David Boies

The fight against the hateful and discriminatory Prop 8 has just been fascinating to me. I inhaled “Forcing the Spring” by Jo Becker a few weeks ago (which was FABULOUS) – and then as I started to hear interviews with the authors of this book – I knew I had to read this next.

(I do have to admit that I had to file away Ted Olson’s involvement in Bush v. Gore and Citizen’s United.) I stuck with my admiration of his strong involvement in the fight for marriage quality – despite probably being verbally eviscerated by most of those in his political party. His ability to go against what had to be strong opposition of many who knew or worked with him was very impressive. “We should each, in his own way, have a personal council of elders – a board of directors, a collection of a few individuals available individually or collectively with whom to consult on important decisions. Making decisions in isolation seldom produces the best results. And that body of wise people should include persons who think differently from us or have different backgrounds. We all too often consult only with people who give us the answer we want to hear (or the answer that they think we want to hear.)”

This book was detailed and interesting – walking the layperson through a very complex series of legal moves and lengthy trials. The reader is able to connect to the main players as we are drawn into their lives and into this long and emotional process for equality.

The description of the scene after Prop 8 was declared unconstitutional in CA almost brought me to tears. “This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime events that defy simple description. Couples had their arms around one another, families had brought their children and dogs. Everyone seemed to be weeping with joy, appreciation for the judge, the Constitution, the rule of law, and all of us involved in the case. Proposition 8 had been recognized for what it was – a shameful, menacing dark cloud over all of their lives. And now it was one step closer to oblivion. One could not look out at those people, with hope and love in their eyes and hearts – for one another, and for their future – and not ache for them to soon see the day when their dream of freedom and equality would finally and fully be redeemed by their government.”

The work Ted Olson and David Boies…and the plaintiffs in the case…and so many other thousands if not millions of people have done in this fight awes and inspires me. This book is a testament to some of the most transformative aspects of that fight.… (more)

An interesting and readable book. Both the topic, Marriage Equality, and following a court case from pre-trial all the way to the USA Supreme Court. With stops at a local city hall to be denied a marriage license to a Federal District Court, to US Appeals Court, to the California Supreme Court (odd, track, yes - USA Appeals Court wanted California Supreme Court to weigh in on who had standing in California, or by California law, to argue for California Law when the government officials refuse to defend the law), to another Federal District Court (to argue that the original judge should have recused himself for being gay), then off to the USA Surprme Court.

As mentioned, a readable book, although very repititive. And a little too much "we really are brillant lawyers" type stuff.… (more)

Courting Justice: From NY Yankees v. Major League Baseball to Bush v. Gore 1997-2000, by David Boies (read 11 Nov 2004) A common encomium on a good book is 'I did not want it to end.' This is seldom true, since I like to finish a book so I can go to a new one, but this book is indeed one I did not want to end. I was entranced and awed by this most excellent book, which tells of the big cases Boies has handled in just the four years from 1997 to 2000. He is a master lawyer and while he of course portrays himself in a most favorable light, the results he has obtained show he is a great lawyer. This whole book is an unmitigated success, and I enjoyed every page. The big league law he practices is pretty foreign to me and I was awed by how he could do these big cases and still go on vacations of weeks at a time. This book was an unmitigatedly good experience, and I am so grateful to my good friend from law school days for calling it to my attention.… (more)