He has published a number of books about lawyers as problem-solvers. In Rebellious Lawyering he sought to develop a new vision of the progressive practice of law. He is an advocate of client-centered lawyering, rather than the traditional approach to law practice which sees the lawyer as all-knowing and the client as powerless and needing help. The client-centered approach sees lawyers as working with clients, rather than on their behalf. He believes that a lawyer should be knowledgeable about the culture and experiences of the groups that lawyer works with, and is an advocate of integrating the fields of law and sociology and anthropology.
Professor López has authored numerous articles and the following books:
- Rebellious Lawyering: One Chicano’s Vision of Progressive Law Practice (1992)
- Reentry Guide to New York City (2005)
- Streetwise About Money (2006)
- A Fair and Just Workplace (2006)
He is a co-founder of the Rebellious Lawyering Institute. http://rebelliouslawyeringinstitute.org