Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor's Fight for Fairness
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- Create Date：2022-01-19 00:19:20
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Laura Coates
- ISBN：B0984RXQSR
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
The CurvyJones
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 If I’m going to read nonfiction， this is the kind of nonfiction that is my JAM。 Right up my alley。 Cat。 Nip。 Gimme a police officer， a medical examiner， an attorney telling real stories from inside the courtroom， the day to day， the struggles， the micro and macro aggressions not only from the bench but also across the aisle… all while navigating a marriage， motherhood， family and race。 There are some accounts that are hard to read。 Some accounts that are funny。 Some accounts that made me tilt my If I’m going to read nonfiction， this is the kind of nonfiction that is my JAM。 Right up my alley。 Cat。 Nip。 Gimme a police officer， a medical examiner， an attorney telling real stories from inside the courtroom， the day to day， the struggles， the micro and macro aggressions not only from the bench but also across the aisle… all while navigating a marriage， motherhood， family and race。 There are some accounts that are hard to read。 Some accounts that are funny。 Some accounts that made me tilt my head and say， ‘no she did NOT say that to you， Ms。 Coats！’ Really enjoyed， wish I would have been granted an audio ARC because some of these stories I want to hear with our intonation。 I may look for it at hoopla/scribd and give it a second listen。 Well worth it。 I really liked it， especially the last chapter。 。。。more
Ella
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For those of us who are often seen as “too sensitive”， compartmentalization is the key as told by the wise。 To an extent， it is true。 Compartmentalizing can save us from deep emotional pain or even unjustified， clouded judgment due to personal biases。 There is no denying that it is an effective method for “thinking beyond ourselves。” The question， however， is just how far can compartmentalizing take us？ This question becomes even more difficult when we add identity and personal labels into the m For those of us who are often seen as “too sensitive”， compartmentalization is the key as told by the wise。 To an extent， it is true。 Compartmentalizing can save us from deep emotional pain or even unjustified， clouded judgment due to personal biases。 There is no denying that it is an effective method for “thinking beyond ourselves。” The question， however， is just how far can compartmentalizing take us？ This question becomes even more difficult when we add identity and personal labels into the mix。 It is no secret that our identities affect the lens in which we perceive our experiences。 With this in mind， we must ask ourselves this: is it truly possible to effectively tuck away facets of our identities？ How far can we divide the self until it becomes inconceivable while in the pursuit of pure objectivity？ Moreover， is pure objectivity even possible？ In Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor’s Fight for Fairness， former federal prosecutor Laura Coates seeks to address these questions。 The memoir contains 16 delicately written personal essays chronicling times in which identity was rather difficult to ignore。 These essays are not only limited to Coates’ experiences as a Black prosecutor but they also add insight to her experience as a woman and a mother。 Just Pursuits is both deeply evocative and introspective。 For fans of Coates， this work offers us an intimate look at the side of her that is so rarely seen in her public career。 Just Pursuits is Laura Coates’ exploration of the complexity of intersectionality– particularly in the context of pursuing justice。 While it is written by a prosecutor， I do not think interest would be limited only to those individuals with a particular interest in the legal field。 Instead， I believe that practically anyone interested in the concept of identity would appreciate this work。 It is neither convoluted nor inaccessible， but rather concise and effective。 Just Pursuits: A Black Prosecutor’s Fight or Fairness is a memoir sure to capture the hearts of many readers。 *This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you NetGalley， Simon and Schuster， and Laura Coates for allowing me the opportunity to read and interact with this work。 。。。more
Misi
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I enjoy watching Laura Coates on television and hearing her provide legal analysis on cases pending around the country and providing her opinions。 So when I saw she authored this book， I knew I had to read it。 Having her pull back the veil on her work as a prosecutor at the Justice Department was both informative and interesting。 The personal anecdotes were a plus because so often I can imagine how the sheer volume makes it seem like just another case， but you have to remember you are dealing wi I enjoy watching Laura Coates on television and hearing her provide legal analysis on cases pending around the country and providing her opinions。 So when I saw she authored this book， I knew I had to read it。 Having her pull back the veil on her work as a prosecutor at the Justice Department was both informative and interesting。 The personal anecdotes were a plus because so often I can imagine how the sheer volume makes it seem like just another case， but you have to remember you are dealing with individuals’ lives。 The grappling of her role within the system as a Black woman was important and I’m glad she didn’t shy away from this in the book。 This was a good read。 4 stars ⭐️。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review。 。。。more
Janalyn Prude
