A Critical View of Self-Defense Law Scholarship

On February 14, 2023, Dr. T. Markus Funk, PhD, published a 10-page paper entitled "Busting the Durable Myth That US Self-Defense Law is Uniquely Harsh."  That paper is the subject of today's LIVE show. Dr. Funk is a former federal prosecutor, US State Department Section Chief, and has taught at such esteemed academic institutions as Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the University of Colorado, and Oxford University. Despite those impressive credentials, however, this paper is very much a mixed bag in terms of its strength of understanding of self-defense law.  This is not a particular criticism of Dr. Funk--in my experience virtually all of the legal scholarship on self-defense law is pretty awful, regardless of author.Today we'll take the opportunity to apply a critical eye to Dr. Funk's "Busting the Durable Myth" paper, in part as a cautionary tale to not assume that a scholarly paper on self-defense law is of the quality one might like, even if the author has the most impressive of academic credentials. EMBED VIDEOYou can find Dr. Funk's "Busting the Durable Myth" paper here:  https://lawofselfdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Busting-the-Durable-Myth.pdfNEW! Law of Self Defense ADVANCED Class!This is our full-day course on the use-of-force in lawful defense of yourself, your family & your property, applicable to all 50 states.We only teach this one AT MOST twice a year, and this is the first of 2023.Saturday, April 15, 2023--PRE-REGISTER TODAY AND SAVE 10%!Want to be able to stay with us for the LOSD Member portion of the show? BECOME A LOSD MEMBER RIGHT NOW! It's less than $10/month, only about 30 cents a day! https://lawofselfdefense.com/joinSUBSCRIBE TO our NEW YouTube channel for short content:"Law of Self Defense Briefs"https://lawofselfdefense.com/briefsSUBSCRIBE TO our STANDARD long-form YouTube channel:"Law of Self Defense"https://youtube.com/lawofselfdefenseFREE! Law of Self Defense “HARD TO CONVICT” Webinar!https://hardtoconvict.com/FREE, BUT VERY LIMITED SEATS!FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION!We ONLY consult on legal cases for our Platinum members!BE HARD TO CONVICT, become a Law of Self Defense Platinum member TODAY!http://lawofselfdefense.com/platinumFREE BOOK! “The Law of Self Defense: Principles”Physical book, 200+ pages, we just ask that you cover the S&H:http://lawofselfdefense.com/freebookFREE 5-ELEMENTS OF SELF-DEFENSE LAW CHEAT SHEET!Totally free cheat sheet explaining the 5-elements of any claim of self-defense.If you don’t understand these five elements you have no idea what legally qualifies as lawful self-defense.PDF download, zero cost:http://lawofselfdefense.com/elementsDisclaimer - video is for educational purpose only.Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.