At the Bar [Paperback]

David Margolick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 1995

Every Friday for seven years, David Margolick has examined the American fascination with the culture of law and lawyering in his New York Times column, "At the Bar." Here are the best of his observations on the lawyer's trade -- from its noblest moments to its greatest blunders. From profiles of distinguished or notorious legal professionals to provocative explorations of legal ethics and observations on the changing legal profession, this collection is an entertaining must-read for anyone interested in the folkways of modern American law, put forth with wit, rigor, and insight by one of the nation's foremost legal commentators.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From 1987 to 1994, Margolick, a lawyer turned reporter, explored the American legal system for the New York Times from just about every angle. This he did with considerable skill, wit and an elegant turn of phrase that bordered ever so slightly on preciosity. These legal brief-length pieces focus less on the gliterati of the legal world-although, yes, the ubiquitous Alan Dershowitz is here-and more on the unusual: an overlooked nugget of trivia, a question of ethics. The collection includes 120 of Margolick's best weekly efforts and several new essays. Arranging the collection anachronistically into 12 chapters with headings such as "The Feminization of the Law" allows the reader to place chronologically isolated columns into a wider, social context. The increase in the number of women partners at big firms, for example, is noted in a 1988 profile, and again in 1992. Nearly all of the pieces entertain, especially selections from the "Nooks and Crannies" chapter. At the Bar is the perfect reading companion for those who by circumstance, or desire, have short attention spans, or just a plain lust for the law. Illustrated.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (April 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671887874
• ISBN-13: 978-0671887872
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,243,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Margolick is a long-time contributing editor at Vanity Fair. He has held similar posts at Newsweek and Portfolio. For fifteen years he was a legal affairs correspondent for the New York Times. In October, Yale University Press will publish "Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock," a study of the iconic photograph taken outside Little Rock Central High School during the desegregation crisis of 1957. His prior books include "Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, and a World on the Brink" (Knopf) and "Strange Fruit: The Biography of a Song." (Harper Collins).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever and edgy, September 25, 2007

By 

Dana Marks (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: At the Bar (Paperback)

This entertaining book is like eating pistachios: you just can't stop with one column! Margolick's compendium of selections from his weekly New York Times columns demostrates once again his droll and brave take on legal matters of all stripes. A perfect gift for law students & lawyers!

4.0 out of 5 stars A humorous and intelligent look at the current legal world, March 23, 2001

By 

R. Stein "mnstein" (Bronx, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: At the Bar (Paperback)

David Margolick wrote "At the Bar," a weekly column for the New York Times from the late 1980s through the mid 1990s. Each column explored a new and interesting facet of the current legal world. This book is a compilation of the best of those columns (representing about a third of all the columns written) with addenda updating the columns where appropriate. Margolick deals with a wide variety of topics including: lawyers' use of language, dramatic changes in the culture of corporate law practice over the past fifteen years, legal ethics, women in the law, law schools, etc. Most importantly, the columns as a whole offer a light and humorous way to learn about the different aspects of the law.