Interesting take on law students...
936563
I have always liked John Grisham's work. This one left me a little conflicted. It started out okay. Then it kind of dragged for a bit. Then it became even a little predictable. It was a clever story, and I am glad I read it. I just don't consider it one of his best.
1155980
Even though I don't read much fiction these days, I did enjoy this "legal thriller." The author uses a sort of free-form writing style that moves along quickly between dialogues of characters and  thoughts of the protagonist.  The courtroom drama between judge, plaintiff, and defendant counsels is illustrative of courtroom rules and lawyerly strategies.  Of course, as with any good murder mystery, the reader can impute motive to just about every character in the book and even wonder if the defendant might actually be guilty.
762129
Historically and traditionally, "law" was considered to be something that lawyers and judges "discovered," rather than something a group of legislators made up and voted on.  The law was something that private parties used to settle disputes among themselves, not something that the state, or some groups in society, used to force their will upon others.

_Freedom and the Law_ explores this distinction, between the old idea of law and what people today call law, which is really legislation.  Leoni persuasively argues for a return to the imperfect but vastly superior Roman law, or the English common law, as a means of restoring the individual liberty that the state has been destroying in modern times.

It is a challenging book, and perhaps best suited for those with a strong background in history, law, and/or economics.  I first attempted to read it when I was younger, and stalled after the first chapter or two.  Coming back to it with more education and understanding, I've found a lot to appreciate.

