Oral History for Legal Historians

>>> Item number 805, dated 94/09/12 19:33:52 -- ALL 

Date:         Mon, 12 Sep 1994 19:33:52 -0500
Reply-To:     Legal History discussion list <H-LAW@UICVM.BITNET>
Sender:       Legal History discussion list <H-LAW@UICVM.BITNET>
From:         Chris Waldrep <cfcrw@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu>
Subject:      Oral History for Legal Historians

There is a suprisingly good handbook available from the Ninth Circuit Historical Society, geared to oral history of judges. It also has a bibliography. Write: Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society, 125 South Grand Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105. (I found it looking for sources to prepare to interview the judge for whom I served as a law clerk.)

Tom Baker

This is a reply to Chris Waldrep's inquiry about oral history. It is unclear if the purpose of the talk is to teach the students (are they undergraduates or law students?) how to do history, or how to be better interviewers. Much about both endeavors could be learned from an oral history approach. In any event, the sources that come most readily to mind are some of the books and articles that have come out of the critical race theory movement. Many legal scholars of color have used some form of narrative or oral history to examine legal doctrine. While this is not strictly legal history, it might be interesting to have the students take a look at some of the work of Derrick Bell, Mari Matsuda, etc. Hope this is of help and not a diversion.

Lea B. Vaughn, Professor of Law
University of Washington School of Law
732 Condon Hall JB-20
Seattle, Washington 98195
(206) 543-4927
E-mail Address: lvaughn@u.washington.edu

>>> Item number 810, dated 94/09/14 15:06:16 -- ALL 

Date:         Wed, 14 Sep 1994 15:06:16 -0500
Reply-To:     Legal History discussion list <H-LAW@UICVM.BITNET>
Sender:       Legal History discussion list <H-LAW@UICVM.BITNET>
From:         Chris Waldrep <cfcrw@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu>
Subject:      Re: Oral History for Legal Historians

You might try the Northern District Historical Society (i.e. Northern District of California) which, in conjunction with the Oral History Office at the University of California, has conducted a number of oral histories here. Let me know if you need an address or phone etc.

Joe Luttrell

>>> Item number 804, dated 94/09/12 13:40:07 -- ALL 

Date:         Mon, 12 Sep 1994 13:40:07 -0500
Reply-To:     Legal History discussion list <H-LAW@UICVM.BITNET>
Sender:       Legal History discussion list <H-LAW@UICVM.BITNET>
From:         Chris Waldrep <cfcrw@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu>
Subject:      Oral History for Legal Historians

A fellow at the Capital U law school called me to ask me to talk to a small group of students about oral history. They are not historians, and are thinking of doing some interviewing. The idea was sparked by a guy at UNC who is doing stuff with memory to professionalize newcomers. The local group is intereted in questions like "mother-daughter lawyer teams." There are in an ethics group.

Is there any obvious source for using oral history in legal history that I should know about? I have a couple of general sources for guidelines, but wondered if a legal historian had written about using oral history in the field.

-- 

 K. Austin Kerr                    direct line to office 614-292-2613
 Professor of History              department line           292-2674
 Ohio State University             fax                       292-2282
 Columbus, Ohio 43210 USA          e mail           kerr.6@osu.edu