Bad Lawyer: A Memoir of Law and Disorder
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- Create Date：2021-05-21 20:31:04
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Anna Dorn
- ISBN：B08HLQ4H4K
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Reviews
Maryann
，
BAD LAWYER by Anna Dorn entertains the non-lawyer with stories of her life as a law student all the way through the bar and beyond。 I wonder what lawyers think of this humorous and scathing look at the legal field。。。I received an ARC from the publishers。
Gene Killian
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A brilliant and engaging memoir from a former criminal defense lawyerI was looking forward to this book when I first read about it。 It did not disappoint。 To begin with， Anna Dorn is an excellent， engaging， unpretentious writer。 And， as a self-confessed introvert， her self-analysis spills onto the page in an very absorbing way。 Finally， she has a sharp sense of humor。 I finished the book in a day。She very effectively skewers the legal system （where I have toiled for the past 36 years）， and the b A brilliant and engaging memoir from a former criminal defense lawyerI was looking forward to this book when I first read about it。 It did not disappoint。 To begin with， Anna Dorn is an excellent， engaging， unpretentious writer。 And， as a self-confessed introvert， her self-analysis spills onto the page in an very absorbing way。 Finally， she has a sharp sense of humor。 I finished the book in a day。She very effectively skewers the legal system （where I have toiled for the past 36 years）， and the boringness of Old White Guys （Hey！ I AM one！）。 She is so right about so many things。 I work on the civil side （I mostly sue insurance companies on denied claims for coverage）， but the fact that the system only really works for the monied class is equally obvious and shameful。 If you don’t have money， or access to it， going to court can be a disaster。 She fought with Government on behalf of indigent clients。 I fight with insurance companies for clients whose houses have burned down （for example）。 It’s highly frustrating。She also caused me to re-live my unhappy law school days。 I made some good friends there， but law school is basically ridiculous。 They should call it law professor school。 It’s crushingly expensive and teaches very few real-world skills。The only thing that saved me from continued professional unhappiness was starting my own firm in 1995 so I could do things my way and get away from the stifling atmosphere of Big Law。 At one point in the book， the flirts with that idea。 But I’m glad she didn’t do it， because her calling is as a writer， and I look forward to reading more from her in the future。I felt badly for her through a lot of the book。 She seemed miserable （as many lawyers are）。 But now that she’s doing what she likes （writing for a living）， the book ended on an upbeat note。I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
M
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This book is what white privilege， elitism， failing upward， and a heavy dose of self-adulation （though the author “attempts” to temper it） looks like。 I received a free copy of this book from Hachette Go。
Brianna Miller
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As someone who always dreamed of working in the field of law， I was really excited to receive a copy of this book as part of the #HBsocialclub。 Unfortunately， it just wasn't for me。 I feel bad even saying this， because this is not a character but a real person - but I found the author to be rather unlikable。 She came across as boastful and privileged （She fully acknowledges her privilege， though。 I'll give her that。）。 She did not take law school seriously at all， and while I understand that it w As someone who always dreamed of working in the field of law， I was really excited to receive a copy of this book as part of the #HBsocialclub。 Unfortunately， it just wasn't for me。 I feel bad even saying this， because this is not a character but a real person - but I found the author to be rather unlikable。 She came across as boastful and privileged （She fully acknowledges her privilege， though。 I'll give her that。）。 She did not take law school seriously at all， and while I understand that it wasn't really what she wanted to do， there are many people who are desperate to go to law school （or even college in general） that cannot make it work financially。 She had all of her expenses paid for and really seemed to take that for granted。I do respect her for her honesty， however。 She was completely open about her apathy towards law school and did not make any excuses for her decisions or behavior。 I mean， the book is called "Bad Lawyer"， so she's well aware of who she is and is not afraid to share that with the world。I also appreciated getting an inside look at what working in that field is really like， at least in Anna's experience。 I do agree with her that many aspects of the law are archaic and in need of change。 It was not surprising， but still disheartening， to read about the flaws in our justice system。 I'm sure many people experience the things she did and it's good to have someone openly speaking out about those issues。 However， she also made some sweeping generalizations that I am certain do not apply to ALL judges or ALL lawyers。 There are plenty of people who get into law for the right reasons and use their positions for good。It was also interesting to see that from Anna's perspective， she did not view her clients as guilty （despite the fact that she worked in appeals， meaning all of her clients had been charged with a crime and found guilty）。 It wasn't that they hadn't broken the law， it's just that she didn't consider their crimes to be worthy of the punishments they received。 That's not something I've ever heard from a lawyer before。 Even though this was a short read， it was not a quick read for me。 I found it dragging and disjointed。I would personally not recommend this book to just anyone。 I think other people who work in the field of law would get the most entertainment out of it， and am interested to see if their experiences have mirrored Anna's。Thank you to Hachette Books for the arc of this book。 。。。more
