else do I need to know? These and many other questions are answered in this extensive guide to passing the Bar Exam