Storming the Court: How a Band of Law Students Fought the President--And Won
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
The David vs. Goliath story of the unflagging Yale Law School students who in 1992 fought the U.S. Government all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1992, three hundred innocent Haitian men, women, and children who had qualified for political asylum in the United States were detained at Guant namo Bay, Cuba--and told they might never be freed. Charismatic democracy activist Yvonne Pascal and her fellow refugees had no contact with the outside world, no lawyers, and no hope...until a group of inspired Yale Law School students vowed to free them. Pitting the students and their untested professor Harold Koh against Kenneth Starr, the Justice Department, the Pentagon, and Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, this real-life legal thriller takes the reader from the halls of Yale and the federal courts of New York to the slums of Port-au-Prince and the windswept hills of Guant namo Bay and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court. Written with grace and passion, Storming the Court captures the emotional highs and despairing lows of a legal education like no other--a high-stakes courtroom campaign against the White House in the name of the greatest of American values: freedom.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1416535152
ISBN13:9781416535157
Release Date:December 2006
Publisher:Scribner Book Company
Length:384 Pages
Weight:0.78 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.8" x 8.4"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Excellent and Inspirational
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
I could not more highly recommend any book! The story is told in a manner that is thoroughly compelling. As the students prepare to work with the refugees, the author provides the reader with snapshots of the struggles facing the refugees. The cast of students is highly inspirational. I would recommend this book to all law students, especially those interested in asylum law or immigration more generally. As a law student who spent a semester in my school's immigration clinic, much of the frustration and joy I felt was also experienced by the students in this book. I only wish I had read it before starting clinic!
A must read for every lawyer and aspiring lawyer
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I was at Yale Law School when the events described in this fast paced and well written book took place. I played a small role in the events but I had no idea how much time and effort went into this campaign on behalf of Haitian refugees. Brandt Goldstein describes a law school experience unlike any other but at the same time gets at what the law school experience can be like for all law students and professors if they take advantage of the opportunities offered. This is a must read for any aspiring lawyer and for any lawyer who may have forgotten why he or she went to law school in the first place. And any non lawyer will be fascinated by the events that took place here and the challenge of upholding the rule of law here in the United States not just in places like Haiti. Can't wait to see the movie!
Human AND legal drama.....
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
A great book. I am a law student and after three weeks of studying and taking finals the last thing I usually want to do is pick up a book, especially one having to do with law. But as soon as I picked this book up I was hooked and wound up finishing it the weekend after finals. Compelling and readable for those well-versed OR mystified by the law alike. I would HIGHLY recommend this to all law students out there. When immersed in legal education it is easy to lose focus as to why and how you got there in the first place. The book and story is inspiring. In reading about students, professors, and hghly regarded attorneys helping those that sought their help and offering to those who simply NEEDED it, the story help me recapture the desires I held when I started law school. Great work Mr. Goldstein and I look forward to reading your future work.
Storming the Court
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
What a good read!! Even for someone as "legally challenged" as I am, the book succeeded on so many levels. I cared so much about every one of those young people and certainly I agonized with the brave Professor Koh every step of the way. How unfortunate that we are dealing with many of the same issues today. Thank you, Brandt Goldstein, for telling this story. A Lambda from Minnesota Reader
Damn you, Brandt Goldstein!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
Damn you, Brandt Goldstein! I had a ton of work to do to get ready for a recent court appearance, but couldn't tear myself away from your book. And I already knew how it came out. As a lawyer, I was impressed by how you were able to take complicated legal concepts and make them not only easily understandable, but compelling reading. While it's obvious you had a good story to work with, you made it come alive in a way that makes me think you'd be great in front of a jury -- you're a real storyteller. While the events happened in the '90s, the book is as fresh as today's headlines about detainees at Guantanamo. Thanks for a great read.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