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A soft hearted， Hard fighting， warrior for justice。 A prosecutor who wants justice for everyone， but sometimes put in positions that make it look as if she’s only out for the office she works for。 Laura coats was a prosecutor in the DC area。 From the first chapter of the book she talks about the unfortunate situation shes put in and how feels about it， she comes out looking like the bad guy。。 she talks about race， the consequences of race and her ability to circumvent the status quo of all the w A soft hearted， Hard fighting， warrior for justice。 A prosecutor who wants justice for everyone， but sometimes put in positions that make it look as if she’s only out for the office she works for。 Laura coats was a prosecutor in the DC area。 From the first chapter of the book she talks about the unfortunate situation shes put in and how feels about it， she comes out looking like the bad guy。。 she talks about race， the consequences of race and her ability to circumvent the status quo of all the white boys who didn’t get picked in gym class。 She sees the situation from both sides， something her colleagues， White and black seem to neglect or not have the ability to do so there were a few offensive moments in the box， but the one that stuck out the most was when her coworker Nick， took her down to the basement to watch an interview， he told her they would have some fun。 Then he proceeded to try talking in a way known to to inner-city youth and rich white boys and despite he was probably a rich white boy。 He didn’t have the swagger to pull it off and only sounded like an unpopular guy in high school trying to fit in。 They say truth is stranger than fiction in this book is a great example of that。 It was so interesting to see life not only from the prosecutors point， but a black female prosecutor in an office with ignorant coworkers。 I love that she didn’t call everyone of any race in the same box and that everyone got a fair shake and her eyes。 I have A lot of respect for and wish nothing but the best for her and her family。 She seems to be a great person， mother and lawyer and now author。 I highly recommend this book if you love being a fly on the wall then read this book。 It will not only open your eyes two things that are wrong with the justice system but it’s also very entertaining。 The only thing I disagree with is win in the book they say the justice system is unfair for Black people。 It really is and has always been unfair for poor people。 All you have to do is walk in with expensive lawyers that played golf with the judge and more than likely you’ll get time served or probation。 The system is not set up for the every day working man but for the rich。 That was my only negative from the book and again that’s just my opinion。 Irregardless this was a great book and I loved it！ I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley Shelf and The publisher， but I am leaving this review voluntarily。 Please forgive any grammatical or punctuation errors as I am blind and dictate my review， but all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Maxine
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The pursuit of justice creates injusticeLaura Coares worked as a federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice （DOJ） in Washington for four years。 As a Black woman who knew the inequities in the system especially against Black men， she began the job with the hope that she could bring more justice to the most vulnerable。 She quickly learned that the system would not easily be fixed。In her book Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor’s Fight for Fairness， she looks at several cases in her time at the The pursuit of justice creates injusticeLaura Coares worked as a federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice （DOJ） in Washington for four years。 As a Black woman who knew the inequities in the system especially against Black men， she began the job with the hope that she could bring more justice to the most vulnerable。 She quickly learned that the system would not easily be fixed。In her book Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor’s Fight for Fairness， she looks at several cases in her time at the Justice Department。 She discusses several different cases showing not only how the pursuit of justice can affect the victim negatively but the collateral damage it can have eg a man who is picked up by ICE at the court house after a 20 year-old-old deportation warrant is discovered when he agrees to testify against the man who stole his car and the Black mother who tries to have the sentences reduced on the men who killed her son because， as she tries to explain， young men do dumb things but they shouldn’t have their lives ruined because of it。 Coates accepts that being Black doesn’t necessarily mean innocence but racism has an effect on how defendants are treated as in the case of a man charged with an offence who insists that， despite having the same name as the suspect， it isn’t him。 No one believes him but the ridicule he receives from everyone including the judge makes Coates decide to at least look into it especially after she learns no one seems to have seen a picture of the actual suspect。 Turns out he looks nothing like the man arrested。The story is interspersed with details of her own life as she and her husband， Dale， start a family， her fears when she is told tests show her baby might have spina bifida， and the difficulties of balancing her work with being a mother to two small children。 She also tells the story of when a White colleague decides to mansplain to her about how to interrogate a Black suspect。The cases in this book are all tragic and some are hard to very read about like the young girl testifying against her stepfather who has been sexually abusing her since prepubescence， a fact her mother was aware of， only to have the female judge find against her because of the clothes she wore to court。 But they all give insights to a system that is not only complex but fallible。Despite the subject matter， I found Just Pursuits an engossing read due in great extent to Coates’ writing style。 Unlike many nonfiction books which tend to be dry often pedantic tomes meant for those who work within the system， Coates makes it more personal， recreating conversations with victims， families etc， giving the book the flow of a novel。 That is not to say the book isn’t an important and serious look at the subject matter - it is that -biut one that those with little or no experience with the system can read and understand that law doesn’t always equal justice。Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Rebecca
