Customer Reviews

Lawyerland: What Lawyers Talk About When They Talk About Law

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I can't really understand others' criticism of this rather fine book. As a current law student, it was a breath of fresh air to hear members of my future profession discuss their work in the context of everyday practice. The author has made no claim that this book will teach laymen anything about the law or the specifics of how it is practiced. It is simply a collection of insights related to the lifestyle which accompanies a career in the legal profession. For those of us soon to tread those waters, I highly recommend it.

The Amazon synopsis is right on. You may not like the people you meet here (Phoebe-Lou obviously didn't, I found them a more mixed crew) but you learn a great deal about the law when you learn the attitudes and dispositions of those who tend the machine. True, Lawyerland won't help you write your own will ("one does not learn anything definite about the law")--but then, that's not the point. The genre is unique--truthful, not factual--and the writing is wonderful

I have just finished Lawyerland and have only one comment: IT'S JUNK! I have learned absolutely nothing new about New York lawyers, except that the drivel from their mouths rivals only that of Eddie Murphy live on stage. Apparently foul language is an everyday thing in New York but to be used by supposedly educated men and women is a turn-off. Furthermore, the rambling "stream of conciousness" blather of several of the interviewees was a joke! I don't know how the literary critics could have recommended this book to the general public. Unless the ulterior motive was to show the reader that lawyers are actually WORSE characters than we perceive them to be. As if that were possible. I will henceforth do my best to persuade anyone who asks for my opinion on this book to bypass it.