Litigating in the Shadow of Death by the late Welsh White is an absorbing account of the ways in which defense attorneys represent capital defendants. The author brings to light the paramount role these attorneys have played in shaping the modern system of capital punishment, showing how highly skilled defense lawyers are sometimes able to avoid death sentences for their clients even in very difficult cases. In other cases, attorneys have demonstrated to the public that some innocent defendants are sentenced to death.
Professor White’s descriptions of cases provide an invaluable guide for lawyers planning to represent capital defendants, as well as students trying to understand our criminal justice system. His detailed, journalistic accounts of recent death penalty trials will also appeal to lay readers and activists interested in learning more about the death penalty.
The late Welsh S. White was the Bessie McKee Walthour Endowed Chair and Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh. (University of Michigan Press, 2006). See Representation and Books.
Citation Guide
