New Books At The Zief Law Library

Publisher: Boston: Beacon Press, 2025.
The book discusses how, following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, individuals and organizations in the abortion community have worked diligently to maintain access to abortion services. In the book "After Dobbs," interviews with 24 people reveal how this community adapted and responded to the challenge, using innovative delivery models and support networks for travel and funding. While there is cause for optimism as most individuals still have access to abortions, the long-term sustainability of this access is threatened by increasing difficulties and costs. The text emphasizes that the ongoing efforts of these individuals are crucial, and although Roe is no longer in effect, abortion services continue, but may face greater challenges in the future.

Publisher: Cambridge, United Kingdom; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2024
Public whistleblowers play a crucial role in exposing wrongdoing within organizations, but they often face severe retaliation from employers despite legal protections. High-profile cases, such as those involving Amazon, Facebook, and Theranos, highlight the challenges whistleblowers encounter. Kate Kenny emphasizes the importance of skilled allies who support whistleblowers when official channels fail. In an environment where employers use sophisticated tactics to silence dissent, new strategies for whistleblowing are essential. Aggressive reprisals can, counterintuitively, provide advantages for whistleblowers when working with advocates, enabling them to persist and successfully disclose information.

Publisher: Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press, 2025.
"Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters" by Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and George Ward offers a comprehensive analysis of workplace wellbeing, emphasizing its impact on happiness, productivity, and organizational success. The authors use extensive data, including the largest dataset on employee wellbeing from Indeed, to explore how wellbeing varies across different workers, occupations, companies, and industries. They define workplace wellbeing, providing a framework for businesses to enhance the employee experience. Their research shows that improving wellbeing can lead to increased productivity, better talent retention and recruitment, and improved financial performance. The book serves as a valuable resource for leaders aiming to shape the future of work, debunking myths and clarifying key insights about employee wellbeing.

Publisher: Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2024.
Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States for over a century, though often overlooked by US residents and the federal government. Recent crises, including debt and climate disasters, have led to increased visibility and public demonstrations. Mónica A. Jiménez argues that understanding Puerto Rico's current precarious situation requires examining the broader history of US settler colonialism and racial exclusion in law. The federal policies that shaped and continue to govern Puerto Rico are part of a larger framework of exclusionary laws impacting marginalized groups such as Indigenous Peoples and African Americans. Jiménez argues that Puerto Rico's status as a modern colony is not unique but part of a historical pattern of legal and social exclusion.

Publisher: Cambridge, UK; Hoboken, NJ, USA: Polity Press, 2025.
The book discusses the importance of due process and its current threats, emphasizing that fairness is a fundamental expectation from government officials. The U.S. Constitution enshrines this principle, yet there are increasing challenges to it in various settings, from courtrooms to workplaces. Author Brandon Garrett identifies two primary divisions contributing to the erosion of due process: societal attitudes that prioritize outcomes over fair processes, and governmental practices that implement weak due process rules. Issues like debt from traffic fines, asset forfeiture, and reliance on flawed algorithms exemplify these challenges. The rise of AI poses further risks to due process. To combat these injustices, legal professionals and lawmakers are advocating for reforms to protect constitutional rights and restore fairness. A revival of due process is deemed essential to address political polarization and rebuild trust in government.

Publisher: Albany: State University of New York Press, 2025.
The text discusses the influence of constitutional ambiguity on the interpretation of presidential power throughout American history. Richard W. Waterman, in "Constitutional Ambiguity and the Interpretation of Presidential Power," explores how this ambiguity has shaped the understanding of executive authority by scholars, judges, and presidents. He examines the concerns of the Constitution's Framers regarding the potential for monarchy and tyranny, offering a historical timeline that spans from the Constitutional Convention to the present. Waterman concludes that no single theory adequately defines presidential power; instead, ambiguity allows presidents to find authority within the Constitution’s silences and gaps, posing a significant risk of autocratic leadership.

Publisher: Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 2025.
A recent study analyzes court policies and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting significant changes in the U.S. state court systems. The pandemic necessitated adaptations such as digital filings and remote appearances. The research, conducted by Alyx Mark, reveals how COVID acted as an accelerant for procedural changes and exposed disparities in administrative decision-making among state courts. Some states, like Kentucky and Massachusetts, exhibited top-down approaches, centralizing authority, while others, such as Florida and Missouri, allowed lower courts greater discretion in crafting their policies. Through extensive data collection and interviews with court officials, the study sheds light on the realities of power and process in civil courts, providing insights for future civil justice reform.

