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Street Lawyer by John Grisham, reviewed by Andrew M.

In his ninth novel, John Grisham continues to deliver a suspense filled novel that raises questions in the legal world. In The Street Lawyer, we meet a hard working and successful lawyer wishing to one day make millions in his premier law firm of Sweeny and Drake. As Michael experiences a life testing event, he comes to understand the real truth behind Washington DC’s leading firm and the hardships in the world of the homeless.

As the novel begins, Michael Brock, along with eight of his fellow employees are held hostage in a boardroom by a man called “Mister” wearing a trench coat with a pair of old, rubber boots. As he is standing there pointing the gun at the colleagues, he only wants the answer to one question, “Who are the evictors?” As the situation comes to an end, Michael Brock develops a long lasting interest in understanding what the homeless man’s motive was. When he realizes that Sweeny and Drake aided in the eviction of the homeless, Brock sets out to find more about the firm’s terrible actions. In search, Michael ends up at the 14th Street Legal Clinic, run by a man by the name of Mordecai Green. With a drastic difference in appearance, status, and pay, the clinic did not compare to the stature of Sweeny and Drake. However, there was one thing that the clinic had to offer that the large firm did not. That was the moral benefit of helping the less fortunate and doing what is right. As the novel progresses Michael stops at nothing to find the truth about the evictions, even if it means going up against his former and superior law firm.

Throughout the novel, Michael encounters many interesting people such as Lontae Burton, a single homeless woman who often sleeps in a car with her four children and becomes very close to Michael. On his journey he learns the reality about Sweeny and Drake, the hardships in the “real world,” lessons in the bond of marriage, and the importance of doing what is morally right.

This novel is a well written story by the popular author John Grisham. It is an appealing novel to future attorneys and people that see their future in the law field of law. Grisham provides a strong description of the characters and uses extensive imagery to give the reader the feeling as if he were actually there. This is a novel that starts off with a bang and keeps making you want to turn the page.

Some readers might find this novel a bit confusing, for the vocabulary and terms that are used can be. The readers also want to find out more about Michael, the books protagonist, and about his past as well as his future. Also, more about other characters is wanted. Some parts were a little slow and readers may find it a bit tedious at times.

Overall, this book receives four stars. The Street Lawyer is an outstanding novel that is appealing to those whose future is in a legal field and to those who enjoy someone doing what is morally right. Michael’s actions make the reader think on the other side before doing something and convince the reader to do what is morally right.