usc a world where he is seven to 9 billion people anticipating major challenges in anticipating there will be a market as folks are using their blackberry right now to text my exciting points. in a world where there is a need for climate change innovation that demand creates supply and so my optimism is not naïve wishful thinking. if we anticipate him like the titanic if we can see the iceberg ahead, if we are afraid of the ice. this is the beginning of lead time to take pride of actions will help many ad hoc to this scary scenario. >> thank you, matt. >> next, john grisham except for harper lee prize. after accepting the word the author speaks about being a lawyer and the role that luck plays in contemporary fiction

with a panel at the national press club in washington d.c. this is a little over an hour. >> everybody got quiet, so i guess we can begin. good afternoon. as dean of the university of alabama law school in pleased today to welcome all of you to the inaugural celebration and presentation of the harper lee prize for the go fiction. now, harper lee of monroeville alabama attended our law school in the 1940s and publish "to kill a mockingbird" in 1960. the book illuminated the responsibility of lawyers to fight injustice and pair them to represent the wrongly accused. since its publication "to kill a mockingbird" has influenced generations of college graduates, sparring to practice law atticus finch to go to law school. last year on the occasion of the 50th anniversary we contacted

her pearly who graciously authorized this award to honor an author whose work has exemplifies a positive role in society in their power to affect change. prices created in the character for atticus finch is principled and courageous representation of tom robinson. on september 21 by 2010, u.s. attorney general eric holder honored our law school when he came to tuscaloosa, alabama to help celebrate half a century of "to kill a mockingbird" and help us establish this award. our law school as a special partner in this award in sponsoring it. the aba journal is right by half of the nation's lawyers would really come maximillian lawyers. but we now call upon jack to make some remarks. jack is director of the aba. cut back the >> thank you, dean.

occasionally the american bar association does things that are controversial. we were asked about the university of alabama to partner with them in this award, we were able to do something totally uncontroversial. honoring her pearly is a great idea. choosing a writer who violates the rule of lawyers in society is to create your that we were able to define a rule for this at the university of alabama school of law. we were honored to do so and that's fitting that the first winner p. john grisham who could have won the award in number of years ago had it existed at the time. he's a deserving writer. we know they're going to be many future winners who will be quite disturbing as well. we hope some people are inspired to write good stories. the particular book he wrote, the confession is essentially timely. it was a remarkably good job and tell us a very good lawyer

story. the american bar association is the world's largest voluntary social organizations this is one of those could things we are delighted to partner with. so dean coming thank you of the university of alabama law school for that. [applause] >> as you probably know ceremonious occurring to speak at the same 10 is the national book festival here in d.c., which is sponsored by the library of congress will now ask roberta schaefer, the law library have congress to make some remarks. just be thinking about committing another distinguished cast. i am delighted to be celebrating with you today had he not reached to the harper the price. i will note that today is situated between two other important events that happen close in time. one was a celebration last week of constitution day is saturday in addition to kicking off the library of congress is 11th

national book festival, will also be kicking off the annual banned books week. as many of you know, "to kill a mockingbird" has had high place on the honor roll of b. and books for many, many years. i am here representing the library of congress, but i think i'm actually representing libraries general. when all the honors are given and although the tours are over,, although for some known if they never stop. [laughter] books along with other intellectual treasures come to libraries to live long and rewarding lines and to offer explanations of the past and inspiration for the future. they sit on shelves today either physical or virtual alongside ricks another media and by other writers whose ideas they support or challenge the ideas in these fantastic knowledge capitals.

and these collections of knowledge challenge us to consider instead the myriad subjects, lucky not topics class, color, code, legal or social codes, communication and even our closing as young scout in "to kill a mockingbird" off the protests women have to wear. books affect fiction or though somewhere in between ask us to look at ourselves and our society every day. and many may even ask, are we killing the mockingbird at the very same time they try to entertain and educate us? per library personnel, public or even congressional constant reminders to her children, judges, lawmakers, felicitous

and even our adversaries of our cultural values than the legacy that we want to be remembered by. this afternoon we are contrary to greet authors. harper lee and john grisham. they can be assured that as long as you have libraries, their work will be content to be honored. [applause] to >> thank you or roberta appeared looking around this room we can recognize that it has today. you honor us with your presence, but i want to single out an insured mr. grisham or two later on any representatives random house. sunny made a comic genius and trauma and the rest of the publishing team vote rick is with a round of applause as well. [applause] we had an outstanding committee to select this book he had.

