Editorial

Front Page - Friday, August 28, 2009

I Swear...

Humor’s still out there in the law (just ask Andy McClurg)

Vic Fleming

I guess I’m only six years behind.
I’ve just now learned of a 1993 publication titled “Amicus Humoriae - An Anthology of Legal Humor,” compiled by Robert M. Jarvis, Thomas E. Baker and Andrew J. McClurg.
Yes, that’s Andy McClurg, who used to teach at the Bowen School of Law and who wrote a humor column in the ABA Journal for four years.
Quoting from the dedication page:
“To ‘the junta,’ who never fail at being funny—R.M.J.
“To Thomas Athanasius, who always makes his father smile—T.E.B.
“To my mother, who taught me the value of laughter—A.J.M.”
Quoting from the foreword:
“Every so often, there appears in the pages of a law review an article or essay that is meant to be—and actually is—funny. Twenty-five of the best of these pieces are reprinted here.”
Quoting from the table of contents:
“Needlemann on Mortgages – William L. Prosser 27 …
“Minutes of the Faculty Meeting – Anthony D’Amato 39 …
“If Law Professors Had to Turn in Time Sheets – Robert M. Jarvis 43 …
“Dear Employer . . . – Andrew J. McClurg 59 …
“Suing the Devil: A Guide for Practitioners – Charles Yablon 105 …
“The Common Law Origins of the Infield Fly Rule – Aside 121
“The World’s Greatest Law Review Article – Andrew J. McClurg 201.”
I’ll probably buy it. If I do, I’ll review it.
In checking out, I ran across the following from Andy’s current biography at his Web site:
“The recipient of two university excellence awards for legal scholarship, McClurg’s books and law review articles have been widely cited by courts, including 10 state supreme courts, and by more than 300 legal scholars in more than 200 different journals, including the law reviews of every Top 25 law school in the 2008 U.S. News & World Report rankings.”
In 1978, I wrote a law review article on a parable written by Franz Kafka. To date it has been cited in one subsequent law review article (another one that I wrote myself).
There is also this at Andy’s site:
“In humor mode (a small sideline), McClurg is author of The Law School Trip (the insider’s guide to law school), a critically and comedically acclaimed parody of legal education that has generated reviews such as ‘Howlingly, gut-wrenchingly, turn purple and blow food out your nose funny!” and ‘Heaps and mounds of undulating and ululating laughter.’ Amazon.com Customer Reviews of the The Law School Trip”
And this:
“His latest writing project is an inside look at how to succeed in and survive the first year of law school: 1L of a Ride: A Well-Traveled Professor’s Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School (West 2009).”
Andy currently “holds the Herbert Herff Chair of Excellence in Law at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.”
It’s good to know he is still having fun.
© 2009 Vic Fleming

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