Rascuache Lawyer: Toward a Theory of Ordinary Litigation
University of Arizona Press, 2011

Excerpt: “One of my first and most interesting cases involved a young couple. María and José were typical hard-working Mexican immigrants who were not rich but appeared to be doing well in the United States. You could say, in fact, that they were living the American dream until the untimely death of their baby son, Jesús, turned the dream into a horrible reality and nightmare. On the surface, the case appeared to be another instance of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)-but then an autopsy revealed that the infant had cracked ribs and a possible fracture to his right leg, and the parents were charged with murder.”

Praise: “This book focuses on the manner in which the court system handles cases of Latino criminal defendants and how the system itself is biased. It will provide lawyers with a very good road map for litigation and the many pitfalls they will encounter as they represent this unique class of clients.”—Henry Flores, co-author of Mexican Americans and the Law: El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!