so many books nominated theater group in tuscaloosa and also that narrowed the field down to three books that we had an outstanding selection committee. go in alphabetical order. david baldacci's best-selling author. her his first novel was in 1986 and a media docents published for the 20 novels is an original screenplays with his wife, michelle known for their philanthropic work with a wish foundation promoting adult literacy and he received his jd from university of virginia. to not make your framework is tedious, graduate of the university of alabama law school, cofounder and chief trial counsel for the southern law center in montgomery and probably have anyone else in the state of alabama single-handedly shut down the and alabama. they also want to recognize

mr. robert cray, graduate of washington who has worked with us on several projects. we will claim you as an honorary alum. robert is a former president of the aba and part of the prestigious firm huntington williams. two members of the committee could not be with us. jeff toobin has worked with us on other things on her maurice dees justice award. a senior analyst and contributor to new yorker magazine a few days ago learned that linda fairstein couldn't be with us. she's also a best-selling crime novelist. so let's recognize the committee. [applause] in a few minutes, david baldacci will lead a panel of the book we honor today, "the confession." what to type up mr. john grisham although i'm just repeating facts you another more famous person short of the

introduction. grisham originally from arkansas had you read it for the university of mississippi law school in 1881 and practice are for nearly a decade, specializing in criminal defense personal injury litigation. he also served in the mississippi house of representatives from 1983 until 1980. as difficult as all of us know it is to practice, you somehow rode every morning over the crack of dawn with time to kill in 1988. his next book, the firm, spent 47 weeks of "the new york times" bestseller list and was a best-selling novel 1991. two more books immediately claimed the number one spot on the list. the pelican brief and the client. mr. grisham has written about one legal fiction book a year, nine turned into movies and he's also written about other diverse subjects such as baseball in asian football quarterback christmas.

mr. grisham's book, the innocent band symbolizes and galvanizes his commitment to the goal of exonerating the wrongly convicted any as much about today actively in the innocence project national. in 1996 mr. grisham took a break from writing to fulfill a promise he agreed to represent the family of a ribald break man who was killed when pinned between two cars. he earned his client jury awarded $683,000 is a worrying in that case reminds us of some of the best lawyering in his books. it is no make honor to present the inaugural harper lee prize for fiction to john grisham. [applause] [applause] [applause]

>> thank you, dean randall for this award and thanks also to university of alabama school of law, to the aba's journal for cosponsoring the award. thanks to her pearly forgetting her blessings to what we are doing here today. especially thanks to the incredibly intelligent, insightful, well read and as to panel of judges i chosen my book -- [laughter] you guys are really sharp. many of us, especially those in the south can remember the first time we read "to kill a mockingbird." the man was in the ninth grade this does english class 15 years old in 1969 when i read this story and for the first time that class had five kids in it. and they prompted some discussions that were not always

comfortable. as a child, as a kid reading the book i was entertained by the adventures of scout and jem but they tormented boo radley and watched surreptitiously to try out tom robinson. reading the book is mental, i was more impressed with the dignity and courage of tom sawyer, atticus finch, also ms. gregory peck. and i was astounded by the injustice of that era. at trial was 75 years ago. for those of us who observe the legal system to write about it, we are still confronted with injustice and inequality in the system that often convicts

innocent people, send them to prison and even executes them. unlike many, i cannot say that atticus finch and spared me to costco. i don't know what i was thinking when i went to law school. but i do recall 30 years ago stint in a courtroom in a small town in mississippi a rookie lawyer way out of my league defending a black man charged with murder looking at all-white jury. and i kept thinking, what would atticus do now? what would atticus do now? if he or seder secretly writing my first novel, i was drawn back to "to kill a mockingbird" for the incredible storytelling ability of harper lee for the timeless themes of injustice in the loss of innocence for the humor. posterboard lee harvey the character of atticus finch.

adheres after my first book was published, i received a package when they unmarked. i open it up and it was her pearly and it was a copy of "to kill a mockingbird." it was not the first edition. ibook is still in print, so there still editions ongoing. but it was early attention and she inscribed to john grisham, best wishes, harper lee. it is a prized possession. i have a place on the wall and today i had it asked if this award here. nobody of two earlier find copies of "to kill a mockingbird." i have two kids and i love to collect old books and they constantly bicker about who gets what appeared to be a bit worried about who gets a copy of "to kill a mockingbird." well now i have to thanks to

you. thank you all for this award. cut back >> thank you, john. appreciate remarks very much. it's not time for a panel discussion comparing the two books from exploring the place a legal literature and their impact moderated by david baldacci who introduced a few of the painless. we have two others to introduce to you. dahlia lithwick at "newsweek" senior editor at slate where she was supreme court dispatches in jurisprudence and has been a guest columnist for "the new york times" op-ed page. and also thane rosenbaum, the distinguished lecture of the form on law law, culture and society at the law school and himself the author of highly regarded novels. they will turn it over to david.

