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The Street Lawyer: Summary and book reviews of The Street Lawyer by John Grisham, plus links to an excerpt from The Street Lawyer and a biography of John Grisham.

The Street Lawyer

The Street Lawyer
by John Grisham
Hardcover: Feb 1998,
352 pages.
Paperback: Jan 1999,
464 pages.

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BOOK SUMMARY

Michael was in a hurry. He was scrambling up the ladder at Drake & Sweeney, a giant D.C. law firm with eight hundred lawyers. The money was good and getting better; a partnership was three years away. He was a rising star with no time to waste, no time to stop, no time to toss a few coins into the cups of panhandlers. No time for a conscience.

But a violent encounter with a homeless man stopped him cold. Michael survived; his assailant did not. Who was this man? Michael did some digging, and learned that he was a mentally ill veteran who'd been in and out of shelters for many years. Then Michael dug a little deeper, and found a dirty secret, and the secret involved Drake & Sweeney.

The fast track derailed; the ladder collapsed. Michael bolted the firm and took a top-secret file with him. He landed in the streets, an advocate for the homeless, a street lawyer.

And a thief.

Media Reviews

  Chicago Sun-Times
"An entertaining read with an important theme."

  Chicago Sun-Times
"An entertaining read with an important theme."

  San Francisco Chronicle
The plot surges forward, pulling us along as we turn those pages a mile a minute.

  San Francisco Chronicle
The plot surges forward, pulling us along as we turn those pages a mile a minute.

  Entertainment Weekly
;Compelling...if there's any justice, The Street Lawyer will be his biggest hit yet.

  School Library Journal
Michael's transformation from greedy attorney to a sympathetic social worker is gradual and credible. Other characters are not as well developed. As Grisham includes many statistics and other relevant information on the homeless, this is an good choice for sociology students.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Caroline
From Highs to Lows,
I was required to read this book, for my senior AP English class, and of the other books that I had read so far were very boring and mostly non-fiction. When my teacher announced we were reading a Grisham novel, I was excited. I've read a few...   Read More

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Whittney Williams
Fast Track to the Streets
John Grisham does an elaborate job at provoking responses from one's sense of humanity, and drawing on the compassion within a given society. He shows us how easy it can be to do the right thing and help the less fortunate. I loved this book,...   Read More

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by gary
although this was not one of john grishams best books...it was still very interesting. i believe that his book The Client starts out great but then dies out as with The Street Lawyer. I do, though, recommend this book for people of all ages to...   Read More

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Christina
i am in the tenth grade and i thought this book was very interesting. it kept my attention and was always drawing me back for more. i think the street lawyer was an excellent book.

Rated 3 of 5 of 5 by Blake
This book started out with a bang, but as time progressed, it slowed down considerably. It was still good enough to keep me coming back for more, and it kept me guessing. Although it was not the best thing I've ever read, I recommend this book to...   Read More

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Douj
Great book. Im the type of kid who doesnt really like reading on the whole, I just kept asking questions and It got more intense. I like happy endings. I might even read it on my spare time!!!

...34 More Reader Reviews

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