David O'Brien

Last night I had the pleasure of having dinner with and listening to a talk by University of Virginia professor David O'Brien. He's one of the odd bunch of people who endeavor to teach the law without ever having studied the law: that is, he's a Ph.D. not an attorney by training and profession. He was, however, very interesting, and his insights were likewise -- he doesn't fit well into one of the "boxes" that seem to define modern American political and legal philosophy. His observations about the workings of the Supreme Court seem sound, and it is here that he seems truly knowledgeable, having done extensive archival research on the Court and its history. His most well-known book, Storm Center, is highly recommendable, although it stops short of being (for I do not think it intends to be) a great treatise on American law.


File Under: Law