Storming the Court: How a Band of Law Students Fought the President--And Won

by Brandt Goldstein

Book Overview

In 1992, three hundred innocent Haitian men, women, and children who had qualified for political asylum in the United States were detained at Guant namo Bay, Cuba -- and told they might never be freed. Charismatic democracy activist Yvonne Pascal and her fellow refugees had no contact with the outside world, no lawyers, and no hope . . . until a group of inspired Yale Law School students vowed to free them. Pitting the students and their untested...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416535152
• ISBN13: 9781416535157
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Excellent and Inspirational

I could not more highly recommend any book! The story is told in a manner that is thoroughly compelling. As the students prepare to work with the refugees, the author provides the reader with snapshots of the struggles facing the refugees. The cast of students is highly inspirational. I would recommend this book to all law students, especially those interested in asylum law or immigration more generally. As a law student who spent a semester in my school's immigration clinic, much of the frustration and joy I felt was also experienced by the students in this book. I only wish I had read it before starting clinic!

A must read for every lawyer and aspiring lawyer

I was at Yale Law School when the events described in this fast paced and well written book took place. I played a small role in the events but I had no idea how much time and effort went into this campaign on behalf of Haitian refugees. Brandt Goldstein describes a law school experience unlike any other but at the same time gets at what the law school experience can be like for all law students and professors if they take advantage of the opportunities offered. This is a must read for any aspiring lawyer and for any lawyer who may have forgotten why he or she went to law school in the first place. And any non lawyer will be fascinated by the events that took place here and the challenge of upholding the rule of law here in the United States not just in places like Haiti. Can't wait to see the movie!

Human AND legal drama.....

A great book. I am a law student and after three weeks of studying and taking finals the last thing I usually want to do is pick up a book, especially one having to do with law. But as soon as I picked this book up I was hooked and wound up finishing it the weekend after finals. Compelling and readable for those well-versed OR mystified by the law alike. I would HIGHLY recommend this to all law students out there. When immersed in legal education it is easy to lose focus as to why and how you got there in the first place. The book and story is inspiring. In reading about students, professors, and hghly regarded attorneys helping those that sought their help and offering to those who simply NEEDED it, the story help me recapture the desires I held when I started law school. Great work Mr. Goldstein and I look forward to reading your future work.

Storming the Court

What a good read!! Even for someone as "legally challenged" as I am, the book succeeded on so many levels. I cared so much about every one of those young people and certainly I agonized with the brave Professor Koh every step of the way. How unfortunate that we are dealing with many of the same issues today. Thank you, Brandt Goldstein, for telling this story. A Lambda from Minnesota Reader

Damn you, Brandt Goldstein!

Damn you, Brandt Goldstein! I had a ton of work to do to get ready for a recent court appearance, but couldn't tear myself away from your book. And I already knew how it came out. As a lawyer, I was impressed by how you were able to take complicated legal concepts and make them not only easily understandable, but compelling reading. While it's obvious you had a good story to work with, you made it come alive in a way that makes me think you'd be great in front of a jury -- you're a real storyteller. While the events happened in the '90s, the book is as fresh as today's headlines about detainees at Guantanamo. Thanks for a great read.