Winkler on Corporations and Their Quest for Civil Rights

I haven't posted in a while, partially because work is busy, but also because I have been making more time for recreational reading (a hobby that can be difficult to pursue when one is an associate in the field of civil litigation).

But I've somehow managed to get some reading done recently, so partially to highlight some darn good books (and partially to dilute the frequency of posts fixating on ordinances banning "distracted walking"), here's the first of a couple posts on what I've been reading!

First up is We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights by Adam Winkler. I bought the book partially because I was a student at UCLA Law and had the opportunity to take one of Professor Winkler's classes, and partially because I read Winkler's previous book, Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America a few years ago and thought it was excellent.

Winkler's We the Corporations, like Gunfight, showcases his remarkable ability to tell a story. Many cases that are explored in his book are covered in typical law school classes or casebooks on constitutional law. The cases, while significant, are often dry, dense, and confusing. Not here. In discussing significant cases or doctrine, Winkler develops the plot by delving into facts behind each case, the drama of the conflicting interests involved, and the pitfalls of the litigation preceding the various opinions. Winkler explores the characters involved by discussing the histories, backgrounds, quirks, and vices of the corporations, their officers, and the attorneys involved in the cases. All of this combines to create an engaging series of stories that paint a picture of the development of various rights, or sets of rights, that corporations have managed to secure. It is a vast undertaking that is nevertheless straightforward and clear enough to appeal to attorneys and non-attorneys alike. 

The books is nearly 500 pages (closer to 400 if you don't count the endnotes), but you can expect to breeze through it in far less time than you might think because the writing is so clear and engaging. And I hope that many choose to engage, as Winkler reveals that the common debate over whether "corporations are people," is far more nuanced than may be expected. For instance, Winkler points out that corporations have won some of their greatest victories when their personhood is ignored. Rather, it is when courts pierce the corporate "veil" and focus on the people behind the corporation, that corporations have made some of their most dramatic strides in their quest for civil rights. Winkler also draws attention to the recurring phenomenon of corporations' sheer ability to get what they want through the courts. Through hiring the best lawyers, choosing the best cases, and persisting as only tireless business entities can, corporations have often gained recognition of their rights earlier than the other disadvantaged groups who are typically central to the study and discussion of civil rights.

You can find reviews of We the Corporations here, here, here, and here.

Next up will be my thoughts on The Justice of Contradictions: Antonin Scalia and the Politics of Disruption by Richard Hasen. Spoiler alert: it's also pretty dang good.

P.S.: For those looking for recommendations for shorter things to read, check out this post at Josh Blackman's blog on Justice Brennan's correspondence with Barack Obama.

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