Joyce Alene
U of Alabama Law Professor|@MSNBC Contributor|Obama US Atty in B'ham|25 year federal prosecutor|Wife & Mom of 4|Knitting a lot while watching the future
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Joyce Alene
“@jentaub @Dahlialithwick Love this book. I'm part way through and it's clear that it's a keeper.” (from X)
by Dahlia Lithwick·You?
by Dahlia Lithwick·You?
Winner of the LA Times Book Prize in Current Interest An instant New York Times Bestseller! “Stirring . . . Lithwick’s approach, interweaving interviews with legal commentary, allows her subjects to shine...Inspiring.” —New York Times Book Review “In Dahlia Lithwick’s urgent, engaging Lady Justice, Dobbs serves as a devastating bookend to a story that begins in hope.” —Boston Globe Dahlia Lithwick, one of the nation’s foremost legal commentators, tells the gripping and heroic story of the women lawyers who fought the racism, sexism, and xenophobia of Donald Trump’s presidency—and won In the immediate aftershocks of Donald Trump’s victory over Hilary Clinton in 2016, women lawyers across the country, independently of one another, sprang into action. They were determined not to stand by while the Republican party did everything in their power to pursue devastating and often retrograde policies. In Lady Justice, Dahlia Lithwick, one of the nation’s foremost legal commentators, illuminates these many heroes of the Trump years. From Sally Yates and Becca Heller, who fought the Muslim travel ban, to Roberta Kaplan, who sued the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, to Stacey Abrams, who worked to protect the voting rights of millions of Georgians, Lithwick dramatizes in thrilling detail the women lawyers who worked tirelessly to hold the line against the most chaotic presidency in living memory. A celebration of the legal ingenuity and indefatigable spirit of the women whose work all too often went unrecognized at the time, Lady Justice is destined to be treasured and passed from hand to hand for generations to come.
Recommended by Joyce Alene
“If you believe in civic education, @PreetBharara has written a great children’s book to get the kids you care about started. https://t.co/c7gCB1wH1d & all proceeds to charity (@nylag) https://t.co/XStXffzpML” (from X)
by Preet Bharara, Sue Cornelison·You?
by Preet Bharara, Sue Cornelison·You?
Introduce the concept of justice to young people with this picture book by New York Times bestselling author of Doing Justice, Preet Bharara. In clear and simple language, Preet Bharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York,explains what justice is and what it takes to achieve it for even the youngest readers. Drawing on examples of historic justice seekers whose deeds best demonstrate those attributes by asking hard questions, keeping an open mind, defending the truth, and using their voices and their bodies to fight injustice—such as Ida B. Wells, John Lewis, Malala Yousafzai, and many others, this timely book is perfect for exploring the concept of justice. Inspire young readers to fight for justice in their world and to remain hopeful that by standing together, it can triumph.
Recommended by Joyce Alene
“You should buy Waj’s new book, which is brilliant and funny and out today. @WajahatAli https://t.co/iXQ6wPlnHD https://t.co/EreMypNdLH https://t.co/Ruo4l3xbkw” (from X)
by Wajahat Ali·You?
“Go back to where you came from, you terrorist!” This is just one of the many warm, lovely, and helpful tips that Wajahat Ali and other children of immigrants receive on a daily basis. Go back where, exactly? Fremont, California, where he grew up, but is now an unaffordable place to live? Or Pakistan, the country his parents left behind a half-century ago? Growing up living the suburban American dream, young Wajahat devoured comic books (devoid of brown superheroes) and fielded well-intentioned advice from uncles and aunties. (“Become a doctor!”) He had turmeric stains under his fingernails, was accident-prone, suffered from OCD, and wore Husky pants, but he was as American as his neighbors, with roots all over the world. Then, while Ali was studying at University of California, Berkeley, 9/11 happened. Muslims replaced communists as America’s enemy #1, and he became an accidental spokesman and ambassador of all ordinary, unthreatening things Muslim-y. Now a middle-aged dad, Ali has become one of the foremost and funniest public intellectuals in America. In Go Back to Where You Came From, he tackles the dangers of Islamophobia, white supremacy, and chocolate hummus, peppering personal stories with astute insights into national security, immigration, and pop culture. In this refreshingly bold, hopeful, and uproarious memoir, Ali offers indispensable lessons for cultivating a more compassionate, inclusive, and delicious America.
