In this stinging critique of our legal system, Thomas Ross reveals how in making and justifying their opinions, judges rely to a startling degree on personal constructs that often perpetuate the deep biases in society. While these terrible societal prejudices have become the basic building blocks of our law, Ross suggests that they don’t have to be. Instead, he posits that knowledge of the problem offers a first step toward imagining a different and better future.
“Shatters myth after myth about race, poverty, and women’s roles. A searingly effective piece of scholarship.” —Richard Delgado, editor of Critical White Studies
“[Thomas Ross’s] brave call for a redemptive vision for law deserves a broad audience. If properly moved, the people can call for justice, not just stories.” —Martha Minow, author of Family Matters: Readings on Family Lives and the Law
“Closely argued. . . . Eye-opening and provocative.” —Michelle Pilecki, Pittsburgh magazine
“Through his skillful deconstruction of legal vernacular, Thomas Ross brings us behind the hallowed facade of law. What we find are ordinary men and women who reflect ordinary prejudices regarding race and gender.” —Stephen Steinberg, author of Turning Back: The Retreat from Racial Justice in American Thought and Policy
“An accessible explanation of how narrative influences the law.” —The National Law Journal