What was it like to teach law during the Trump Administration, when the foundations of law were being actively undermined? What was it like to be a law student trying to make ends meet while running her father’s dive bar and coping with his dementia in Tim Greaney’s “St. Sebastian School of Law? Were Universities more interested in promoting their “brand” or their basketball team than ensuring that law students were taught the values of ensuring justice for all?
The predominately liberal faculties of American law schools found themselves trapped in a dilemma: How do you teach law when the federal government is busy undermining the foundational principle, the so-called “Rule of Law.” For many, the choice of teaching “what the law requires” and “what it should aspire to” posed a difficult choice. The dilemma was particularly acute for academics who had worked in and believed in effective law enforcement.
At the same time, law students faced enormous challenges during this period. The enormous cost of legal education was often not matched by opportunities to pay their loans back readily. For students trying to work their way through law school, the burden was often exacerbated by family and personal issues.
Against the background, some University administrators became inclined to view legal education as less than profitable and were willing to undertake risky and legally questionable investment opportunities to build their endowments. The impulse to add to the university’s bottom line led astray many “nonprofit,” “charitable,” and “religious” universities to sacrifice “mission” for “margin.”
All of this is expertly highlighted in Tim Greaney’s book, “St. Sebastian School of Law.” It is a cautionary tale, revealing legal education’s inherent contradictions and vulnerabilities. Through its vivid characters and gripping storyline, Greaney skewers the legal academy and university administrators with dry wit and pointed political commentary.
Overall, the plot revolves around the investigation and eventual resolution of the Baytown Opportunity Zone scandal, focusing on the characters’ roles in uncovering the truth and preventing further harm to the community and the university. The book’s website, which contains portions of reviews and reader comments, can be found at www.timgreaney.net. Get your copy today and uncover the true face of law education with Tim Greaney’s “St. Sebastian School of Law.”
The book is now available on Amazon.