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A must read for times such as these - especially if you ignore books on racism because you're not racist。 The book delves into how people and policies make racism institutional， something that your tax dollars pay for every day。 It shows how an individual trying to change the system from within is insufficient。 It shows how even people with the right intentions can make the wrong choices - and these are choices we must consciously scrutinize every time we judge another human being。 A must read for times such as these - especially if you ignore books on racism because you're not racist。 The book delves into how people and policies make racism institutional， something that your tax dollars pay for every day。 It shows how an individual trying to change the system from within is insufficient。 It shows how even people with the right intentions can make the wrong choices - and these are choices we must consciously scrutinize every time we judge another human being。 。。。more
Cindy （groundedinreads）
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I thoroughly enjoyed Laura Coates’ voice in this book about injustice & judicial stereotyping。 The cases that she featured in this book are just a sampling of what goes on in the courts every single day。 I appreciated Coates’ candor and will to speak up when something was askew。 Some of the cases that pulled at my heart strings were ones involving ICE， mistaken identity & pleas of the victim’s family regarding the convictions of young men。 I wish there were more people like her in our court syst I thoroughly enjoyed Laura Coates’ voice in this book about injustice & judicial stereotyping。 The cases that she featured in this book are just a sampling of what goes on in the courts every single day。 I appreciated Coates’ candor and will to speak up when something was askew。 Some of the cases that pulled at my heart strings were ones involving ICE， mistaken identity & pleas of the victim’s family regarding the convictions of young men。 I wish there were more people like her in our court system。Thank you @netgalley for the eArc！ 。。。more
Ryo
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I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway。I was not familiar with Laura Coates before this book， so I went into this without knowing anything about her career。 She worked in the US Department of Justice as a prosecutor， and this book describes various cases she handled while in that office。 The cases touch upon her identity as a Black woman who works as a prosecutor in a justice system that is heavily biased against people of her own race。 The cases described in this book e I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway。I was not familiar with Laura Coates before this book， so I went into this without knowing anything about her career。 She worked in the US Department of Justice as a prosecutor， and this book describes various cases she handled while in that office。 The cases touch upon her identity as a Black woman who works as a prosecutor in a justice system that is heavily biased against people of her own race。 The cases described in this book expose a lot of the frustrations she felt in her pursuit of justice， and how the system fails so many people， especially people of color。 Coates also encounters a lot of racism， both subtle and overt， and some of these incidents she describes are just horrifying， and the thought that people in this country are having to face such prejudice and discrimination is truly disheartening。 I thought the writing was engaging， and even without a law background， I was able to follow along， much like on a show like Law & Order。 I did feel like these cases were rather disjointed， though， and the only times I really felt like the author wrote at length about her personal struggles， her journey to her position， and her perspective on her role in the system was in the introduction and conclusion， and also the last chapter， which discusses secondary trauma and does not center around a particular case。 I would have enjoyed this more if there were a narrative thread through the chapters rather than just visiting specific moments in her life in the courtroom。 。。。more
Stuart Jennings
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This is a very good read。。。and just at the right timein history。。。Laura Coates has done a Superb job writing this book！She covers just about everything imaginable relating tothis topic。。。A must read in today's world。。。Highly Recommended！ This is a very good read。。。and just at the right timein history。。。Laura Coates has done a Superb job writing this book！She covers just about everything imaginable relating tothis topic。。。A must read in today's world。。。Highly Recommended！ 。。。more
Mary W。 B。
