Book Review: The Street Lawyer by John Grisham

About:

Michael was in a hurry. He was scrambling up the ladder at Drake & Sweeney, a giant D.C. law firm with eight hundred lawyers. The money was good and getting better; a partnership was three years away. He was a rising star with no time to waste, no time to stop, no time to toss a few coins into the cups of panhandlers. No time for a conscience.

But a violent encounter with a homeless man stopped him cold. Michael survived; his assailant did not. Who was this man? Michael did some digging, and learned that he was a mentally ill veteran who'd been in and out of shelters for many years. Then Michael dug a little deeper, and found a dirty secret, and the secret involved Drake & Sweeney.

The fast track derailed; the ladder collapsed. Michael bolted the firm and took a top-secret file with him. He landed in the streets, an advocate for the homeless, a street lawyer.

And a thief.

My Thoughts

The master of legal drama did not disappoint with this one. Michael Brock was an amazing character. Imagine a lawyer on the fast track to being a partner of one of the top law firms in D.C., when a hostage encounter with a homeless gunman would change his career drastically, sending him to be a lawyer for the homeless, hopeless and destitute. THE VOICELESS.

Many times persons enter the legal profession, or any profession to be of service to the community, but then when money comes in the way the focus becomes just that, getting rich. Grisham being the masterful storyteller that he is, worked in a message that persons should always try, especially as lawyers to remember that the job is there to provide a service, to be of a benefit to humanity and be a voice for those who cannot do it themselves. 

The cast of characters were amazing. The most notable being Mordecai, the head of the legal clinic that Michael eventually began working with, When I read legal books, I always look forward to a trial. I think more could have been done with the "Case of the Missing File" I wanted more drama there. 

Overall this was a good read.