The Journal Jurisprudence, Vol. 9: Legal Histories

Isaac Colunga, who was previously Law Clerk to the Honorable Charles R. Norgle of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and now is in private practice with Ice Miller LLP, dissects ancient Rome’s treason laws and how they evolved through Roman history and have been subject to misinterpretation. Mr Colunga’s strength is to show us that even in ancient law, there is still scope for original inquiry. It has been said that the corporation is the dominate form of social organisation in the modern world. George Skouras of the New School for Social Research gives us insight into the formation of corporations, particularly under the Fuller Supreme Court. Using the jurisprudence of the Fuller Court, Skouras shows us how the contemporary American corporatist state emerged and illustrates the connection to the current financial climate. Mr Skouras is a talented author and his article is of importance to current events and will have, I am sure, impact in both academic and professional debates. Scott Hamilton Dewey of UCLA tells about the history of the common law’s essence, the doctrine of stare decisis. Using the state of Illinois as an example, he examined hundreds of cases dating back from 1876 relating to the concept of antagonistic defenses. Dr Dewey’s detailed research has broken new ground, and inspires critical reflection on presumption of stare decisis granting both legal and linguistic certainty to courts. The Journal Jurisprudence is very pleased be able to share How Judges Don't Think: The Inadvertent Misuse of Precedent in the Strange Career of the Illinois Doctrine of Antagonistic Defenses, 1876-1986 with our global readership.