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Absolutely gripping book。 I gasped， I teared up。 It's hard not to put yourself in some of the situations Laura describes， to imagine what you would do if it was you/your child/your friend etc。 Laura writes in an absolutely captivating manner and it's hard to put this book down。Don't let the fact that the book details her time as a prosecutor scare you away; she explains procedures and roles in a very easy-to-understand way。 Absolutely gripping book。 I gasped， I teared up。 It's hard not to put yourself in some of the situations Laura describes， to imagine what you would do if it was you/your child/your friend etc。 Laura writes in an absolutely captivating manner and it's hard to put this book down。Don't let the fact that the book details her time as a prosecutor scare you away; she explains procedures and roles in a very easy-to-understand way。 。。。more
Dawn Michelle
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I always felt I could never be a prosecutor， defense attorney or a public defender/prosecutor ever and this book just reinforced that。 I cannot imagine doing that job， no matter how much you want to right wrongs。 I completely admire Ms。 Coates - what she did and what she went through while being in public service is nothing short of amazing to me [and to all the people she worked with as well] - how they dealt with all that sadness and depravity day after day is beyond me。 I think towards the en I always felt I could never be a prosecutor， defense attorney or a public defender/prosecutor ever and this book just reinforced that。 I cannot imagine doing that job， no matter how much you want to right wrongs。 I completely admire Ms。 Coates - what she did and what she went through while being in public service is nothing short of amazing to me [and to all the people she worked with as well] - how they dealt with all that sadness and depravity day after day is beyond me。 I think towards the end of her tenure， it was her child that kept her sane [she does touch on this in the conclusion of the book]。 Told in short story chapters， there really isn't a happy ending story among these。 You meet a couple of judges that have no business being on the bench。 You meet one prosecutor who obviously chose the wrong profession [one's personal beliefs can never come into play when you are in the Law] Yes， she wins [often and well]。 Yes， people who are vile and the dregs of society go to jail。 Yet， no one really wins。 People who need real help are not helped and you have to wonder how many end up back in that same courtroom again and again。 It was sad and disheartening。 Yet， there is hope simply because there are people like Laura Coates that give a damn about the damaged and maligned。 That fight for truth and justice。 That believe that lives matter， especially black lives。 That fight tooth and nail for the truth to come out and for lives to begin to be made whole。 But！！ Like she says in the book， there is much reform needed; an emphasis on mental health and helping victims past the verdict would go far in helping them not be victims again。 The way juries are picked needs reformed [some of this was eye-opening to me]。 Mostly， we need more people who are willing to fight for justice and not just write it in。 Overall， this book was very good。 It shines a light on an area that is not often talked about。 I highly recommend this to anyone。 Now， I am off to have some chess pie。 ;-）Thank you to NetGalley， Laura Coates， and Simon and Schuster for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sandra The Old Woman in a Van
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Is it possible my first book of 2022 is going to be my favorite？ I won't be surprised。Laura Coates first came into my universe while I watched news coverage of Derek Chauvin's trial last summer。 She's hands down the best legal correspondent I've seen on TV - all I could think when I watched her was that if a loved one or I ever had a legal issue， I wanted her on my side。So I leaped at the opportunity to read her upcoming book early （thanks Netgalley for a copy）。 Nonfiction usually takes me a whi Is it possible my first book of 2022 is going to be my favorite？ I won't be surprised。Laura Coates first came into my universe while I watched news coverage of Derek Chauvin's trial last summer。 She's hands down the best legal correspondent I've seen on TV - all I could think when I watched her was that if a loved one or I ever had a legal issue， I wanted her on my side。So I leaped at the opportunity to read her upcoming book early （thanks Netgalley for a copy）。 Nonfiction usually takes me a while to read; a chapter or two a day is my typical pace。 Coate's book， though， pulled me in immediately; I could not stop reading。 Yes， it's nearly noon， and I'm still in my pj's， with no regrets。 Her book has seared a place in my heart and brain。Just Pursuit is not a dry expository analysis of the DOJ。 Not at all。 It's a personal memoir of Coate's four years as a criminal prosecutor。 The book unfolds as a collection of stories。 Each chapter details a specific case or situation while describing how Laura， as a Black woman， and Ms。 Coates， as an attorney， experienced the intersecting facts and emotions。 It was riveting reading。As a professional woman， I identified with her working through two pregnancies and raising her young family。 My vocation is different， but the challenge of compartmentalizing the various sectors of life was relatable。 Mostly， though， Coates' stories impressed upon me the complexity of our criminal justice system in a way no book I've read before has accomplished （and I've read a lot on the topic）。 Choose this book if you are looking for a relatable， engaging， and profoundly personal depiction of our justice system。 。。。more
Alyssa Bernhardt
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Just Pursuit provides an insiders look into the justice system。 The juxtaposition of Coates as a Black prosecutor is eye opening and complex。 It is clear that Coates served her time with the Department of Justice dutifully and honorably but not without carrying pain and heartache。 Each case helps the reader understand how the justice system works and who the people are on the “inside。”
Kat