Emma
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*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher （Hachette） in exchange for an honest review。*BAD LAWYER is a memoir about the author's brief time spent working in law—her lack of talent for it and conflicted relationship with it—but also the ugly truth of our legal system， one that is not nearly as glamorous as seen on TV。 It touches on interesting topics， like racism in our criminal justice system， women in professional life， and how societal expectations （like going to law school as a *I received a free copy of this book from the publisher （Hachette） in exchange for an honest review。*BAD LAWYER is a memoir about the author's brief time spent working in law—her lack of talent for it and conflicted relationship with it—but also the ugly truth of our legal system， one that is not nearly as glamorous as seen on TV。 It touches on interesting topics， like racism in our criminal justice system， women in professional life， and how societal expectations （like going to law school as a respectable next step in life） can hold us back。 But I have to be honest: I had some real problems with it。 The author is simultaneously aware of her privilege but also quite flippant about it。 There were also a number of bizarre takes and jokes about sexual assault， domestic abuse， and racial privilege that I really couldn't understand or forgive。 They were very hard to read， and I wish I could just erase them （and one entire chapter defending and justifying male sex crimes against women） from the book。 It really disturbed me。I liked the intent of this book—to expose the legal system for what it really is—but the execution did not work for me。 However， I think aspiring lawyers or anyone interested in how the law really works might enjoy this memoir。 。。。more
Jessica
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I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher （Hachette Books） in exchange for an honest review。 What a wild ride！I’m just about to graduate law school so I thought it was the perfect time to read this book。 Even though the author is a white woman from a privileged background and I am an Asian American woman， I still related to her and her experiences becoming disenchanted by the law。 I agree with a lot of her issues with the legal profession and system。 She went into criminal law， I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher （Hachette Books） in exchange for an honest review。 What a wild ride！I’m just about to graduate law school so I thought it was the perfect time to read this book。 Even though the author is a white woman from a privileged background and I am an Asian American woman， I still related to her and her experiences becoming disenchanted by the law。 I agree with a lot of her issues with the legal profession and system。 She went into criminal law， a field I have no interest in， but I am not surprised by her experiences or her realizations。 The legal system is incredibly archaic and it can be frustrating because of that。 Even law school itself makes no sense sometimes。 She writes in relation to summer jobs， “representatives from all the top law firms in the country came…and interviewed students for their 2Ls summer jobs， which are said to determine the rest of our legal careers。 Why？ I have no idea。 It was just something we all knew and all accepted” （pg。 83）。 That is a true statement and just highlights how cookie cutter becoming a lawyer can be。I loved how the author explained everything so simply。 For example， she explains all the basics of law school in such uncomplicated language。 She really provided an in-depth overview of all things law school。 She even mentions bar review which was something I was super confused about when I first started law school （I naively thought it was when 3Ls studied for the bar exam， but it’s actually when law students go out to a bar for drinks）。 If the author needs an idea for another book， she should totally do a “Law School For Dummies” type of book。 Her writing style is so accessible （unlike most law books） so even the lay person can understand what she’s saying。 This probably stems from her inability to master the Bluebook （another archaic legal gatekeeping tool or as she puts it， “The cursed Bluebook is filled with ways to make the law inaccessible to non lawyers。 That’s what the law is all about— making what should be accessible esoteric to keep lawyer salaries high” （pg。 66））。 I did feel that the book lost a bit of its steam towards the end。 It felt a little lost， like the author didn’t quite know how to end the book。 Because of that， the last few chapters were disjointed from the first half of the book。 The last chapters dealt with how messed up the criminal justice system is and I felt that those chapters could have been a jumping off point for a whole other book。 Overall， I really enjoyed this memoir on the realities of being lawyer。 I really recommend this if you are interested in becoming a lawyer。 Not everything she says may apply to you， but it does give honest insight into the profession。 。。。more
Jenny
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The parts about the justice system in the 2nd half were a lot more interesting than Anna's time at law school。 Definitely an interesting read for folks who work in any capacity with lawyers or the justice system in general。 The parts about the justice system in the 2nd half were a lot more interesting than Anna's time at law school。 Definitely an interesting read for folks who work in any capacity with lawyers or the justice system in general。 。。。more
Connie Courtney
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Not Very GoodThis is the story of a rich WASP who comes from a long line of attorneys， so she becomes one too。 You read about her experiences at law school， passing the bar， etc。 Anna Dorn came off as extremely unlike able。 Boasting constantly of being a fan of rap got kind of old & embarrassing。 We get it。 You're A privileged white girl who relates to Biggie Smalls & Little Wayne on a deep & meaningful level。 （yawn）Dorn is snippy， pretentious and frankly oh-so-predictable。 I don't recommend thi Not Very GoodThis is the story of a rich WASP who comes from a long line of attorneys， so she becomes one too。 You read about her experiences at law school， passing the bar， etc。 Anna Dorn came off as extremely unlike able。 Boasting constantly of being a fan of rap got kind of old & embarrassing。 We get it。 You're A privileged white girl who relates to Biggie Smalls & Little Wayne on a deep & meaningful level。 （yawn）Dorn is snippy， pretentious and frankly oh-so-predictable。 I don't recommend this。 。。。more
Anna
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This memoir was equal parts cynical and enlightening。 It was interesting experiencing Dorn’s detached and somewhat jaded experiences in law。 This book was my first exposure to this field and since this was her memoir to write， I don’t have many personal judgments on the content。 However， I enjoyed the writing as it felt very contemporary and made my reading of it go quickly。 I felt this would be suited for more of a millennial reader who would appreciate reading about the author’s views of an ou This memoir was equal parts cynical and enlightening。 It was interesting experiencing Dorn’s detached and somewhat jaded experiences in law。 This book was my first exposure to this field and since this was her memoir to write， I don’t have many personal judgments on the content。 However， I enjoyed the writing as it felt very contemporary and made my reading of it go quickly。 I felt this would be suited for more of a millennial reader who would appreciate reading about the author’s views of an outdated system and how it affects marginalized groups but with a healthy dose of snark。 Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Natalie Reeves
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I was looking forward to reading this book。 Unfortunately， however， I quickly realized it was not for me。 Little in the writer's experiences as a lawyer or in law school seemed realistic， and the tone of the book was off-putting。 Occasionally there were moments of humor， but the book as a whole was disjointed and hard to get through。Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a galley of the book in exchange for an honest review。 I was looking forward to reading this book。 Unfortunately， however， I quickly realized it was not for me。 Little in the writer's experiences as a lawyer or in law school seemed realistic， and the tone of the book was off-putting。 Occasionally there were moments of humor， but the book as a whole was disjointed and hard to get through。Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a galley of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Brenda Daun
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I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 This memoir about an overachiever who decides to go to law school started really strong。 The author has an original and captivating voice， and she balanced insensitive statements with humor and an awareness of her privilege。 Unfortunately， this delicate balance did not carry over through the entirety of the book。 What we’re left with is the story of a self-indulgent journey with some laughs along the way。This book is per I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 This memoir about an overachiever who decides to go to law school started really strong。 The author has an original and captivating voice， and she balanced insensitive statements with humor and an awareness of her privilege。 Unfortunately， this delicate balance did not carry over through the entirety of the book。 What we’re left with is the story of a self-indulgent journey with some laughs along the way。This book is perfect for people who thought Elle Woods was too nice， and that Amy Schumer is #goals。 。。。more
Misi
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This memoir details a former lawyer’s likes and dislikes about the legal field。 While there were a couple of funny parts， this book felt disjointed and the story was not cohesive。 While some legal experiences were relatable， overall it just left no real impression on me。 3 stars ