About the Book

"...I used your book in my Law & Social Change course last spring, and it was well received by the students. They especially seemed to appreciate the 'real world' perspective you offer, including the practical insights and examples provided..."

-- Randall Amster, J.D., Ph.D., Prescott College

Midwest Book Review calls Lawyers, Law and Social Change "... a memorable and insightful collection ... an eye-opening 'must-read' for anyone interested by the immense impact that the American legal system has had on our social systems."

This book consists of seven essays exploring the impact of lawyers and law on social change. The title essay and two others have been widely read in major legal publications and assigned in law school classes; four new essays, never before published, are also included in this thought provoking book.

Written over the course of his 25 years as General Counsel to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), Bachmann’s essays discuss attacks on the legal profession; living the life of the activist lawyer; the ability (or lack thereof) of law and lawyers to effect lasting social change; the efficacy of poverty law; the religious perspective and social change concerns; and recent developments in law and social change.

This book is published in conjunction with the Acorn Cultural Trust, a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of culture in the interest of low and moderate income people.

About the Author

Since graduating from Harvard Law School in 1976, Steve Bachmann has represented many organizations working for social change, including ACORN, Local 100, SEIU, AFL-CIO, community based radio stations, fair housing organizations, and anti-death penalty groups. His legal practice has included corporate and tax work, and litigating civil rights actions in federal and state courts across the nation. Bachmann has written articles for a number of legal journals over the years, and published three other books: The U.S. Constitution for Beginners (Writers & Readers Press, 1987), illustrated by Pulitzer prize winner Joel Pett; Preach Liberty (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1990); and Nonprofit Litigation (John Wiley & Sons, 1992).