Publisher: Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2024.
This book examines the origins and evolution of six regional human rights courts, emphasizing the judges' efforts to navigate political and legal challenges to enhance rights protection. Authors Alec Stone Sweet and Wayne Sandholtz define a transnational system of justice as consisting of a charter of rights, a court for enforcement, and individuals' rights to petition the court. The book explores various issues such as torture, discrimination, due process, and freedom of expression within these systems. It notes that while some state officials have supported stronger rights protections, others have reacted with significant political backlash to limit court authority, often resulting in unsuccessful attempts to curb the courts.

Publisher: New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2025.
A leading legal scholar questions the necessity of having a theory of constitutional interpretation. Originalists argue that they possess a theory while their opponents do not. However, Mark Tushnet asserts that the Supreme Court has functioned without a formal theory throughout much of its history. In his book, Tushnet defines what a constitutional theory is, explores judges' needs for such a theory, and highlights the potential harm when judges let theory influence poor policy decisions. Ultimately, Tushnet emphasizes that good judgment, rather than theory, is what truly matters for judges.

Publisher: New York: Oxford University Press, 2025.
The text discusses the right to a fair trial by jury in America, a principle enshrined in the Bill of Rights. It highlights that the foundations for these rights date back far earlier, tracing their historical roots through various influences, including St. Augustine, medieval English trials, and Judeo-Christian principles. The authors, Francis R. Herrmann and Brownlow M. Speer, analyze primary sources and the impact of canon law on English law. Their work, "Foundations of American Criminal Due Process at Trial," aims to engage practitioners, scholars, and general readers by situating American fair trial rights within a broader Western legal tradition that encompasses Rome and medieval Europe.

Publisher: New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2025.
"Dismantling the Death Penalty" provides a comprehensive overview of research surrounding capital punishment, focusing on its costs and consequences. Professor Costanzo utilizes various sources, including trial arguments, juror interviews, statistical analyses, and insights from multiple stakeholders, to explore key questions about the death penalty. The book addresses issues such as jury decision-making, the deterrent effect of executions, public support, potential cruelty, cost comparisons to life imprisonment, systemic errors, and moral justification. It contextualizes capital punishment historically, politically, and morally, while concluding with a discussion on its future and alternatives to execution.

Publisher: Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2025.
The text discusses the essential role of human labor in the age of automation and artificial intelligence, as highlighted by award-winning author Antonio A. Casilli. While AI generates excitement and anxiety, it often masks the human contributions necessary for its functioning. Casilli explores various tech workers, from platform employees to micro workers, emphasizing that many everyday tasks depend on unpaid or underpaid labor. He warns that failing to acknowledge this human effort could lead to a grim future for all workers. His book, "Waiting for Robots," challenges the notion that machines are fully autonomous, showing that true automation still relies on human involvement and urging a reevaluation of how we recognize and compensate today’s digital labor force.

Publisher: Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2025.
Energy history is a field that examines how humans have utilized Earth's energy resources throughout time. It focuses on the ways energy has been understood, harnessed, and exploited. Recent concerns about fossil fuel impacts on climate have intensified interest in this subject. The collection features twelve essays that analyze primary sources related to energy history, emphasizing diverse ideas and events. It aims to broaden the concept of energy history by addressing its complex relationship with fossil fuels and advocating for new perspectives on energy development that go beyond Western capitalist models. Overall, it offers a critical examination of how energy histories have shaped the past and continue to influence the present.

Publisher: Vancouver: UBC Press, 2024.
"Unmothering Autism," a book by Patty Douglas, centers the experiences and knowledge of mothers and autistic individuals. It addresses the rising global rates of autism diagnosis and challenges dominant cultural representations that view autism as a tragic disorder. Douglas, who has two sons—one of whom is autistic—explores the contradiction between their positive experiences together and the negative interactions with medical and educational professionals. The book critiques popular and biomedical assumptions about autism, highlights the role of mothers as caregivers and advocates, and introduces an "ethics of disruption" that redefines autism and recognizes the humanity of autistic individuals.

