Marc Galanter is a law professor of South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and professor writer and expert in Indian law.

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THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
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Marc Galanter, John and Rylla Bosshard Professor
of Law and Professor of South Asian Studies at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison and LSE
Centennial Professor at the London School of
Economics and Political Science.
[by Regan Morris]
What do you call 600 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?
A good start. legal jokes for about 15 years, and Lowering Originally from Philadelphia, Galanter
the Bar is just one of the many books he has studied philosophy as an undergraduate
This week, LawCrossing speaks with law written. student at the University of Chicago and only
professor Marc Galanter, the author of a new decided to go to law school once he realized
book dealing with the increasingly popular Considered one of the leading American he did not want to become a philosopher.
and hostile lawyer jokes, about his career as experts on Indian law, Galanter went to India Galanter’s published studies include “Why
a professor, writer, and expert in Indian law. on a Fulbright scholarship after graduating the ‘Haves’ Come Out Ahead: Speculations
from the University of Chicago Law School on the Limits of Legal Change,” an oft-cited
In Lowering the Bar: Lawyer Jokes & Legal
in 1956. article in legal literature. Along with Thomas
Culture, law professor Marc Galanter
Palay, he co-authored Tournament of
documents and analyzes legal jokes, which “I was always interested in India; and back
Lawyers, which chronicles and explains the
he says have become more prevalent and then, there was [former Indian Prime
growth and transformation of large law firms
biting since the mid 1980s. With the rise Minister Jawaharlal] Nehru. It was an
in the United States.
of technology and increasing numbers of exciting time,” he said.
lawyers, Galanter said there is often a public
His books on India include Competing
perception about lawyers being greedy or too “Going to India is like shifting from black
Equalities: Law and the Backward Classes in
powerful. He said that attorneys should try and white to Technicolor. It’s the incredible
India and Law and Society in Modern India.
not to take the jokes personally. vividness of everything, and what the Indians
Galanter is also an honorary professor of the
have accomplished by creating constitutional
Because some people would give more National Law School of India, and he served
liberty and rule of law is one of the greatest
regard to a snake than to an attorney, he said as advisor to the Ford Foundation on legal
legal accomplishments of our time.”
that people in the legal profession should services and human rights programs in India.
work to change the negative perception.
Galanter said he became the leading
For attorneys interested in a career in
American expert on Indian law because “no
So why exactly have lawyer jokes become so academia, Galanter advises that they not wait
one else was interested at the time.” Still,
popular? too long to start publishing articles.
he thinks that the increasing interest in
India will create much closer ties between
“I’ve always liked jokes. These jokes are a “I write a lot, and that’s what I love to do,”
India and the United States. He also served
part of our world, but we really don’t quite he said.
as a legal adviser to the Indian government
understand why,” he said.
for litigation surrounding the Bhopal gas
“When practitioners come to a law school
“Figuring this out is very, very gratifying. It disaster in 1984.
the question is, ‘Are they going to be able to
was a fun project to do—to take a piece of
produce academic writing?’
the world that you’ve never really questioned Galanter’s expertise goes beyond India and
or focused on very much, to figure out a joke books. He is a prolific writer and teaches
“Even though they’ve written a lot of briefs
pattern.” various courses in civil procedure, contracts,
and so forth, it’s still a question. I would say
dispute settlement, and the sociology of
faculties hate not giving tenure; they hate to
Galanter, a professor at the University of law. He is a passionate student of litigation,
turn someone down for tenure.”
Wisconsin-Madison, has been collecting lawyers, and legal culture.
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THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LAW STAR www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
Galanter noted that faculties will want tremendous job with lots of intellectual “Society sort of tolerates law professors
assurance that new hires will be able to stimulation.” mouthing off as experts on anything. People
produce quality writing; hence, writing is the expect them to be able to. Law professors
best way to get a professorial position. Galanter said that the only downside to really get a free pass to talk about all kinds
teaching law is the exams. Unlike professors of issues as if they were experts,” he said.
Galanter has been with the University of in other postgraduate fields, law professors
Wisconsin since 1975, and he also teaches at grade their own students’ exams and are not “No, they’re not experts; they’re kind of
the London School of Economics and Political allowed to hire graduate students to do the generalists. I’m sure they’re experts about
Science. He has also taught at the University work for them. some things, but they get to talk about all
at Buffalo Law School, the University of kinds of things.”
Chicago Law School, Columbia University “When you’re teaching a big class, reading a
School of Law, and Stanford Law School. three-hour exam for 120 people can kill your
winter vacation,” he said. Galanter said that although he is often asked
“People want to hire people they think will to comment on the litigation explosion or
succeed, so you’ve got to show them you can He also said that another perk of being a general topics about the legal profession, he
do this,” he said. law professor is that you are often asked to is rarely asked about India.
comment on events in the media.
“I will say one thing though: Being a law
professor is a really good deal. It’s a
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