>> i want to add my congratulations to john. i was one of the literary minded as to judges who picked a the confession is the book is much deserving this award. as a stiff competition but all the judges agree that we went over the books detail the john's book was head and shoulders above the other books worth of books to respect. it is a book eminently readable, terrifically entertaining and his substantive issues in a way that makes everyone or should make everyone a reason to book think about it. in a shameless plug there is a poster back there but will be in october next month he'll university to feature an highlight another iconic figure in american literature, mark twain. it is a fundraiser. if you're in that part of the country want to go, please do. all funds could've the mark twain museum and in this country we can celebrate readers take

mark twain and harper lee were doing something wrong. john has agreed to the up and can participate if he wants to. if we get things come to let us know i'm sure. i had a series of questions here, but i left questions for which i refloat tyler. call: anyone person on the panel to you. please feel free to jump in. i leave this question and i'm going to distribute it. i was aware portrayed in popular fiction changed in 50 years since atticus finch? atticus finch as the lawyer weasel out of these pentameter lives when accused of the really bad crying because he is the kind that will be there for us and he stands for what is good and pure and he seems to be ideal and it's hard to understand how a real person can be that appears to the question now is whether this portrayed as change in the 50 year atticus finch.

[inaudible] >> well, for one thing, atticus finch is a flawless character. for many people who read "to kill a mockingbird," that is some of the complexity that you have a character who is just too good, so good at the end he's going to have his own son prosecuted or other voluntary manslaughter the most evil man in all of alabama. he's overly righteous and now we see characters with much more complexity. characters who have flaws, who are attacked using the law in the new john grisham characters followed this quality. our using the case as a way to redeem themselves, as a way to find themselves in the law. atticus finch was quite clear who he was as a father, a town legislature, who he was as a native son of alabama.

if you look at our today the characters are as lost as their clients and we find them struggling with divorce and alcoholism and real human struggles and that makes a huge difference between the last 50 years that we see characters is much more textured and much worse true humanity. >> what i have seen is a campaign against voters, especially trial lawyers by the political right in america and the u.s. chamber of commerce and others find its way in fish and. when i was practicing what we do see lawyers can lawyers and trailers. they were a hundred people. when you have a capital murder case in the country, the finest lawyers in town would be

appointed and will volunteer to represent this person as it was in this case here. i think the legal profession is really condemned today in many ways and they see that creeping into fiction also. i speak to a lot of law students around i always tell them that if the read henry the sixth, they would read the activity is to prevail, you must first kill all the lawyers. the first part of a shakespeare play is omitted today and i think john grisham will put it back in place. i speak that i might just added maybe if i could read for the two-point lead, but i think there is a sense that lawyers and fiction today are working against commutable machines in the way the to used to be. one of the things that she don't see anymore is lawyers who feel that their firm is a good place to be.

lawyers who feel the government is a good place to be. there is a sense that there is this the license structure that is fundamentally corrupt and i think that goes to some of these points about real questions about the integrity of the legal system. but in addition to always having a drink in their hand, you know, in modern fiction every lawyer has a drink in their hand, male and female. but they are also different than frustrated and broken and hopeless and i think it goes to a sense that the legal system isn't respected away once was. >> i'm going to try and put a positive spin on this. actually, i think one of the really good and positive attributes of fiction in the

timeframe we talk about his understanding of the legal system. it is a complex is very critical part of our life in this country. as the foundation for democracy and to have authors who understand and put it in the context of a real-life situation makes it appreciated, but more importantly it's an educational tool. i've that those who read the book or not lawyers come away with a much deeper understanding and appreciation of our legal system. it is pretty good, more so and in many ways we can be critical of it because we expect so much from it. as we should. but by the same token i think that we are -- we benefit a

great deal from the honesty that surround the purpose for the legal system. when you think about the use of juries as well, you understand that this is our system. it is not somebody else's system and we own the system. to the extent that it is a system that judges and passes judgment on very complex and sometimes life altering situations, i think what we've learned from the book is that it's better to have it than not. the >> well, that covered the other nine questions i had, the look and work nice with question. a follow up question i had, so there's her very popular with mass audiences. even the people have the same

legal profession, and they're fascinated the world. we see that with movies and books. if you could talk to what you think the fascination -- aside from the fact was things about the legal system, what is built-in to fascinate so many people on a broad basis do you want to read books and watch movies about it? >> well, particularly the ones we choose to extend the five, they are game changers. they are game changers for society, attitudes, the way we see ourselves. and they in many cases when you see an outcome that goes against the grain of what preserves the institution is just the you want to report anyone to say to yourself, that is the scum tree.

