Lawyer: A Life of Counsel and Controversy [Hardcover]

Arthur L. Liman (Author), Peter Israel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1998

This posthumous memoir offers a look at a high-profile, high-stakes American practice and at the progress of law and politics over the last half of the 20th century. Arthur Liman was renowned both for his abilities as a corporate lawyer and for his commitment to public service and pro bono work. In this candid memoir, written in the months before his death, Liman recalls many of his most controversial, highly publicized cases, including his investigation of the Attica prison uprising, his role as chief counsel in the Iran/Contra hearings, and his defence of junk bond merchant Michael Milken.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Arthur Liman, a prominent partner at the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, died in 1997 after a distinguished career spanning four decades. He represented moguls and big corporations, but was at least as well-known through his public service record, first as counsel for the New York state investigation into the 1971 Attica prison uprising, and then as chief counsel for the Senate Iran-Contra hearings in the mid-1980s. Perhaps because Liman is circumspect with his clients' confidences, or perhaps because he died before he could completely edit his work, Lawyer doesn't have quite the same storytelling rhythm that one gets from, say, Alan Dershowitz. The anecdotal nature of the work, primarily cataloging Liman's successes and failures, makes for a certain sketchiness as autobiography, and lawyers might hope for more practice pointers rather than stories.

Liman's defense of one of his more notorious clients, Michael Milken, is strong, however, and he has entertaining and cogent observations on the multi-billion-dollar Pennzoil v. Texaco litigation. A subtext throughout the book is how the practice of law has changed over the years; the computer-dependent young associate of today will marvel at Liman's descriptions of the need for knitting needles to organize documents in complex litigation in the late 1950s. All in all, Liman's collection of tales and personal experiences provides a pleasant and engrossing read. --Ted Frank

From Publishers Weekly

High-powered trial lawyer Liman became a face known to millions when, as chief counsel to the Senate committee investigating the Iran-Contra affair, he grilled Oliver North and John Poindexter in televised hearings. In this earnest, energetic autobiography, Liman, who died last year at 65, portrays a Reagan White House out of control, run by zealous aides. He lambastes the Reagan administration for its disdain for constitutional procedures and its use of covert actions circumventing our system of checks and balances. A lifelong liberal Democrat, Liman voices his opposition to capital punishment because of the discrimination and racism he sees in how the death penalty is applied. His experience as head of an independent investigation into the 1971 Attica prison rebellion, in which 29 inmates and 10 hostages were killed in upstate New York, convinced him that U.S. prisons, dens of institutionalized racism, systematically degrade and brutalize blacks and Hispanics. Liman has had some controversial clients, notably convicted junk-bond trader Michael Milken, whom he lamely defends here as a scapegoat "vilified as the symbol of greedy and uncaring capitalism." This memoir combines genuine courtroom drama and frank insights into trial lawyers' tactics, as Liman replays cases involving such clients as Steve Ross of Time Warner and flamboyant entrepreneur Charles Bluhdorn, who created the Gulf + Western conglomerate. 8-page b&w photo insert. Agent, Wallace Literary Agency.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 386 pages
• Publisher: Public Affairs (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891620045
• ISBN-13: 978-1891620041
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,737,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Figure, Uncompelling Autobiography, August 10, 2003

By 

Greg T. Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lawyer: A Life Of Counsel And Controversy (Paperback)

Arthur Liman was a tremendous lawyer and citizen of this country. He was one of the more cognitively brilliant lawyers of the past 50 years, and possessed a social conscience of the highest order.

Unfortunately, something is simply missing in this autobiography. I found it uneven and incomplete. The quality of the book simply doesn't match the quality of the person.

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books in general, highly recommend it for anyone interested in law, December 27, 2009

By 

J. Park "Jin" (US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lawyer: A Life of Counsel and Controversy (Paperback)

I can hardly understand mediocre to negative reviews, and the fact that there are only five reviews for such an excellent book. If anyone is hesitating from reading this book as I was upon reading reviews, please take my word and give it a chance! I am sure first 20~30 pages would prove its value to you, especially if you are interested in law.

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT LAW...GREAT LAWYER, February 11, 2009

By 

Daniel P. Remy "ECONPROF" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lawyer: A Life Of Counsel And Controversy (Paperback)

Arthur Liman is the ultimate example of a LAWYER with talent, intelligence, and involvement in most great cases from 1965 through his death in 1997. This is a MUST READ for any aspiring laweyer and certainly a boost to a practicing lawyer. One of my lifetime 10 best books.Milken, the Contra-Ran Scandal, Atticca Riots,...he was the man there.