Thomas Geoghegan Bücher

Acclaimed labor lawyer and author Thomas Geoghegan explores the differences between American and European lifestyles in a captivating travelogue that examines public policy. He embarks on five trips to experience European socialism firsthand, starting in France, which many Americans view as emblematic of the continent. His journey leads him to Germany, often labeled as "boring," where he discovers an economic model characterized by significant worker control, surpassing that of any other country. While acknowledging Germany's challenges, Geoghegan highlights its achievements and argues that social democracy could enhance quality of life and global competitiveness. This insightful book challenges the notion that the European model cannot thrive in the twenty-first century, suggesting it may offer valuable lessons for the U.S. Geoghegan contrasts the two regions with striking statistics: Americans average 13 paid vacation days, while Germans enjoy 35. In parental leave policies, new mothers in the U.S. receive only three months of unpaid leave, whereas Germany guarantees four months of paid leave and offers parents 67% of their salary for up to 14 months. Additionally, U.S. life expectancy ranks 50th globally, compared to Germany's 32nd. Through his exploration, Geoghegan invites readers to reconsider the benefits of the European approach to work and life.

In America’s Court is the thoughtful, witty story of labor lawyer Thomas Geoghegan’s introduction to the world of criminal law. After twenty years of civil practice, in which “complex litigation” fades slowly into settlement, he is unprepared for the much quicker justice of state criminal court when he assists in the defense of a twenty-two-year-old who, at age fifteen, was sentenced to forty years in prison for acting as the unarmed lookout in a botched holdup. In an America that now routinely imprisons kids as adults, he comes to see this small case as a basic test of human rights. The case leads Geoghegan to reevaluate his own career as a civil lawyer and the ways he might use the law to effect social change. Written with the author’s trademark intelligence and humor, In America’s Court is a compelling narrative and a candid look at the justice that our society provides for its citizens.