the entire country and i'm proud of this that in this environment, in this society you can still root for the underdog and would. it's the only place the president of the united states has the possibility of being tried. you don't see that another country. if it does happen, it's a rare occasion. in this country here just as susceptible as to be contrite as anybody else. this is the statement that chesterfield smith made. it's that no person is above the law would bring us true in the examples we see, the movies we see and the most they is even without means, there is a preservation of civil liberties and civil rights in the system. the >> well, marriage as are

particularly american cultural touchstone. they are very much like the american westerns in terms of the public fascination. westerns as we know take place in apparent deal with homelessness but are essentially about the search for good and righteousness and to do what is trusted to make things he peered the legal system is the natural tryout for good versus evil. he's the cowboys, horses and lawyers treading in courtrooms, delivering summations. you know, there's even the hint in courtrooms. john grisham is the master of having people do interesting things, including pouring a glass of water. all of a sudden this idea that there is an action taking place, but it is an action that is the same kind of manic tension that

there's some injustice taken place in the audience can't sit still until some resolution takes place in the corporate setting is in a way that is much more close, but it is up at the same dramatic tension and excitement of anyone who's read "the confession" really knows it's a page turner. who knew that something like a legal trial could become so fascinated to american culture that even during the day, all television soap operas are off half their places in favor of judge judy and judge alex in the people's court. obviously there is some consumer demands to see -- to see human resolution as a conflict and be with to make distinctions between right and wrong.

people are obviously longing for this. they are not seen it in nevada and they see on daytime tv and reading david and john's book. >> i would probably double down on the spaghetti western and say it's also the morality play. it is the religious treatise. to the extent that we have a church in this country, it is the supreme court to the extent that we have the foundational religious text, it is the constitution. sometimes at our peril we look at those names as substitutes for religion. i think this is justice. this is morality then this is the trial touched even csi are hunting down the criminal in beating him about that until he confesses is all part of an art about morality and we hope that this is a system that india says

is a magnificent cut is the next best thing we have is a beneficent judge who was he to write a and make moral choices and vindicate justice and make the world here. so it just seems to me that i've always had and maybe it's because they cover the supreme court, we are the most religious secular society in the world. we pretend to not be religious, but we revere the law in place of religion. so it seems to me that art that we trace over and over, even on judge judy, even on nancy grace and law and order, that is the dark as some system that's going to make the world makes sense and make justice prevail. >> when i was in law school, i was reading in the old cases and i was struck with how the history of the united states has been decided in many ways after the constitution settled a legal

cases. trygve scott, board of education. each passage in history some caves made the distinction. that still happens today. we just put this trey davis situation. president carter family came out opposed to the death penalty and we saw all went to that. and then you have ideas reality television with casey in any case any and and the decrees. the people obviously enter for the soap operas he, too. the u.s. supreme court to cover her waiting for every decision, whether it's rosie wade to have counsel. so i think it is in many ways part of the whole legislative system that we see acting out in

court. >> you know, it's had that fiction is only pounded by possibility and people can suspend disbelief that you have too have an element of it. not that it did happen but it could happen. it seems in popular fiction material is cut and bigger conspiracy is broader in what people are willing to believe might have been at least in a fiction is cut bigger. i guess the question is, all server cucumbers that a reflection of the legal system or society as a whole do except many things that could happen in fiction and really were so population might've excited to excited to be impossible 50 or 60 years ago x >> i think it has a lot to do with -- i'm not sure if that's really true. my favorite books are the affiliate of the odyssey. i have to tell you it's a lot of

suspending disbelief. and i still think there haven't been any books written since then. you can go back in time for all your stories pair. and to think with the advent of reality television and talking heads and with the too many commercials they can meet war heroes into cowards like we saw the presidential election. if you spend enough money, the truth can be suspended or disbelieve. i am really proud that we have great writers. in fact if there is any way, i think i would be voting at the panel amendment and i think i told him this because i don't how you can't hold of the book, but i sent you one. i said let you john the lifetime achievement award because he can

take any of his books and the contributions they made for the cause of justice. >> i think i'm also going to put hypothetical if that's okay. i think that it is in fact the keys that fiction and the enormity of the kinds of things that john writes about the teams they can't possibly be true are in fact true and books like they can't possibly happen -- had the great fortune of reading this book was trying to cover doing but contrary davis for slaves. can you imagine toggling back-and-forth between a fictional work about a possibly miss it and he said to his death by judicial system in a prosecutorial system that just don't care to watch it happen in front of your very eyes. they mesh to the point they

literally couldn't remember day today as this week went on. i confess i didn't have too much sleep i couldn't remember what i read from the compassion. i think one of the things that john does so well is he takes these extort very questions. what if you bought a state supreme court justice and turns them into things that seem like they are beyond all belief until you watch the court -- the supreme court hear the very case. it seems to me problems have gotten huge in the real problem is that readers suspending disbelief. it's trying to persuade leaders that this may have happened. i think that's the real problem were facing. speak not that it is true we are living in a deracinated colter, where people no longer feel shocked by anything. we live in a shot glass, shockproof society. cnn very shortly within an hour or so after the fall of the world trade center stop showing