Incidentally, this volume actually contains two books: _Freedom and the Law_ and _The Law and Politics_.  The latter is a relatively short collection of lectures from the 1960's, but will be of particular interest to anyone who's studied public choice economics, as Leoni examines the then-new ideas of Duncan Black, James Buchanan, and Gordon Tullock.
1913662
A new president of the United States takes office after a close election victory.  Early in his term, he faces the opportunity to make a key appointment.  Circumstances arise in a perverse way to make what would normally be a routine decision into a very tricky and challenging one for all involved.
Every law student is familiar with the Socratic technique of the professor starting with one set of facts, and then beginning to alter them to see how it affects the result.  By testing a full range of situations, the true legal principles begin to emerge.  Protect and Defend does the best job I have ever seen of taking this method and using it to develop complex questions in a novel.  Anyone who likes reading about the law will enjoy this aspect of the book.
Unlike most books about legal issues, this one also fully develops many characters.  As I read the book, I was also reminded of the excitement I felt as I read Advise and Consent.  The reason for this is that you (if you are like me) will probably identify with several of the characters and care about what happens to them and to the country, as you care about others and the country in real life.
The primary focus of this book is on abortion as a legal and political issue.  Most people do not like to read about this subject, but this book is vastly more interesting than most by shedding new light on the many complex perspectives that come into play.  On the other hand, the most gross details of abortion are fully exposed here, and will upset many readers.
Constructively, the book fairly and positively portrays many ranges of pro-choice opinion.  Unfortunately, those who come to a pro-life point of view from religious or moral scruples make out very poorly here.  Typically, they are portrayed in an unfavorable light.  This is a serious weakness of the book.  Had it been more balanced in its portrayal of the two viewpoints, Protect and Defend could have been a landmark novel about how America is dealing with abortion today.  If you are pro-life, you may find this book offensive.  For you, this could be a one-star book.  Mr. Patterson points out that he sought help from pro-life advocates, and received very little.  He notes that this probably affected the quality of his story.  If he had not provided that explanation, I would have graded the book down at least one more star.
The legal hypotheticals usually come up in the context of courtroom examinations, and are very interesting.  They certainly added to my thinking and understanding.  I suspect that they will to yours too.
The book also presents a cautious case for a possible way out of the political cannibalism that affects both major parties, so that few candidates for important offices are "pure" enough to hold them.
I encourage you to be sure that you understand all of the perspectives involved in abortion.  I suspect that most of us (and certainly me) have views that are uninformed in many ways.  I hope that pro-life advocates will take the time to further inform Mr. Patterson and that he will write another fine book on this subject in the future.  That would be a benefit to us all.
Look at all dimensions of important issues before drawing your conclusions.  Then check your thinking before acting.
32280
The strength of Mr. Coleman's work, The Pre-Law Companion, is its honest  look at the legal profession from the point of view most useful to a  potential law student: why you might NOT want to attend law school.  The  author is tough and unwavering in his approach to talking about the reality  of life as a lawyer, and in asking the questions that most people overlook.  However, his directness is tempered with humor, flair and personality as  he provides a rather endearing look into his own journey through the  process and shares some of the pitfalls he encountered along the way.  By  utilizing a healthy balance of instruction and wit, Mr. Coleman has  successfully created this essential pre-law guide.
 In the first half  of the book, the author leads the reader through a fresh and rigorous look  at his or her individual strengths and weaknesses as a potential lawyer.  Since obtaining a J.D. involves a significant commitment of time, money and  other more intangible resources (like family support, toll on friendships  or social life, the opportunity cost of lost income while in school, to  name a few), the decision to invest these resources deserves a hard look.  This investigation involves broaching the subjects of aptitude for the  legal profession (it is not simply about showmanship or being a good  arguer), the reality of life as a lawyer (beyond the glamour of "Ally  McBeal" and "The Practice"), and what else you could be or  would rather be doing with all of that time, money, etc. Ron helps each of  his readers ask the questions fundamental to making the right decision  about whether or not they should attend law school.
 The second half  of the book provides practical insights into preparing for law school:  first discussing appropriate undergraduate coursework and extracurricular  activities, then looking at life between college and graduate school, and  finally preparing law school applications, financing a legal education, and  exploring various types of law jobs that might be available after  graduation.  While discussing job opportunities, Mr. Coleman provides a  very extensive list of potential government positions for lawyers, and also  looks at lawyering in the business world, lawyering for public interest,  and of course, private practice.
 After reading this book, the  potential law student will have examined the type of work lawyers do, and  will have inquired frankly into whether he or she has what it takes to  succeed, and also whether he or she will enjoy life as a lawyer.  Above  all, I enjoyed this book because while reading it I felt like I had a  trusted, knowledgeable and funny friend spend a few hours advising me on  the pursuit of my law school education.  A rare treat, indeed!
 I  highly recommend this book for anyone deciding whether to attend law school  or pursue a legal career.
3471821
The Professor does a masterful job of documenting his case. He does not uncover an actual cell containing extreme leftists (infadels) and radical muslims (who are in the leftists view, under the influence of the opiate of the masses), but he does demonstrate that it is possible for these very different kinds of people, without a formal memorandum of understanding, to work for the same goals.
4387364
I liked this book, though for probably different reasons that it was intended.  I really liked the anecdotes throughout the book, and I liked the way it conveyed its message in a casual, level-headed way.  I found it very easy to connect with the author and his advice. However, I thought the book was more beneficial as a way to connect with a fellow law student, rather than as a guide.  I also found it kind of depressing that the "slacker" had such a hard time with the job search at the end of law school.  Maybe I felt this way because of the current job market and the underlying uncertainty of a job after school.  That said, I thought it was very good and well written.
1633183
I thoroughly enjoyed this little book.  Using very well written bite-size pieces, it provides an easy but effective introductory overview of legal systems, processes, and reasoning, as well as other related tidbits.  The illustrations are a nice touch too.  I recommend it to any layperson (like me) interested in getting a feel for these things.  And who knows, many law students and lawyers may benefit from it too.

The last words in the book perhaps sum it up: " ... a lawyer must love the law."
3358283
I will admit that I only started this book a few days ago and I am only at 5% completion (I bought it for the Kindle), but I am struggling a bit. Not with the subject matter, because I am a lawyer, but with the way in which it is written. Thus far I feel like I am reading a treatise for a civil rights course in law school. If that is the intention, then mission accomplished and I stand corrected. However, if this book was written for all who wish to be enlightened on Jim Crow and Civil Rights, I would try another text first.

