The eminent economist Albert O. Hirschman is especially famous for his book Exit, Voice, Loyalty (1970). The subtitle of the book -- Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States -- may give you a little sense of the argument: that people who are dissatisfied with an institution to which they are attached have three choices. They can leave (switch to another product; quit; emigrate); they can try to change the institution through protest; or they can remain a customer, member, or citizen who goes along with (and perhaps even continues to support) the institution's choices. In this discussion seminar, we will talk about how, as lawyers, we should think about these options. We'll start with a brief overview of Hirschman's argument and an essay by Hannah Arendt about lawyers and bureaucrats in Nazi Germany. We'll then look at some contemporary case studies involving U.S. lawyers who wrestled with whether to serve, or remain in, administrations with which they had serious disagreements and about law firms and their clients. Finally, we'll turn to two examples from outside the law--Ursula LeGuin's famous short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas and a speech by C.S. Lewis about The Inner Circle--and what they tell us about how to think about our career choices. Elements used in grading: Full attendance, reading of assigned materials, and active participation.
1 units · Law Mandatory P/R/F
The eminent economist Albert O. Hirschman is especially famous for his book Exit, Voice, Loyalty (1970). The subtitle of the book -- Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States -- may give you a little sense of the argument: that people who are dissatisfied with an institution to which they are attached have three choices. They can leave (switch to another product; quit; emigrate); they can try to change the institution through protest; or they can remain a customer, member, or citizen who goes along with (and perhaps even continues to support) the institution's choices. In this discussion seminar, we will talk about how, as lawyers, we should think about these options. We'll start with a brief overview of Hirschman's argument and an essay by Hannah Arendt about lawyers and bureaucrats in Nazi Germany. We'll then look at some contemporary case studies involving U.S. lawyers who wrestled with whether to serve, or remain in, administrations with which they had serious disagreements and about law firms and their clients. Finally, we'll turn to two examples from outside the law--Ursula LeGuin's famous short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas and a speech by C.S. Lewis about The Inner Circle--and what they tell us about how to think about our career choices. Elements used in grading: Full attendance, reading of assigned materials, and active participation.
Offered in Autumn 2025 at Stanford University.