the two buildings falling down. i don't know if you remember the first hour you saw all the time. you never see it anymore. someone must've caught and had cut it out. the more you show this, the more you make people desensitized and this needs to be outrageous. it needs to be atrocious. it can be something you saw in a film. so i think the culture has made us much more cynical and much more willing to believe anything because we are no longer shocked. when we do with. when we do with. when we do with. when we do with that you are getting much closer to what morris dees said about conventional narratives, good, evil and morality plays. in that sense, the legal system with all due respect to my good friend does not -- is not

featured in its best light. it is the perfect setting for clinicals culture to look at the legal assist ms machine, as bohemian, the ultimate too rapidly. no good can come once you get an index number, once you become part of the system, you can never leave. and that is the perception that we'll have about the legal system. i think it fits into a cynical culture we don't believe an institution that we feel everyone has failed us. god has failed us, government has no judges and lawyers as well. >> i'm not sure what i cannot do that particular observation, but i think each panelist has brought a perspective that i believe is true. i think either way it's a good question that you asked. did we have changed as a

society. we are never going to be the same. not just because of things like 9/11, but because everything is real time. and so you see the underbelly of a problem or a conflict immediately. there is no time to spin it. there is not a lot of time to wait and recast it or do revisions of history on it. it is clear. it is right in front of us and people i think are a lot more cynical. i think it's more realistic that this could happen. i think you can try a very interesting scenario, said attacks, circumstances and people will say that's possible. i can analogize my mind as a person that something is a read on the internet. it's not that wild as her out as he used to be. i mean, it was interesting.

i saw an episode of the twilight zone, which was a sick, one time. that's not crazy. that's like somebody made that in a shoe box and put it out. back then, it was are you kidding me? that's really fantastic. at the sensitization is true. we really are in a much more rio world that when things are real time, the way we handle this problem in the way we look at circumstances is so much different than when we first -- want "to kill a mockingbird" first came out. over the years we have learned that anything is possible. i mean, just anything.

>> sometimes it's almost a race to the bottom because one lament i hear is what thrilled even five years ago doesn't necessarily throw people in her. and you're sort of pressure to come up with more outlandish situation. i was five when story comes from elements that existed until a well. can you tell a story about people and situations that are under pressure and high stakes are there that makes people care what's going happen to them. this gets to the next question. in both "the confession" and "to kill a mockingbird" terror issues of faith and how and how much can ask for social justice. the minister in confession and a line in the book and "to kill a mockingbird" were atticus tells scout he couldn't go to church and worship if he didn't defend tom robinson in this judicial structure. so what role does faith play or should he play a role in lawyering for social justice?

proper, worcester with you. >> you have to start in the middle sometimes. [laughter] >> to either give you too much time to think or no time at all. >> well, we are faith based culture. it has a lot to do with how we view our role particularly of lawyers. the very expectation notwithstanding the opportunity to commit into a situation the pursuit principles and ethical standards and people of faith affected to look back upon those for the preservation of justice. i think i am large that works. their accrued exceptions to that rule and situations that have bad results as a result of prosecutors to that things were

two thirds voters not doing two things. judges pete and different things to change the outcome of effects peoples lives in a very first-base sometimes. but when you look at that in totality and that's what i think about those were the stories do is put you in a position of saying well yes there can be bad things that happen, what principles do we stand for as a country can expect curlers to adhere to involve a degree of faith that once kevin is usually transformed into a trust decision and opportunity for us to write wrong in this country. by and large i must be the eternal optimist on this panel,

but i think that's why this system has stayed intact as long as it has vis-à-vis other systems around the world. >> you know, i think it's beyond fees. it goes to broader notions of morality. it's not just that atticus tells scout he kicked out of church if he doesn't represent tom robinson. so they can't hear you. i can't have your truth. i couldn't walk down the street. it wouldn't be able to function as a son of the state. they couldn't represent the town in the legislature. students are taught to achieve the correct legal result. they are not taught to think about fundamental distinctions between right and wrong and common human courtesy and decency. that is the atticus is about. i guess you did good at university of alabama law

school. he went beyond what you taught him he says no, i understand what the correct legal result is that it's more important for me to do what's right. i think that ideas would try so much of the fiction. the john grisham characters when you think about what my favorite books, the rainmaker amid these are people that are tireless, energetic crusader's. maurice dees of real-life people who just do the right thing. they just do the right thing and we don't teach law students to do that. it's about asking them to go beyond what the law is and fight for the right things, the most righteous crusading cause. at his latest characters stand out in my real-life heroes stand out because they are not doing what everyone else is doing. you go beyond what everyone else is doing.

