Civil Rights Law Section Book Club

We are excited to announce the inaugural Civil Rights Law Section Book Club!

Our club will be on-line with a speaker and Q&A period and some optional discussion, but we will be working with local FBA Chapters to help organize follow-up discussion or social events in-person, so you can talk about the book (or talk about why you didn’t read the book, or talk about anything other than the law) with real humans in a real, physical space!

The first edition of the book club will discuss “Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable” by UCLA Law Professor Joanna Schwartz.

Prof. Schwartz is one of the preeminent experts on qualified immunity and is a prolific author of articles analyzing qualified immunity, especially using empirical evidence to gauge its effectiveness.  Shielded, which was released last February, combines Schwartz’s scholarship with personal stories of individuals who sought to hold police officers accountable but encountered the qualified immunity defense.

Though Shielded takes a strong policy stand against the doctrine of qualified immunity, this book, and the book club, are not intended solely for practitioners and others who work on the plaintiff’s side. Civil Rights Law members from all background and practice areas are welcome, and discussion from all viewpoints is encouraged.

The book is in stock in print or electronic versions at Amazon or other major sellers, and in hardcover at bookshop.org (an online bookseller that partners and profit shares with local bookshops). Autographed copies are available online or in-store at L.A. bookstore Chevalier’s Books.

Registration is Closed

Are you part of local FBA Chapter leadership and want to help organize a local meetup? Send an email to Civil Rights Section Chair Kyle Kaiser at kkaiser@agutah.gov to express your interest.