As we get new books throughout the year, we have been displaying them right as you walk into the third floor of the law library. Our, ever diligent, Circulation Team has been setting up this gorgeous collection of new books for your browsing pleasure. All of these books are available to be checked out immediately (first come, first served).

Some highlights from this month’s collection include:

Lee C. Bollinger and Geoffrey R. Stone (eds), Social Media, Freedom of Speech, and the Future of our Democracy, Columbia Press (2023)

Curated by prominent First Amendment scholars Lee C. Bollinger and Geoffrey R. Stone, this book addresses the complex issue of harmful language on the internet, particularly on social media platforms. The book explores how the principles of the First Amendment, which traditionally advocate for more speech as a remedy for harmful or false speech, apply in the context of the digital age. With contributions from a diverse group of experts including Jack Balkin, Emily Bazelon, Hillary Clinton, Jamal Greene, Amy Klobuchar, Newt Minow, Cass Sunstein, Sheldon Whitehouse, among others, the volume provides a comprehensive examination of the future of free speech in the increasingly contentious environment of social media.

Enrico Bonadio and Aislinn O’Connell (eds), Intellectual Property Excesses: Exploring the Boundaries of IP Protection, Bloomsbury (2023)

This anthology critiques the extreme and often absurd outcomes that arise from the overzealous protection of intellectual property (IP). The book compiles and analyses numerous IP disputes, including cases involving exorbitant lawsuits for playlist sharing, arrests of sports spectators for inappropriate attire, patenting of inventions misappropriated from traditional knowledge, and trademark protection for basic descriptive signs. The intent of the book is not to dismiss IP, but to critique its excesses, as these undermine IP itself, foster public resentment, stifle creativity, and reinforce monopolistic tendencies, thereby limiting trade, competition, and personal freedom. Thus, it serves as a call to reform the sector and prevent IP law from becoming a subject of unwarranted criticism.

Lindsey F. Wiley, Feminist Judgments: Health Law Rewritten, Cambridge University Press (2022)

This book offers a unique exploration of health law’s history, reimagining key legal rulings from a feminist standpoint. It features reworked opinions by prominent scholars, who base their judgments solely on the court precedents and scientific knowledge available when the original verdicts were given. Each reinterpreted case is complemented with expert commentary that situates it in its historical milieu and discusses how the feminist ruling could have redirected ensuing developments. The book serves as a comprehensive guide to the landscape of health law, shedding light on how paternalism, individualism, gender biases, and the public-private divide impact decisions on a myriad of issues. These include informed consent, malpractice in medical and nursing fields, the dynamics between healthcare professionals and their workplaces, end-of-life care, reproductive health, biomedical research, ownership of human cells and tissues, the role of religious directives in healthcare, health discrimination, long-term care, private health insurance, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.

These are only some of the many new books that the Ross-Blakley Law Library brings to you on a monthly basis. Please feel free to stop by and explore these exciting new titles in our collection.

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