>> i do think it is interesting that atticus is a man of faith -- is a man who goes to church. inside a comment if few characters who don't which urge are the lawyers. so now i'm positing truncates his lawyers, what a nightmare. i think it does go to this generational shift, where i went to law school not that long ago and religion is something you don't talk about. religion has been completely decoupled from both the practice of law and the way we think about the law as dean points out as profound an effect they have is how attract this. but i think it also goes to the idea that lawyers are outsiders now. the man of faith in this book is the one outsider who dragged to an execution to what is just the way scout witnesses and that's

how we access to the outsider who's the person person of faith. so it's that the linking of the lawyer and his or her faith that is a really interesting shift generationally. i think layered over that as a whole lot of people who go to law school seeking the kind of moral outcome they may have once sought from their faith. so they believe i'm going to use this mechanical ecosystem to make the world good and fair and just in the way they may have thought about religion in the legal system cannot at the end of the day deliver you the outcomes you might see from a religious. >> when i was born in alabama in 1930s six and reticular mockingbird in 56 -- whatever, i was just out of law school. i didn't read it as fiction. i read it as fact because it was

a life i knew so well. my daddy randy cotton gin. to me it was just real. even i found the street from a southern baptist. my faith had everything to do with what i did starting at the university of alabama when they try to integrate and our sunday school class next week instead you love, i read chapter purse charm. i said we didn't know her through his skin there might be a winner of this campus. so they took me off the job as superintendent of the sunday school next sunday. but i've tried over 50 cases myself and it is a very traumatic thing to be.

even though i've now probably spent more time as a unitary fellowship at the synagogue than they do at the baptist church, but i still appreciate my beginnings. i don't think i ever closing argument indicates that i don't talk about the fact that the curiosity a temple of justice and i use the idea you earlier stated and trying to get them to understand that's what the whole justice system is about. i give credit for a lot of the good people do. they all types of religious faith. it was to the chagrin of my own employees, especially those who filed suit to protect the 10 commandments have not offended me greatly and a lot of people

in a neighborhood to streets of the pack tech religious. i go there every. >> atticus finch was aware of the by many of john grisham's is that there appeared her the trial lawyers different than other lawyers in the country? >> so clearly by area -- let's start with that country. [laughter] clec well, david, look, i am saying this now as a northern jewish guy.

the southern water is a more flamboyant character. you know, frankly. they said is humorless and we don't even know what he likes to eat. does he even realize he's an outlay in the car he drives is all pre-l.a. law. but matlock is an interesting guy. though there is a guy. his suit tells you a lot. there is a kind of wisdom of folksiness. one can see in the dramatic presentation of the lawyer work, not the corporate lawyers tearing up boxes of discovery material or securities regulations, but the courtroom wisdom of how to relate to a jury, how to function as a human bean as opposed to acog in the machine are cultural perception is the southern lawyer does it better. it's more interesting that more

likable, more like us. i think the presentation of yankee lawyers is that they are more mechanical, more thorough, less presenting their own personal style. and yet when you think about other aspects of great fiction, richard writes native son with boris max was a chicago portrait. again, you could jasinski represented communist. was it not log the output floating? there's something about the way we see severe untreated southern lawyers. they come that much more interesting tours. [inaudible] [laughter] >> you did a good job.

>> his best moment was in the south. >> that's my point. [laughter] >> it has always been a think the case that if you're going to try a case in this outcome you better get somebody from the town to try it with you. and it was always the case that the northern firm would come in with two partners, three associates and four paralegals and they would take up to half of the courtroom against the southern down-home lawyer who is tied to look like it had yesterday's supper on it and a few buttons missing off the shirt they may be mismatched socks the link. he said i've just penetrated to the best i can against an army that is sitting over there.

and the jury got it on that wednesday at. it is david against allowing us was always a setup. and it is always fascinating. it always warmed our hearts and always canvasses via the underdog, the southern lawyer who was found whose been very low sophistication. had to go up against the wall street lawyers at the end of the day ended up diverting and around scratching their heads like how the did that happen? when you saw the jury listening to the lawyers, always on the southern was talking the talk about experiences they both had

any week at the nodding a dad. david say this is a very complex case that involves these different thing in the header to the other way like i don't think so. so this has been a great cultural experience i think in talking about the law and depicting lawyers. and it's a great example you raise with you to that about the differences of culture professionally in our country and you can get the same legal education is a whole different outlook behind politics. >> i grew up in the south and when i went into court with a name baldacci i had to bring another southerner with me because it did not count and i got used to be called mr. baldwin over and over again that the judge, which was okay. pingback i have two quick

