Symposium: Nova (Humor in the) Law Review: Foreward
![handle is hein.journals/novalr17 and id is 693 raw text is: Symposium
Nova [Humor in the] Law Review
Foreward
When the newly elected board of the Nova Law Review attended the
National Conference of Law Reviews (NCLR) last March, we energetically
brainstormed possibilities for the 1993 symposium. In previous years the
Review had published thought-provoking symposiums on topics such as:
AIDS, drug testing, international criminal law, legal education, and most
recently, family law. As we stood on the shoulders (and shoulder pads) of
the women and men who edited before us, we had great visions of creating
a symposium which would inspire the legal profession as nothing had
before. We grappled with unique topics thought up while touring Universal
Studios (an NCLR activity no doubt scheduled to inspire creative legal
thought); however, as the conference dwindled to a conclusion we were no
closer to selecting a stimulating symposium topic.
In our disheartened state, we attended the last supper. As I picked at
my cauliflower, (my vegetarian appetite disconcerted the four star hotel chef
who served me cauliflower for every meal during the five days of the
conference) I watched my fellow editors in depressed silence. Then at our
lowest moment, Judge Alex Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals,
approached the podium. He spoke methodically, and frequently with a
straight face, about how to lose an appeal. (A feat that any one of us was
fully capable of accomplishing on our own . . . but a little direction is
always helpful.) Within seconds, our joyless outlooks were forgotten. The
humor that Judge Kozinski derived from his experiences was hilarious; for
almost an hour, Jerry Seinfeld had a worthy opponent. When Judge
Kozinski had shared all of his advice on this topic, we knew our symposium
had been conceived. The legal profession, like most others, can always
benefit from a good laugh at itself. (The last laugh, however, was on us
when we learned that Judge Kozinski had already committed to publishing
his speech with another periodical.)
For the last twelve months of gestation, the humor symposium has
flourished. I was somewhat surprised at the eager response by practitioners
and students; apparently, the opportunity to be published without the
pressure of voluminous footnotes in proper Bluebook form, is a secret
fantasy of the academic masses. In its final form, over forty authors and](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/novalr17&div=29&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Symposium: Nova (Humor in the) Law Review: Foreward
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