Customer Reviews

The Lure of the Law: Why People Become Lawyers, and What the Profession Does to Them

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This book captures both the joys and pitfalls of wanting a career in law. I recently received an email message from someone discussing what they would do if they had their life to live over again. As someone who succumbed to the lure of the law, I certainly agree with those attorneys in this book who would NEVER even consider going to law school if they could go back in time! For me, like some people in Moll's book, law school was more than a means to a living - it was a way to finally fit in. Tired of being outsiders, some of us felt that law school would offer a way to be with people like ourselves: smart; witty; analytical; quick at times with the sharp tongue. Moll captures how this dream was more than deferred for some attorneys in his book. Instead of encountering people like themselves - legal people who worked hard when they had to but were essentially good at heart - they met mean, sometimes over-controlling attorneys, who were so jaded by their pasts that they imposed their anger on everyone around them (and even those far away) who didn't fit their mold of being a 'good little lawyer.' Some attorneys in Moll's book love their jobs. Those, in my view, are either the exceptions or those who had the family backgrounds, connections and money to make the law work for them, even before they entered law school. The others, like myself, have been disillusioned by attempting to work for and learning first hand about some of the most powerful attorneys who they at one time admired and sought out as mentors. It was especially revealing to consider the views of the minority attorneys who Moll presented in his book. Many undertook law careers as a way to make the world less of an uneven place for men and women of ethnicity. What makes me really sad about some of the self-proclaimed great attorneys (some in this book; some that I've encountered personally) is the fact that they profess a love for the law and its notions about equality. However, it is the same powerful attorneys who, at times, don't hesitate to use their control to deny opportunities to and even eliminate the career opportunities for those less powerful in the profession. It would be helpful for those lawyers to read - actually read - this book. Maybe Moll's book would lead some of them to the fact that becoming a mentor and ally to other legal professionals instead of attacking and seizing on other attorneys' shortcomings would go far in making their lives less empty and in making the law more of what it purports to be -- a place of equality.

If you missed the description of the book, I should point out that this was published in 1990 and written in the late '80s. In the intervening years the country, the legal profession, and the country's view of the legal profession have changed substantially. The book's debate over the role and image of lawyers in society is simply incomplete since it predates Law and Order, the Clinton impeachment, the 2000 election, and the fallout from 9/11 and the War on Terror. Additionally, all of the statistics cited are two decades out of date. Unless you're looking for information on how lawyers were viewed in the late Reagan years, look elsewhere.

The author approached writing this book with a background as a Dean of Admissions at several undergraduate schools. From the bio included it would appear that his only contact with the law came when he was hired by a large New York firm as a consultant to improve the firm's image. The job went poorly (he describes it in the book, though without mentioning that it was his own experience) and consequently he decided to take out his frustrations in the form of this book. Simply put, nothing in his biography suggests that he's competent to write a book about the legal profession.

The book itself is a one-sided attack on lawyers and the legal system. The author pays lip service to opposing viewpoints but the viewpoints are always arranged such that he can contradict them later. The book is arranged as a set of interviews with random lawyers, lawyers' spouses, law students, and critics of the law, but these interviews are pared down to one-page or shorter "clips" that the author uses to make his points. Notably absent are dissenting voices.

If you're looking for an even-handed critique of the legal profession, this isn't it. The book is clearly (though not forthrightly) dedicated to attacking lawyers and the legal system. The book presents the legal system as a caricature of itself, ignoring fields like government service and other public interest law. If you're predisposed to dislike lawyers, for whatever reason, you'll like this book. If you view the legal profession positively or neutrally you'll probably get fed up with the poor quality of the presentation and one-sided arguments.

I only wish I'd read this before going to law school. Moll went around and conducted interviews of attorneys, former attorneys who've changed careers, law students, and people who are married to or are involved with attorneys. There are a great many interesting perspectives given by the attorneys as to their motivations and general feelings about the law, as well as a little bit about how they got to where they are. It's like a book full of informational interviews. I urge prospective law students to read this, and the rest of society might also enjoy learning what makes lawyers tick.

The quality of the book matches the quality of the writing. This is how a book would look if it was DIY. It isnt a book, its a pamphlet.