responses. one reason we're so fascinated by the southern lawyer because it's a portal into talking about peace. it's an incredible god-given clad device attack by these huge, huge issues of tension between the law and my values what the community thinks about itself and there's simply no better way to do that than to map it onto a southern lawyer and sort of let it unspool. i think that's one of the reasons both these books are so good at talking about things that still years later we can't talk about. death wheel though we can write about it as they have a southern lawyer to light the way. the other thing i know i speak as a jewish comedian on the panel. and my vast experience of living in charlottesville, which is kind of the south is that i think it's not just north-south. i think it's big-city small town. and i think this goes to something robert is seed that is so fundamental and i think it's

one of the reasons the concession is a powerful book. big-city lawyers are different creatures that were lawyers and this is a book about a bunch of people who won't know each other. their kids pay for play together. they've known each other all their l over and over d over. then you will see his aunt toms at how the power functions. it's a very different thing and how diverse functions take cities where you may or may not see the person across in court over again. this is an interesting and powerful way of talking about people who have relationships with each other. it is not just north-south. it has a lot more to do with communities where there are repeat players who have stereotypes about each other and long-standing book trust issues and out issues but also friendships. i think it is really what lights up in this book as these are

people who love each other and each other because they all live on top of each other. >> when you watched the watergate, you might be a very character dave richard nixon, the same irving was in those people might visit here would not put. i once got a case in noriega to my cocounsel said they're not going to get you with a southern accent out here. i said well, let me try. so we did the case and i think one of the things i picked up of the small-town courtroom lawyers pitching near the years that i've watched as they are great storytellers and they'll tell stories of stories resonate all over the united states, not just in the deep south. this cases against the aryan nations and i have a brilliant jewish bus, richard cohen. so he went to the best law

schools in columbia and harvard and he always says of the 50s that were that i need to know and all the objections. during the case of lawyer for the aryan nations had people be up innocent people going by and was trying to take the compound away from them. at the case i got attempted to every time i have evidence. i just kept going and we ended up with a substantial verdict and we cut the compound and the lawyers boxing for the corporate talking to the press. watch that richie cohen is a great lawyer. all he does is tell stories. last night i said dichotomy you cut it. so i think the storytelling is a big part of it. i can testify that it works only with the united states. you know, does not lack

character is one of the greatest lawyers that she'll ever, ever know. just a quick notice they may. i think first of all there is a mood to close the courthouse door. when i speak to law students in alabama, dennis for many, many years. i was taught when you walk down the hall to courtroom because that's probably going to be one of the only courtrooms you don't get to see. when you get out of law school you put on your best preparation to get everything ready and stand in front of it and make your opening statement and saying they are pleased arbitrator. unfortunately that sets the case. but i do think we have to fight to keep the courtroom door open. as a conspiracy, especially in civil courts to shut the courtroom door because corporate america does not trust the jury.

he don't you do that allow school to learn to practice law. just watch the movies. i just said what are your favorite movies? has had "to kill a mockingbird." he said how many of you out came to law school to go to the courtroom to represent people's rights. that would be no trial not today. everybody says you know why? you said because when the lawyer signed up at the last worm, you would sign a binding arbitration agreement. it's important that these lawbooks emphasized that seem and keep the idea we need to have a jury system. i have lost events all the time. denote the sixth amendment? everybody knows has to retrieve jury trial. i said what about the seven?

somebody know what it means. but it is a right to a jury trial on a civil case at $25 somewhere. a lot of those people are hurt washington d.c. they do not. >> i've been to many other things. we have a couple minutes left tightly to open up questions from the floor for the panel. anybody have any questions? there are lawyers in this room and we have no questions? >> talking about these two books, "to kill a mockingbird" in "the confession," i was struck between the perspective of coming from a little girl and her friend and her father being a hero on the other side and "the confession," procedure, pratt says in the football player be in the room would basically by giving the

compassion in the way police were able to live in all these. i just wonder, you know, the process, but there are larger legal issues, because he linked to processes taken away from us. the drones killing people overseas and the american citizens without due process. i wonder if we could talk a little about that. >> well. that is a fundamental issue to the integrity of our justice system is the process. i don't know -- we are in a very complex type for civil society in this world. i don't know that you could whittle it down to due process. so i don't want to try to do that with the drones of the

lake. but let me take your point and expand on it just as much. i think you hit a nerve when you say we may be putting two process jeopardy because if you don't have that, then all of the other pillars of the structure of the justice system call and that's a critical element. if the linchpin. the justice system if you can be assured that you're going to be treated fairly with the words we have set up. if they are set up by police, prosecutors, judges, you get to where you should go. you made out like the outcome, but you see a cut of 30s

quarter. that is important. if there's any way anybody takes a shortcut to avoid a person getting that opportunity, that the system has failed. >> thinks. well you know, that's the tricky thing about the constitution. the question is who does it apply to, right? there are people who are in this room and certainly in this district to its you that the is outside the context of the constitution, just like guantánamo bay is. that is the fundamental question we have been wrestling with, which is his only limited to the sword of insular domestic settings to american system is to legal thrillers are what happens in the wider world would nations avenge crimes committed

against? that is the reason we have the patriot act is because everything and it is otherwise unconstitutional. that is why it's called the patriot act so everyone feels like you have to be a patriot to support it. if you don't support it, what is wrong with you? the surveillance that is they decided to raise the unconstitutional we take steps to government to find a way around the constitution the more complicated this issue that would be so much better if someone was honest. it's really, really unconstitutional. the site of the patriot act and it would be much on this commonsense conversation. people say yes of course the constitution does not work in the areas of terrorism so we have these called patriot acts.

