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As a public interest attorney that tripped and fell into law, I was interested in the new perspective...or maybe a familiar one....so I picked up the audiobook since I typically opt for audio format when reading a memoir, especially if it is read by the author.

I think with my background, I found myself nodding a lot. She's close to my age and her experience mirrors a lot of my work, so it wasn't shocking. I could guess that some of the legal jargon might put some ppl off, but I think overall she didn't overdo it too much. I think her analysis makes the substantive and procedural part of law pretty accessible in general. I thought the book meandered a bit too much when she delved into her sexual identity phase but I suppose it was formative and she felt it necessary to highlight as a development of her identity and character....however I'm not sure she quite hit the mark in terms of connecting it to her overall theme.

I think she could have developed a couple of the client relationships a bit more for those not already acquainted with the legal field, however I understand there is a fine line because of privileges that may have been breached if she expanded, so I think I can overlook that missed opportunity as a practical reality. The biggest critique I have is that the ending kind of felt abrupt. I don't know that I got a big final message from it, but it may have been her intent I suppose.

I liked the casual style and the biting sarcasm that wasn't overdone. It's hard to hit the right balance on that kind of thing, but I think she did well for a first book. It was refreshingly candid and I appreciate that she didn't cast herself as a savior or an absolute authority on gender or race issues. She highlighted them without making it overly about herself, which is appreciated and consequently it added a surprising level of credibility to a book ironically titled Bad Lawyer. It's too bad our field forces people like her out, because they are so few of us that help safeguard against the monotony of sociopathic attorneys that feed off the inequities and injustices inherent in a system created by humans whereby many prey off the misfortunes of others for financial gain.

In conclusion, I think it was worth a read and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book for a book club. There are lots of discussion points to make for a lively debate. If I could give half points I would say it's a solid 3.5, but I rounded up to be nice.