Redeeming Law: Part I -- Discussion

[Mike Schutt]

Welcome, everybody, to the first week of our "online book club"!

You should have started reading by now-- at least I hope you're getting ready to read-- and our discussion will kick off in full on Friday. Feel free to post any preliminary comments or observations as we get underway, even though the discussion technically doesn't start until June 5.

If you're online and ready to go, however, I'd appreciate it if, between now and Friday, anyone who is reading the book (or engaging in the discussion without reading-- just like law school . . . ) would introduce him- or her-self to the group. Just a quick word about who you are, why you are interested in the discussion, and where you're from. It will be nice to get a feel for how many we have in our discussion group.

Later, as we get started, I'll set out some ground rules to guide us, but generally, I'd like everyone to feel free to jump in with comments and observations, interact with others' comments, and pose questions for the group. If you prefer to just lurk and listen, that's okay, too! I'll be free with questions and challenges to get the discussion moving, but I have no special role in the discussion other than to make sure it flows. Dan Kim, deputy director at Law Student Ministries, will help me do that as well.

Since I'm the author of the first book, I might take a more active role in pushing the discussion, but please don't hold back if you have challenging questions or thoughts about the readings.

I'm certainly looking forward to this. Thanks for joining in!!

[Dan Kim]

Hi all,

My name is Dan Kim and I am currently the Deputy Director of Law Student Ministries here at CLS. I think Mike's book is a great one to start out with so I am excited to be apart of these discussions! I am originally from Philadelphia but now live in Vienna, VA - right outside DC. Let's get this thing started!

[Mike Schutt]

Thanks, Dan! I'm looking forward to seeing who else will join us. MPS

Dan Kim said:

Hi all,

My name is Dan Kim and I am currently the Deputy Director of Law Student Ministries here at CLS. I think Mike's book is a great one to start out with so I am excited to be apart of these discussions! I am originally from Philadelphia but now live in Vienna, VA - right outside DC. Let's get this thing started!

[David Hyams]

Hi, group. I'm David Hyams and I live in Boise, Idaho, where I am currently an associate in Holland and Hart's commercial litigation practice. I'm interested in discussing Redeeming Law because the book addresses a void in the Christian legal community that needs to be remedied if we are to fulfill our callings as Christian attorneys. I'm on my second trip through the book, and find great encouragement from it. I'm looking forward to the discussion!

[John Legg]

Hi All,

My name is John Legg. Right now I'm a law clerk for the Hon. Bobby R. Baldock at the U.S Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. In August I'll be joining the USAF JAG. I live in Roswell, NM, with my wife, Karen, and daughter, Eva. I'm a bit behind in the reading right now, but I've been wanting to read Mike's book for a while, and this seemed like a great opportunity to get more out of my first time through.

[Robert K Naumann]

Greetings, everyone. My name is Bob Naumann. I live with my wife of 11 years and our ten-month old son in the northwest suburbs of Chicago where I am a solo practitioner with a focus on real estate, estates, and business law--and litigation related thereto. Just like John, I have had the book for a while, but it has not yet made it onto my current reading list. This seemed like the ideal opportunity--how often do you get to have a book discussion with the author and like-minded colleagues?

[Mike Schutt]

Welcome David! Glad you're here. It's been good to catch up again.

David Hyams said:

Hi, group. I'm David Hyams and I live in Boise, Idaho, where I am currently an associate in Holland and Hart's commercial litigation practice. I'm interested in discussing Redeeming Law because the book addresses a void in the Christian legal community that needs to be remedied if we are to fulfill our callings as Christian attorneys. I'm on my second trip through the book, and find great encouragement from it. I'm looking forward to the discussion!

[Mike Schutt]

Hey John! Good to see your face. I hope all is well at the court, and it's a great summer. I met I guy on an airplane who is an attorney in Roswell, and I gave him a copy of my book. I'll get with you offline and see if I can get you in contact with him.

John Legg said:

Hi All,

My name is John Legg. Right now I'm a law clerk for the Hon. Bobby R. Baldock at the U.S Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. In August I'll be joining the USAF JAG. I live in Roswell, NM, with my wife, Karen, and daughter, Eva. I'm a bit behind in the reading right now, but I've been wanting to read Mike's book for a while, and this seemed like a great opportunity to get more out of my first time through.