most of the country with a conversation about what's really happening instead of the fiction that we always comport to his strict adherence to constitutional standards we don't. we did for japanese in world war ii were people at communist affiliations of the 1950s. we don't do it for pedophiles today. there's also to people for whom the constitution doesn't apply. there are separate track for justice. let's be honest for what were doing. the >> and i think i would add your problem is compounded because it's not simply we are losing our rights or access to due process. it's that people don't don't don't care. i think underlying your question is this very much harder question. what are the bad things of the supreme court reporters that he tried to say i'm setting my hair and fire, they just change the

pleading standard. have you read it? you get classy, eyed stares. people just going to screensaver. that is a problem because it's not just mandatory arbitration or statutes of limitation. as such her commitment ways in which americans who sls free and they don't know it. i guess i would just say that one of the things pictured do is make americans novacare at ways i.e. as a journalist feeling it's creepy to do largely the day. it seems to be the real challenge is to convince americans that he really, really, really matters to them their cell phone contract

recluse from going into a courtroom and i don't think we're doing a very good job at that just talking about those things in this country. >> i'm going to pass on others to cross the issues. i only went to two years of law school. two years of undergrad in four years i was out of there. i couldn't even get into alabama's state now. i'm not much into that lost us. i just want to say more than anything that fiction is it "to kill a mockingbird" is great. the book john wrote is just as great. it's a real life situation and i hope books that are nonfiction to him who would not be moved is my life in court and so many books that most probably would be as to the level of associate

"to kill a mockingbird." >> we talk about the united states supreme court about for trailers like me was tried cases in different parts of the country, i see the court where the work people go and try to resolve their disputes confronted with overwhelming issues that are economic. lawyers are very, very expensive to practice. technology has changed so dramatically. atticus finch has people he could talk to investigate. today the cost of practicing law with great interest law firm is a nervous one as are the burdens that face our trial courts all over the country. one of the challenges for us as lawyers and those of us who read about the lot is to write about

the issues beginning to overwhelm the courts, which is why they put arbitration and mediation it takes years and years to bring courts to trial. businesses don't want to pay you. said the economic issues are pressing to the point where the states i tried cases come with a major problem is people who have no lawyers they call them pro se litigants. it's an enormous problem that people are not represented by lawyers because they can't afford that lawyers can afford to give their kids over to representing those people who can afford it. so it is an overall issue we insist adb to confront. our courts are wonderful in our system is best in the world but the access to is consistently getting more narrow because it's too expensive and the judges are absolutely overwhelmed with the volume of litigation to the onset of pro se litigants is taking everything away from the legal system in turning court into kind of a dispute. resolvers to don't have the time or resources for you.

into kind of a dispute. resolvers to don't have the time or resources for you. into kind of a dispute. resolvers to don't have the time or resources for you. lawyers as a profession and those who are otherwise involved is writing about lawyers were the core system is to try to get as much creative thought is possible to trying to make the court accessible to people and trying to give people access to the justice system, which really does function better than any other system in the world. >> anybody want to comment on that? feedback i am going to go to things. one is that when you look at how we fund institutions that preserve the way of life, the democracy we are -- that we think is special in our society. and they are should be the weakest creature covered because they should be nonpolitical. but to take advantage and put

them to be defeatist position where only those who afford it have access to it is not american it is not the way this country ought to think about itself as preserving this democracy we have. the second thing is, i think i've disagreed a little bit. i think we have made the system and accessible and we are at fault as lawyers and judges. there is a better not that hard to keep you should be able to resolve and we have to make that and waste remediation and other forms of dispute resolution help people take the burden off the court because it is not that complex and empower the two to

stand up to learn about problems and help solve them with guidance of professionals as opposed to seeing that your entire life in the hands of a professional. so we were changing. we were an evolving society and i think we've got to help and make sure citizens not only have access to justice, but maintain the independence of our judiciary and our profession. as critical elements to assist others accountable because once you lose, it's not going to. that's her job as guardians of the constitution and its trustees of the justice system. >> anyone else?

our panel time is over. i would like to thank the panel for coming. cutback >> john, do you want rebuttal time? [laughter] >> no, i you more now. you might we are interned. i'm not ..