Publisher: Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2025.
"Public Health Law and Ethics" is an updated edition that explores how the Covid-19 pandemic has transformed public health law. It analyzes legislation, judicial opinions, and research to clarify the government's role in protecting public health and emphasizes the importance of social justice in public health ethics. The book addresses significant issues like chronic diseases, opioid crises, gun violence, disability rights, and equity, while also examining the judiciary's impact on health laws. It provides a framework for aligning public health interventions with scientific evidence and ethical values, addressing the responsibilities of community members towards each other's health.

Publisher: New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2025.
The text discusses the dual nature of war as a catalyst for innovation in medicine and science, highlighting the significant achievements that have emerged from military contexts. However, it emphasizes the negative consequences, such as exposure to hazardous research without consent, environmental destruction, and health issues for affected populations. It notes the involvement of healthcare professionals in controversial practices and the evolution of laws and ethics surrounding military science, often prioritizing national security over moral considerations. The analysis reveals that decision-makers were aware of ethical dilemmas yet chose risky actions. The text proposes policies that align national security with justice and dignity, introducing the concept of "jus in praeparatione bellum," which advocates for restraint and responsibility in war preparations.

Publisher: Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2024.
The book discusses the growing intersection of biometric and digital surveillance industries with immigration enforcement in Europe and the U.S., particularly in light of aggressive policies like raids and family separation. It highlights how cities, in seeking to improve urban infrastructures through tech companies, inadvertently allow these companies to penetrate migrant communities, threatening their anonymity and safety. Matt Mahmoudi's book explores the impacts of Silicon Valley's influence on migration practices and racial capitalism, while calling for a collective refusal to counteract these invasive technologies.

Publisher: Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2025.
The book discusses the challenges of content moderation on social media in combating terrorism and extremism. Despite efforts like account suspensions and content takedowns, harmful content persists. Tamar Mitts' work, "Safe Havens for Hate," examines how varying moderation standards across platforms enable extremist organizations to organize and mobilize. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the overall online ecosystem rather than focusing solely on individual platforms. The text also highlights the dilemma faced by governments and tech companies in balancing censorship with free speech in the context of violence and hate.

Publisher: Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2025.
Misinformation is defined as inaccurate or unverifiable information that can be spread with or without intent to mislead. It often persists despite fact-checking, spreading more rapidly than factual information online. The authors use social judgment theory, cognitive dissonance theory, and motivated information processing to explore why misinformation has staying power, emphasizing biased responses to inconsistent versus consistent information. They propose psychological inoculation as a strategy to combat misinformation.

Publisher: Boston: Beacon Press, 2025.
"The Echo Machine" by David Pakman is an exploration of the impacts of right-wing extremism, media manipulation, and ideological echo chambers on critical thinking and political divisions. The book highlights how disinformation has become a weapon in shaping public opinion, especially during the 2024 election cycle. Pakman examines the spread of misinformation and its consequences, offering solutions to combat these issues, such as increasing media literacy, fostering intellectual humility, and engaging with diverse viewpoints. It's both an exposé and a call to action, encouraging readers to critically evaluate the information they consume in a time of rampant misinformation.

Publisher: Boston: Beacon Press, 2025.
The text discusses the importance of distinguishing fact from fiction regarding personal safety in the context of gender-based violence. It emphasizes that safety should not be rooted in fear or hinder political progress. Many common safety advice, often provided by authorities, overlooks the intimate nature of gender-based violence. Meg Stone's book, "The Cost of Fear," offers practical, research-based strategies for enhancing personal and community safety by developing skills to resist coercive control. It connects personal safety with social and political change, highlighting the efforts of activists and the necessity of combining legal reform with practical strategies for meaningful change. The book advocates for making safety choices that broaden our lives while promoting social justice.

Publisher: Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2025.
The book discusses the history of queer politics in the United States since 1968, challenging the typical narratives of either progressive state recognition or subcultural rejection of gender norms. It emphasizes the importance of transnational relations and practices in queer movements. Alexander Stoffel analyzes three key movements: gay liberationism, Black lesbian feminism, and AIDS activism, arguing that they were significantly influenced by global connections. He presents the history of radical queer thought as a project of erotic worldmaking, highlighting how queer desires and pleasures contribute to broader revolutionary efforts. Stoffel’s work encourages a reevaluation of the U.S.'s sexual past and its connections to issues like capitalism, empire, and resistance.