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This book is well-written， very accessible， and very sad。 It should be on everyone's anti-racism reading list。 I can see a crossover appeal for fans of true crime， as each chapter has a different courtroom scenario that Coates describes in vivid detail。 On the whole， it is a more personal illustration of many of the issues and dilemmas raised in Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow。 A very powerful book。 This book is well-written， very accessible， and very sad。 It should be on everyone's anti-racism reading list。 I can see a crossover appeal for fans of true crime， as each chapter has a different courtroom scenario that Coates describes in vivid detail。 On the whole， it is a more personal illustration of many of the issues and dilemmas raised in Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow。 A very powerful book。 。。。more
Cori
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Let me start with I absolutely needed this book。 As someone who had an interest in working in the legal system， with the same ambitions to help people of color and work with justice in mind。 Coates' storytelling really paints a picture that sometimes is easy to stuff down in the depths of our minds， about the "justice" system of America。 Some of the cases she speaks about are cases that she was the prosecuting attorney for and some are incidents that she witnessed as a member of the gallery in a Let me start with I absolutely needed this book。 As someone who had an interest in working in the legal system， with the same ambitions to help people of color and work with justice in mind。 Coates' storytelling really paints a picture that sometimes is easy to stuff down in the depths of our minds， about the "justice" system of America。 Some of the cases she speaks about are cases that she was the prosecuting attorney for and some are incidents that she witnessed as a member of the gallery in a particular court room that day。 She touches on her experience as a Black Woman having to report a victim in her case， due to his illegal status in this country （though he had more than contributed to the community he and his family rooted into）。 She touches on the impact of sentencing for Black/Brown people and the preconceived notions that sometimes shows up loudly， as well as， implicitly。 The privilege that is taken when our own assumptions are allowed into the decision-making process。 I appreciated that she even spoke about the weird enemy lines that arbitrarily happen between prosecutors and defense attorneys。 Definitely a good read。 And worth reading when it comes out in January。 。。。more
Michelle
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC！I heard this author speak in a session on books on social justice and knew right away I wanted to read it。 And it is good！ The stories the author tells of the cases she has been involved in tell us a lot about our "justice" system and the work that must be done to fix it。 Very well done。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC！I heard this author speak in a session on books on social justice and knew right away I wanted to read it。 And it is good！ The stories the author tells of the cases she has been involved in tell us a lot about our "justice" system and the work that must be done to fix it。 Very well done。 。。。more
Hannah Murrell
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I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir by Laura Coates。 I enjoy watching and listening to Laura's contributions on CNN and as a new lawyer myself， I was very excited to read this。 As a black prosecutor， her insight is crucial to fighting systematic racism。 In the introduction。 she mentions that out of the hundreds of criminal matters her office prosecuted， she could count the number of white defendants on one hand。 Throughout the book， Laura shares countless stories of what it means to be a black woma I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir by Laura Coates。 I enjoy watching and listening to Laura's contributions on CNN and as a new lawyer myself， I was very excited to read this。 As a black prosecutor， her insight is crucial to fighting systematic racism。 In the introduction。 she mentions that out of the hundreds of criminal matters her office prosecuted， she could count the number of white defendants on one hand。 Throughout the book， Laura shares countless stories of what it means to be a black woman working in the legal system。 This should be a must-read for all prosecutors。 It was thought-provoking and tragic。 I cannot wait to purchase a physical copy of this book to add to my shelf in my office。 。。。more
Fon | movedbyprose
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Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC。 *This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 I admire the honesty in this memoir。 The many stories Coates included were insightful in understanding the weaknesses of the criminal justice system - and Coates' perspective as a POC adds to the memoir's significance。 However， in the end， I can't help but feel like this was a collection of disjointed stories from Coates' career but not much more。 I'd lo Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC。 *This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 I admire the honesty in this memoir。 The many stories Coates included were insightful in understanding the weaknesses of the criminal justice system - and Coates' perspective as a POC adds to the memoir's significance。 However， in the end， I can't help but feel like this was a collection of disjointed stories from Coates' career but not much more。 I'd loved to have more of the nuanced discussions of race and justice that appeared in the last chapter of the book; the stories would have a greater impact if more pages were dedicated to Coates' thought process， whether in the moment or after。 。。。more
Scott J Pearson
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