The American Bar Association's Section of State & Local Government Law has just published a new book on eminent domain fundamentals: Eminent Domain - A Handbook of Condemnation Law (available for preorder here).
I was privileged to author two chapters (Prelitigation Process and Flooding & Erosion), and my Damon Key colleagues Mark Murakami and Christi-Anne Kudo Chock co-authored the chapter Damages Resulting from a Taking: An Overview.
The price is $89.95 with the price of $69.95 for members of the Section of State and Local Government Law (discounts on books and CLE: another good reason to join the Section). There are also discounts for purchase of multiple copies. More details here.
Here's what the book offers, from the Introduction by my colleague Dan Dalton:
Eminent domain has a long and distinguished legal history, dating from the first limits on sovereign power in the Magna Carta. Just compensation is a newer concept, and court decisions such as Kelo v. New London make the exercise of eminent domain controversial. Can government condemn property to increase its tax base? Can the state transfer property from one private owner to another for incidental public benefit, and does this constitute "public use"? While eminent domain traditionally was used to acquire property for roads, waterways, defense installations, government and public buildings, and the interstate highway system, it has recently been a favored tool in developing urban areas, creating shopping malls, and building big-box retail stores. Eminent Domain: A Handbook of Condemnation Law is written by leaders in the field and will introduce general practitioners working for condemnors and property owners alike to the many intricacies of condemnation practice.
A complete Table of Contents is available here. This book is an overview of the law from folks who have been practicing in that area for a long, long time. It is intended as a "deskbook" -- a quick and handy reference guide for those who do not regularly practice condemnation law, a refresher for the more experienced eminent domain lawyer, and a "nutshell" for those who want to understand the fundamentals without having to delve into their copies of Nichols.
Finally, a shout-out to our editors: William Scheiderich, Cynthia M. Fraser, and David Callies, and the others at ABA publications who helped put the book together.