Publisher: Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2025.
The text explores the challenges and inherent contradictions in anti-racism work, particularly within predominantly white institutions. Despite the growing momentum for anti-racism efforts, there remains a risk of reverting to established patterns of racial injustice and inequality. Susan Sturm identifies three significant paradoxes that characterize this work: the paradox of racialized power, which necessitates that white individuals both engage with and step back from exercising power; the paradox of racial salience, which requires naming and addressing race while framing goals in universal terms; and the paradox of racialized institutions, which must actively promote anti-racism while also being targets of such initiatives. Sturm offers strategies for navigating these contradictions, encouraging cross-racial reflection and collaboration as catalysts for meaningful, long-term change. The book also features responses from notable figures in the field, adding diverse perspectives to the discussion.

Publisher: New York, NY; London: Teachers College Press, 2024.
The book discusses the importance of addressing racial injustice, economic inequality, and poverty in America, drawing inspiration from the Kerner Commission's findings. It emphasizes the need for a "new will" to implement effective solutions rather than relying solely on existing resources and knowledge. Key strategies include strengthening voter rights, building coalitions across diverse groups, exposing systemic exploitation, and promoting community engagement through nonprofits and the arts. The book calls for evidence-based action to create meaningful change and outlines various contributors who offer insights on addressing these pressing societal issues.

Publisher: New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2025.
The text discusses how social movements, initiated by marginalized groups to effect societal change, can lead to both legal policy changes and shifts in cultural beliefs and behaviors. Sociologists Francesca Polletta and Edwin Amenta explore U.S. social movements across various decades, examining their cultural impact and the mechanisms behind their influence. They emphasize the role of media coverage and popular culture in reshaping movement messages to make them compelling. Significant cultural change often occurs when organizations adopt movement-supportive norms. The authors provide strategies for activists to effectively communicate their messages and navigate cultural influence, highlighting the evolving routes to achieving societal change. Overall, "Changing Minds" investigates the deep societal shifts driven by social movements.

Publisher: New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2025.
"Benign Bigotry" explores the complexities of prejudice through academic research, popular culture, and politics, focusing on subtle, often unconscious biases related to race, gender, and sexuality. The author, drawing from personal experience on the Police Oversight Board, identifies seven cultural myths that sustain inequality and addresses prejudices against women and LGBTQ+ individuals. The book provides strategies for challenging these biases and is intended for both students and the general public. The second edition includes a new chapter on systemic inequality and updated real-life examples, engaging with recent empirical research on discrimination.

Publisher: Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2024.
"Solidarity Cities" explores the role of solidarity economies—characterized by cooperation and mutual support—in addressing racial capitalism in the U.S. It focuses on three American cities, showcasing cooperative networks that provide crucial services like food security, affordable housing, and fair credit access. The authors, four social scientists, utilize methodologies from various disciplines to analyze how these networks help counteract gentrification and economic exclusion, advocating for social and economic justice. The book emphasizes the importance of small interventions in creating broader movements for community well-being, presenting solidarity economies as essential elements in building more just and livable urban environments.

Publisher: Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press, 2025.
The book discusses the transformation of the space economy, highlighting the emerging opportunities driven by innovative technologies and entrepreneurial efforts. It emphasizes that space is not just a concept but a viable marketplace influenced by supply and demand, similar to earthly economies. Notable companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are leading this revolution, along with others like Astroscale. The authors, who teach at Harvard Business School, aim to demystify the hype surrounding the space economy, providing clarity on its development, potential benefits, and how individuals can engage with this evolving sector.

Publisher: Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2020.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is often criticized as barbaric and violent, yet it is also recognized as a lucrative and popular sport, especially with the growth of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) since the 2000s. The sport has faced various legal challenges, including antitrust lawsuits from fighters against promoters, disputes between fighters, drug testing issues, contractual conflicts, and the call for federal regulation. This book explores these key cases and controversies both inside and outside the cage.

Publication Date: 2025-02-11Publisher: Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2025.
The DISCO Network explores the impact of technoskepticism on new technologies, particularly emphasizing the empowerment of marginalized communities. The book is structured around three main themes. First, it examines the intersection of disability with wellness apps and the pursuit of diagnosis. Second, it delves into the nostalgia and sense of belonging that Black and Asian users experienced in early online communities. Lastly, it addresses the complexities surrounding A.I. representations of Black bodies and the celebration of Black culture amidst technological advancements. Throughout these discussions, the authors highlight the significance of refusal as a valid response to technology and present care as a dual concept that encompasses both critique and a welcoming engagement with new innovations.