The Law and Mr. Smith

Abstract

Here in jurisprudence made popular a distinguished law teacher comes to the defense of judges and lawyers. Mr. Smith, addressee of the book, is any layman. When in deciding a case about airplane flights the United States Supreme Court relies on a statute passed in 1790 and an English case of vintage 1773, Mr. Smith (so a blurb informs us) throws down his evening paper and erupts anger and disgust. For such emotions Professor Radin seeks to substitute "confidence" and sympathetic understanding. His purpose is to explain to Mr. Smith what law is, how it got that way, and how it functions in certain traditional fields. He divides his discourse, accordingly, into three main parts.