Recommended by Joyce Alene
“New book coming from one of my favorite law profs, @jentaub! https://t.co/CiCRM4lnjV” (from X)
"Taub explicitly and persuasively places the breakdown of enforcement and accountability in the context of money and class."--The New York Times How ordinary Americans suffer when the rich and powerful use tax dodges or break the law to get richer and more powerful--and how we can stop it. There is an elite crime spree happening in America, and the privileged perps are getting away with it. Selling loose cigarettes on a city sidewalk can lead to a choke-hold arrest, and death, if you are not among the top 1%. But if you're rich and commit mail, wire, or bank fraud, embezzle pension funds, lie in court, obstruct justice, bribe a public official, launder money, or cheat on your taxes, you're likely to get off scot-free (or even win an election). When caught and convicted, such as for bribing their kids' way into college, high-class criminals make brief stops in minimum security "Club Fed" camps. Operate the scam from the executive suite of a giant corporation, and you can prosper with impunity. Consider Wells Fargo & Co. Pressured by management, employees at the bank opened more than three million bank and credit card accounts without customer consent, and charged late fees and penalties to account holders. When CEO John Stumpf resigned in "shame," the board of directors granted him a $134 million golden parachute. This is not victimless crime. Big Dirty Money details the scandalously common and concrete ways that ordinary Americans suffer when the well-heeled use white collar crime to gain and sustain wealth, social status, and political influence. Profiteers caused the mortgage meltdown and the prescription opioid crisis, they've evaded taxes and deprived communities of public funds for education, public health, and infrastructure. Taub goes beyond the headlines (of which there is no shortage) to track how we got here (essentially a post-Enron failure of prosecutorial muscle, the growth of "too big to jail" syndrome, and a developing implicit immunity of the upper class) and pose solutions that can help catch and convict offenders.
Recommended by Joyce Alene
“@MHBXD @neal_katyal @BarbMcQuade @tribelaw @mayawiley @glennkirschner2 @harrylitman @Mimirocah1 @ChuckRsVoice @LawProfButler Neal is a national treasure & his book, Impeach, is a must read.” (from X)
by Neal Katyal, Sam Koppelman·You?
by Neal Katyal, Sam Koppelman·You?
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Why President Trump has left us with no choice but to remove him from office, as explained by celebrated Supreme Court lawyer and former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal. No one is above the law. This belief is as American as freedom of speech and turkey on Thanksgiving—held sacred by Democrats and Republicans alike. But as celebrated Supreme Court lawyer and former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal argues in Impeach, if President Trump is not held accountable for repeatedly asking foreign powers to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, this could very well mark the end of our democracy. To quote President George Washington’s Farewell Address: “Foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.” Impeachment should always be our last resort, explains Katyal, but our founders, our principles, and our Constitution leave us with no choice but to impeach President Trump—before it’s too late.
Recommended by Joyce Alene
“@wrightbett1 @JoyAnnReid We all need it! I’ve found that a great start is Professor @tribelaw’s book How to End a Presidency. The early section in the founding fathers’ debates on the issue is fascinating reading.” (from X)
by Laurence Tribe, Joshua Matz·You?
by Laurence Tribe, Joshua Matz·You?
As Congress prepares articles of impeachment of President Trump, read the definitive book on presidential impeachment and how it should be used today. Impeachment is our ultimate constitutional check against an out-of-control executive. But it is also a perilous and traumatic undertaking for the nation. In this authoritative examination, Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz rise above the daily clamor to illuminate impeachment's proper role in our age of broken politics. To End a Presidency is an essential book for anyone seeking to understand how this fearsome power should be deployed.
Recommended by Joyce Alene
“@HeyImjustsayin @SenDougJones I love this book so much. I read it to my youngest child a few years back. It's as meaningful for adults as it is for kids.” (from X)
by Christopher Paul Curtis·You?
by Christopher Paul Curtis·You?
A hilarious, touching, and tragic novel about civil rights and the impact of violence on one African American family. Narrated by Kenny, 9, the story tells about his middle-class black family, the Watsons of Flint, Michigan, and their trip to Birmingham, Alabama, to visit Grandma. They happen to be in Birmingham when Grandma's church is bombed.