On the Bookshelves
Recent Faculty Books
In "The Limits of International Law" (Oxford University
Press, 2005), Professor Jack L. Goldsmith and Eric A. Posner '91 argue
that international law is less powerful than many experts believe. They show
how international legal rules are often devised by the most powerful states to
facilitate the advancement of their own interests, yet without mechanisms for
bringing violators into compliance. The authors ultimately question whether
international law can be effective in the resolution of the most pressing
global problems.
* * *
Professor Emeritus Charles M. Haar '48
was appointed in 1983 by Judge Paul Garrity LL.M. '71 to develop a
plan to clean up Boston Harbor. His book "Mastering Boston Harbor:
Courts, Dolphins, & Imperiled Waters" (Harvard University Press,
2005) gives an insider's account of the
political and legal process that led to today's cleaner waters.
* * *
"Environmental Protection and the Social Responsibility of
Firms: Perspectives from Law, Economics, and Business" (Resources for the
Future, 2005), co-edited by Professor Bruce L. Hay '88, asks what
responsibility corporations have to protect the environment, beyond obeying the
law. Do they have a responsibility to commit resources voluntarily to
environmental protection? Should they sacrifice profits for the sake of social
responsibility, and if so, how can that sacrifice be squared with their
fiduciary obligations to their shareholders? Contributors include Professors
Einer R. Elhauge '86 and Mark J. Roe '75.
* * *
"Capital Adequacy beyond Basel: Banking,
Securities, and
Insurance," edited by Professor Hal S. Scott (Oxford University Press,
2005), covers issues at stake in capital requirements for insurance and
securities firms. The contributors analyze the use of subordinated debt,
internal models and rating agencies, and they examine the effects on capital of
reinsurance, securitization, credit derivatives and other instruments.
* * *
In "All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan" (Simon
& Schuster, 2005), Professor Elizabeth Warren and her daughter, Amelia
Warren Tyagi, describe how to get out of debt, cover the bills, and start
saving.
* * *
In "Legal Reason: The Use of Analogy in Legal
Argument" (Cambridge
University Press, 2005), Professor Lloyd L. Weinreb '62 stands up for
analogical reasoning in the law, defending it against recent criticisms that it
is defective as a form of deductive reasoning.
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