[Mike Schutt]

Thanks, Bob, for joining us and introducing yourself!

Robert K Naumann said:

Greetings, everyone. My name is Bob Naumann. I live with my wife of 11 years and our ten-month old son in the northwest suburbs of Chicago where I am a solo practitioner with a focus on real estate, estates, and business law--and litigation related thereto. Just like John, I have had the book for a while, but it has not yet made it onto my current reading list. This seemed like the ideal opportunity--how often do you get to have a book discussion with the author and like-minded colleagues?

[Mike Schutt]

Some Preliminary Groundrules and Logistics

I'd like to lay out my thoughts on how we can engage one another in discussion over the next three weeks, focusing on things that will make it easier for your to participate. I know we will have more as the weekend arrives, and I know a few interested parties who have not introduced themselves yet.

1. I am not running the discussion, just moderating when necessary. So feel free to post any time: post your thoughts, pose questions to the group, disagreements, or raise topics that you want to discuss or get advice on. I'll do the same. You may start any time.

2. Remember that we are in this for three weeks, so be sure to click on "follow this discussion" so you know when folks post so you can check in.

3. Interact with one another-- try to respond to questions and posts. Be civil and generous, but feel free to disagree. Particularly with the author. It' ll make for good discussion.

4. We will need to experiment with the best way to run the discussion threads. I think, to start out, it will work best if you add a new discussion topic for each new topic we are discussing. I think that we should identify the topics with the letters RL, followed by the new topic, so we can easily see the threads dealing with the book. For example, I am going to re-post this topic as "RL: Groundrules" so new readers do not have to scroll through the introductions to find this list. If you have a comment on these logistical matters, reply to this thread. If it is on another topic, reply to that thread.
5. So get started when you want, reply when you like, and let's keep the thing moving: reply to the main discussion thread if you like, or post a new topic to be discussed. Be sure to introduce yourself as a reply to the main thread!

6. The goal of this discussion is not to critique the book, though I am happy for folks to do that, and it would help me. However, I'd like the lawyers and students involved in the discussion to be challenged to apply any good ideas in the book and warned against bad ideas. In the process, we can discuss which ideas are which!

7. No topic is off-limits or out of bounds, as long as it has something to do with living faithfully as a Christian lawyer, law student, or professor.

[Ken Shigley]

Greetings. This is Ken Shigley in Atlanta. A CLS member since my first semester at Emory Law School in 1974, I practice plaintiffs' personal injury law with a 6 lawyer firm. Currently I'm moving from Secretary to Treasurer of the State Bar of Georgia. I skimmed through the book a few months ago, and welcome this impetus to study it more seriously in preparation for the "bully pulpit" I may have in a couple of years.

[Mike Schutt]

Thanks a million for joining in, Ken! It's a pleasure to have you.

Ken Shigley said:

Greetings. This is Ken Shigley in Atlanta. A CLS member since my first semester at Emory Law School in 1974, I practice plaintiffs' personal injury law with a 6 lawyer firm. Currently I'm moving from Secretary to Treasurer of the State Bar of Georgia. I skimmed through the book a few months ago, and welcome this impetus to study it more seriously in preparation for the "bully pulpit" I may have in a couple of years.

[Lee Brooks]

Hi, I am Lee Brooks, and I live in the north metro area of Atlanta. I have been practicing for 11 years, representing plaintiffs in civil litigation cases across a broad spectrum of practice areas in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi. I opened my own law office in August of 2008, and so far I been working exclusively on wrongful death and personal injury cases. I am interested in this discussion because I am always seeking to better integrate my faith with my vocation. While my chosen profession does much to seek justice for the "widow, the orphan, and the stranger," I sometimes feel that as a trial lawyer I make my living exercising power over opponents through brutal litigation or the threat of such litigation, in contrast with the "power under" approach of Jesus, whereby he won people over by humility, service, and compassion. I am seeking a more seamless integration of my desire to be an effective advocate while trying to mirror Christ.