作者Michael Ratner（1943-2016）曾经是美国最领先、最知名的人权律师。他辞世前的最后一位客户是WikiLeaks前编辑，现在的政治犯人Julian Assange。他花了40年的时间美国宪法权利中心Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR)工作，从他们的诉讼主管做到他们的总裁。他同时也是美国国家律师工会的总裁。

Ratner经受过美国历史上最重要的一些案件，这本书深入地探讨他是为什么以及如何接这些案子。Ratner改变过历史，曾经组织600多为律师来捍卫人身保護令 (Habeas Corpus)： 这是在普通法系下由法官受理申請所簽发的手令，命令將被拘押之人交送至法庭審查，以決定該人的拘押是否合法，為法律程序保障基本人权及個人自由的重要手段。

Michael的办公室墙上曾经贴着一张纸，上面写着他的四个原则：

1. Do not refuse to take a case just because it is long odds of winning in court.
2. Use cases to publicize a radical critique of US policy and to promote revolutionary transformation.
3. Combine legal work with political advocacy.
4. Love people.

好评：

“A beautiful and compelling account from one of the leaders of the legal left... Ratner showed that one can indeed be both a radical and a lawyer—by acting 'one hundred percent on principle,' and by using the law on behalf of the vulnerable to hold the powerful to account.”
—David Cole, The Nation

“If you care as deeply and passionately as Michael Ratner, the suffering of the oppressed forces you to become a radical.” —Chris Hedges

“He was fearless. He was outraged by outrageous things. He was inventive when the law stopped short of providing justice. And working with Michael let you experience the exhilaration of taking the law to places where it had never been.”
—Peter Weiss, former vice-president of the Center for Constitutional Rights

“Driven by love and compassion, Michael Ratner was the most tenacious and brilliant of lawyers”
—Amy Goodman

“A fascinating read that covers much radical U.S. history.” —Ajamu Baraka

关于作者：

Michael Ratner是一位纽约的公民权利律师，也是一位社会主义者。他曾是美国国家律师公会以及宪法权利中心的总裁。他写过许多本书，包括： The Trial of Donald Rumsfeld: A Prosecution by Book, Against War with Iraq, Guantanamo: What the World Should Know, 以及 (with Michael Smith) Who Killed Che?: How the CIA Got Away With Murder.