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Literature and the law examines the connections between these two disciplines. By examining rhetorical rigor, creative arguing, and reasoned empathy from works by Faulkner, Melville, and Dickinson, Dr. Ona Russell details how literature can add practical value to the legal process - in the courtroom, at the bargaining table, and in the office. Attorneys who understand and harness the power of words and language will craft better arguments, write more persuasive briefs, and become better counselors. Runtime 53:00:00.

About Ona Russell
I hold an M.A. in English from Clark University and a PhD in literature from the University of California, San Diego. Teaching for years in various colleges and universities, I developed courses that combined my interdisciplinary interests: from "Poetry and the Workplace" to the "Truth of Historical Fiction" to "Literature and the Law," a topic on which I also write and speak extensively.

Becoming a novelist was, however, less deliberate—one might say accidental—as the story of O'Brien's Desk found me rather than the other way around. But now I'm hooked. My second manuscript, The Natural Selection, is complete and I am currently working on a third. I have also been published in newspapers, professional magazines and literary anthologies. When not writing, I enjoy hiking the beach trails in my hometown of Solana Beach, California, with my husband and our two neurotic dogs, and, when lucky, our two grown children.

Literature and the Law
"Literature and the Law" is a growing academic field that theoretically examines the linguistic and humanistic correspondences between these two disciplines; in particular, their mutual, narrative-driven desire for truth. Informed by such theory, my work focuses on the practical side, showing legal professionals how knowledge of literary texts can enhance their rhetorical and adjudicating skills, whether for writing briefs, arguing a case or handing down a decision.

Reflecting upon novelist Emily Bronte's ability to depict the diversity of human experience, Justice Stephen Breyer said that he finds literature "a very helpful way out of the tower."

If you'd like to follow Justice Breyer's path, or simply desire to relate better to your clients, please schedule the lecture members of the American Judges Association called, "the best program so far," and the San Diego Bar Association called "a truly new perspective to those involved in the legal profession."

To view written examples of my approach that were published in Orange County Lawyer magazine, please contact the Orange County Bar Association.

• "The Story of a Trial," February 2008
• "An Imitation of Life" - Book Review, December 2007
• "The Literary Nature of Environmental Law," July 2007
• "Crossing Borders," April 2007
• "Authorizing Intent," February 2007
• "Arguing by the Book," January 2007
• "The Literary Case for Legal Ambiguity," August 2006
• "Novel Justice," May 2006
  

Class Type: Participatory & Self-Study

Practice Areas:  Litigation | Personal Injury

State Accreditations:  California (CA)

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