10/22/03—Boston College Law School Professor Robert Bloom’s new book, Searches, Seizures and Warrants: A Reference Guide to the United States Constitution has recently been released by Praeger Publishing. Searches, Seizures and Warrants is one of a series of reference guides published by Praeger that include Constitutional Remedies (Michael Wells and Thomas Eaton) and Privileges and Immunities (David Skillen Bogen).

“Professor Bloom’s book is timely and important,” writes BC Law Dean John H. Garvey in a foreword to the book. “It provides a clear and elegant account of the rules governing our practice regarding searches, seizures and warrants…this book is designed as an introduction to the fourth amendment field for those who do not have the advantage of Professor Bloom’s wisdom and experience.”

In the book, Bloom traces the recent scholarship on the historical debate surrounding the fourth amendment, so as to determine the original meaning of this constitutional protection on privacy. He then explores through Supreme Court decisions various issues relating to this important protection, and subsequently points out certain trends in the Supreme Court's attitude. These trends become more imperative today as the U.S. struggles with balancing law enforcement needs to combat international terrorism with protection provided to the individual by the Fourth Amendment.

In addition to the rich textual exploration, Bloom provides a bibliographic essay. This extensive chapter provides a valuable survey to the literature.

Robert M. Bloom earned his B.S. from Northeastern University, and J.D. from Boston College. He has had legal experience in legal services, civil rights law, and criminal attorney as both a defense lawyer and prosecutor. He also has been a court-appointed master on complicated civil cases. He is the author of numerous publications in the area of criminal procedure and civil procedure, including "More Citizen Jurors or Fewer Citizen Jurors," [Japanese translation by Satoru Shinomiya] Quarterly Keigi-Bengo 33 (Spring 2003): 14-17; "Jailhouse Informants," Criminal Justice 18: no.1 (Spring 2003): 20-26, 78; and Ratting: The Use and Abuse of Informants in the American Justice System (Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2002). Along with BC Law Professor Mark S. Brodin, Professor Bloom also wrote Criminal Procedure: Examples and Explanations (3rd ed. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Law & Business, 2000).

Bloom recently served as a visiting professor at Kwansei Gakuin University, in Nisinomiya, Japan. His presentations and discussions included a talk on American legal education at the Hyogoken Bar Association, Kobe, Japan, and a presentation on jury nullification and suggestions for implementing a mixed jury system in Japan, at the Japanese Federation of Bar Associations, Tokyo, Japan. He also recently hosted a delegation from Kwansei Gakuin School of Law in Nishinomiya, Japan, visiting BC Law in preparation for establishing a new law school; hosted a delegation from the Japanese Supreme Court at BC Law; and hosted Dean Vladimir Utkin of the Law Institute of Tomsk State University, in Tomsk, Russia.

Bloom is a frequent media commentator and legal expert. He has been quoted in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Washington Post, Associated Press, and Newsday, among others, and has appeared on several television and radio shows.

Bloom received the Ruth Arlene Howe Faculty Member of the Year award from the Black Law Students Association for the 2002-2003 academic year.