Faculty Books

APRIL 2025 | Prof. Lain's "Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection"

The whiplash between the changing administrations is an encapsulation of an ongoing debate in the U.S. about the place of capital punishment in modern society.

In this charged atmosphere, Corinna Barrett Lain, Richmond Law's S.D. Roberts and Sandra Moore Professor of Law, is publishing her first book, Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection. In the book, Lain pulls back the curtain on more than 45 years of lethal injection in the U.S., shining a light on where executions go wrong and how state secrecy makes the practice more palatable to an unknowing public.

Her book is seven years in the making, the culmination of five years of research and another two years of searching for a publisher and bringing the book to market.

DECEMBER 2024 | Prof. Burtch's "Raising the Bar: The Mentor Guidebook for New Lawyers"

This practical guidebook offers information, examples and anecdotal stories similar to the mentoring experience young lawyers used to enjoy in person. With its useful “takeaway tips” at the end of every chapter, Raising the Bar will help law students and new lawyers face the hidden challenges of practicing law. Beginning with career planning and the transition out of law school, the book’s 13 chapters cover topics ranging from mastering basic skills and dealing with clients to establishing trust and staying sane. It tackles delicate issues like fixing mistakes and surviving office politics. Finally, it closes with a discussion of other paths for those who decide to apply their legal education outside law practice.

Written for new lawyers, law students, law firms and law schools, Raising the Bar offers, in a single book, what hours of close contact with experienced colleagues would provide a new lawyer when making the difficult transition from school to office.

OCTOBER 2024 | Prof. Stubbs' "No Clue, White American Affirmative Action Exists and Demands a Moral Revival Now"

This work delves into pressing questions surrounding race and civil rights in America, offering readers a foundational perspective to engage in informed dialogue and community building.

Prof. Stubbs, who teaches constitutional law, human rights law, and race, religion, and the law, provides facts and a foundation that aim to facilitate intelligent discussion, further research, and better informed decision-making. His book encourages readers to confront our history and rethink our relationships in pursuit of a more inclusive and peaceful society—a vision inspired by his lifelong study of civil rights leaders, including the late Oliver W. Hill, who contributed the book's preface.

JANUARY 2024 | Prof. Samuel-Siegel's "Fundamentals & Decision Points: An Empowered Approach to Legal Writing"

Professor Doron Samuel-Siegel, L’01, is reimagining the process of legal writing. In her new book, Fundamentals & Decision Points: An Empowered Approach to Legal Writing, Samuel-Siegel shares an eight-step process that she believes is applicable to all writing projects attorneys are likely to face throughout their careers.

 

 

NOVEMBER 2023 | Prof. Kevin Woodson's "The Black Ceiling: How Race Still Matters in the Elite Workplace"

"In my book The Black Ceiling: How Race Still Matters in the Elite Workplace, I focus on two types of racial discomfort. There’s stigma anxiety, the discomfort people experience due to their concerns about possibly being discriminated against in the future. And there’s social alienation, the unease that comes when they feel isolated and marginalized because their interests and background are very different than those of their colleagues."