Legal Commentary

A long time ago - so long ago, in fact, that the editing process was conducted entirely via Fed Ex and (gasp) telephone* - I published an article on the use of baseball metaphors in judicial opinions.  It is one of 19 hits in the Westlaw JLR database for "Kirby Puckett," one of four for "Kent Hrbek," and the only law review article ever written that mentions Puckett, Hrbek, and Ron Gant.  Though I missed out on all the fun that might have ensued had it been more readily available when Chief Justice Roberts was describing his role in umpireal terms, and even the more recent discussions here, I have just now posted it on SSRN for your procrastinating enjoyment.

* It's interesting to me that the telephone seems to have disappeared from the editing process.  Not once since I started teaching have I spoken to a law review editor other than the one who made the publication offer.  Maybe it's not that surprising, though.  I remember some of those conversations from the editor side as being a little intimidating. That might have been partly a product of how my first conversation with an author on the phone unfolded.  He (who was kind of big-namish) came across as a little grouchy, and not all that pleased with some of the edits proposed by my predecessor.  Somehow or other - I guess I was trying to find a source or something as I fumbled for an explanation of whatever my predecessor had done - I pulled the phone off my desk.  From his side perhaps the line just went dead.  On my side there was a loud crash and a cascade of papers onto the floor.  In retrospect, not that big of a deal.  At the time, a little bit mortifying.