The author does state up front that it is meant to be factual. And it is. It is disturbing to understand our nation's history - a history not so long ago. We are a young country and the systematic intentional disfranchisement of blacks is incredibly disturbing, especially in our judicial system and government. Though the original intent of the book may not necessarily be to incite passion, I think one may have to be emotionally dead inside not to be moved, shocked,or horrified. And ultimately thankful that the jurisprudence of our Courts (and public opinion) have evolved.

That said, I really feel there's a way to represent this information in a fashion more suited for reading than for study. When I first bought the book, I thought perhaps it was for a general audience - a way of helping the nonlawyer understand a fascinating but complex topic. Upon initial reading, I am now guessing that the target audiences are law students, scholars, lawyers, judges or perhaps government actors - not the enlightened citizen.

I believe if the amazon peruser is interested in understanding more about Jim Crow laws and our Courts' struggles with these laws under our Constitution, look for another book or, better yet, ask a civil rights lawyer or professor to lead a discussion group featuring this text. Again, this book, in my reading thus far, gives a fantastic factual picture of the interplay. It would be a great reference if you are a law student writing a paper for a civil rights course.  The author is clearly an expert. That said, I don't believe it's written for casual reading, Starbucks in hand, feet up on the coffee table. It's a more "formal read" if you get my meaning. EXAMPLE: It's filled with deliberate transitions - reminiscent of thesis writing - you need to get to the next point because it was in your outline, so you use lots of "According tos and Moreovers" to move from topic to topic. If you are a young law student, keep your Black's Law Dictionary nearby. I also suggest you make sure you have an internet connection or 3G/4G access for your iPad, computer or phone while you read, in case you need to Google a few terms.

I cannot imagine how humbled I would be to meet the author, me being a new attorney, not even wet enough behind the ears to speak in court without sweating. However as a journalism undergrad and a pretty decent blogger, I think if the target is the general enlightened citizen, it's a little off center.
2781356
If you are looking for a legal thriller, this is not the book for you.
Grisham has broken all the contemporary rules for novel writing.  This book is not fast paced and does not have a hook.  It is about a young wall street attorney who by fate winds up working in Applachia.

The novel educates about the problems of strip mining and  black lung disease caused by coal mining, topics that I admittedly did not know much about.  This book is very different than most of Grisham's novels except that it does explore that omnipresent theme of corrupt law firms and an attorney's struggle to remain ethical.

I found the middle of the book to be suspenseful, but the ending kind of sputtered leaving too many loose ends for me.
Grisham's previous book, Sycamore Row, was much more appealing to me.

Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable and educational read.  A low four star rating.
I just wrote a novel and I hope anyone who reads this check out my book as well.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Blind-Mule/dp/B00L5QHAYW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Blind Mule</a>
4546615
I never read legal thrillers until I actually completed my JD ... since I've had some time on my hands (waiting for my bar results), I've decided as a lark to read a few in the genre.  I must say that The Tenth Justice is one of the better books in the field I've encountered.

As many of the other reviewers have noted, the plausibility level of the book is low.  It's not so much that the broad plot consists of an unlikely scenario - a SC clerk gets tricked into divulging court secrets - but the "twists" occurring in the final 1/3 of the book tend to throw the entire book into shaky territory.

Nevertheless, there were passages in the book that made me laugh out loud.  I can't honestly remember having such an entertaining read ... at least since stumbling upon Christopher Moore.  The relationship between the protagonist and his roommates and fellow clerk are wonderfully developed (especially in the first half of the book), with some very believable (and hilarious) dialog.  While the setting seems more college dorm than Washington DC up-and-comers, it is still accessible and enjoyable.

Too bad the book falls apart a bit at the end ... overlooking this, however, the book is a fun read.
2244017
The book is fun to read and breaks down complicated and difficult concepts into bite size pieces. The authors mix in jokes (even jokes about themselves) to make the "units" entertaining.
The other comment complains of practice problems without explanations. That commenter fails to understand that this is a text book meant for law students. The problems are discussed in class with the professor and the professor walks you through the problems. It would be pointless for classroom discussion if the answers are provided, just like it would be pointless for a math book to provide the answers to its problems. The problems are extremely helpful when trying to apply the Code to everyday realities. I strongly recommend this book for a law school class on Bankruptcy.
1466586
Margaret Klaw is an accessible, warm and engaging writer. In Keeping It Civil she manages to humanize her frequently unimaginable, if not wholly maligned, profession. When I refer to her profession here I mean not only the law but family law in particular. My father was a lawyer, and he took a number of 1st degree murder cases, but never performed any work on any family matter in decades of general legal practice. He thought it was too ugly. So believe me, my default stance on practicing any kind of family law is "I would not, could not Sham I am...in a box, with a fox, etc. etc." But Klaw is nothing if not relatable, so I got a real felt sense of why she does what she does. The business and social oddities of this type of work were also interesting for me to learn about.

Since she softened this skeptic, Klaw could very well make you see lawyers as human beings who can help others and are necessary. She also lifts the curtain on a confusing system that affects many American's lives in the most fundamental ways. What's great is she never gets too technical or caught up in the legal profession thematic talk. She illustrates her points through walking the reader through the ins and outs of the matter at hand. Most importantly, her stories are engaging! You could finish this book before you know you started it. It's very light but very worthwhile career/memoir nonfiction, is what I mean by that.

To conclude, it seems like there is a lot of mystery surrounding how a lawyer behaves humanely and within the peculiar forms of American law when passions and the dearest interests of human beings are at stake. This quick but thoughtful book runs through a case to give the reader a good sense of the heart of this matter, at least in her own life. I particularly enjoyed her portraits of some of the different humans she encounters as opposing counsel (in the chapter of that title), and her clarification that most lawyers are compassionate but stay professional.

I got a copy of Margaret Klaw's little gem here from the GoodReads Giveaways.
1683244
I found this a very interesting book, although at times it was a bit like reading a textbook. A wide range of issues were highlighted through case studies.  We like to think our justice system is unbiased, has a high level of integrity and can be relied on provide a just outcome.  Whilst we don't suffer from rampant corruption, this book highlights that like doctors and the rest of the community, the legal profession and police are not infallible.  Political pressures, economics, time constraints, quality of investigation, tunnel vision, competence of officers etc all contribute to how well our justice system really works.  We would expect however that when it is patently obvious the wrong person has been incarcerated that there would be a timely process to make things right.  Sadly that's not necessarily the case.
If you are interested in this aspect of our community life then this is a very good book to read.  I have no doubt you will associate the issues raised with many cases you know of well beyond the scope of the rapists, murderers and thieves.
2286844
I got this book as a supplement to my coming law classes. In general the concepts are very well explained and the many explained examples are helpful. However, I wish there were some examples provided that were not explained and allowed the reader to work through them on his/her own.
3292835
Really good legal thriller, but a little unbelievable that a first year & first day associate would be saddled with such a big case; there would have been questions about this decision.  Also, get your legal dictionary out because you will need it.  I did enjoy this book and will be reading more of the same.
364939
As someone with no legal training, I was intrigued by the idea of reading about how the law thinks, and this book did not disappoint. The book is written in an interesting and engaging style, with lots of easy-to-follow anecdotes and examples. The book has four parts.

Part one: Facts and Laws. Describes challenges to figuring out what really happened in the past and making and applying legal rules.

Part two: Evidence and Precedent. How documents and witnesses are used to prove facts. How precedents work.

Part three: Trials and Appeals. How trial courts and appellate courts work.

Part four: Consent and duty. How the law handles broken promises and accidents.

This was a great introduction to the law. Highly recommended!