The Street Lawyer (1998)

Grisham, John. The Street Lawyer. 1998. Bantam, 2005.
John Grisham is well-known for writing legal thrillers that highlight problems in our justice system and the legal profession. The Street Lawyer is a good example of what he can do. Michael is a fast-tracked lawyer in a big D.C. law firm. When a homeless man invades the firm’s offices and humiliates the lawyers for not helping the poor and homeless, Michael is drawn into an investigation of unfair evictions. His traumatic experience leads him to quit his job and go to work for a street law firm specializing in pro bono work for the homeless. The story illustrates how poorly our justice system protects the rights of the homeless. The system is geared toward helping those who pay for legal help, not those who can’t. The book makes us respect those who fight the uphill battle to protect the rights of the homeless and validate their worth as human beings. Note: The Street Lawyer should not be confused with Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer (2005), which is set in Los Angeles and features a lawyer who works out of his car and defends drug dealers and gangsters. Both are readable, though Connelly is more focused on action than the legal issues. 4 stars. ( )

The Street Lawyer deals with homeless people, and a lawyer who gave up his position in a major law firm, the high salary, and the perks to work for the poor and homeless for very low wages. The book takes a sympathetic view of the poor and downtrodden, and does makes the point that society could do more for the deserving poor. That may make some readers somewhat uncomfortable, especially those who feel that the majority of the homeless are in that situation due primarily to bad choices they've made. Grisham deals more with the others, those who have ended up in the streets due to unfortunate circumstances, or the inability to overcome being dealt a bad hand. You get a sense of some typical stereotypes, e.g., evil, greedy lawyers, corporate greed, ignoring the needs of the poorest around us, etc., but while not necessarily all universal truths, open minded readers will recognize that many of these symptoms do exist in society. The book won't make everyone feel more socially responsible, especially toward the homeless, but certainly will make most people readdress their own views, and open some eyes to the problems the poorest among us have to face.
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Enjoyed it. Still relatable to this day in regards to homelessness and how society turns a blind eye to it. ( )

Michael Brock ifjú, tehetséges, jól kereső ügyvéd, egy híres washingtoni iroda tagja. Remek karrier előtt áll, nevét már mint lehetséges partnert emlegetik.
Egy reggel azonban minden megváltozik. A liftben egy hajléktalannal együtt utazik, aki pisztolyt ránt és kilenc ügyvédet túszul ejt. Bár a támadót lelövik, az eset valóságos lavinát indít el Michael életében. A kérdések nem hagyják nyugodni. Ki volt a támadó? Mit akart? Milyen sötét ügyek állnak az események mögött? A fiatal ügyvéd magánnyomozásba kezd és nem is sejti, hogy élete ettől a pillanattól kezdve gyökeresen megváltozik.... ( )

Michael Brock is een veelbelovende, jonge advocaat bij een prestigieus kantoor in Washington D.C. Wanneer hij erachter komt dat zijn werkgever een verschrikkelijk geheim verbergt, neemt hij ontslag. Als advocaat van de armen gaat hij verder, maar Michael heeft een dossier meegenomen dat eer explosief blijkt te zijn...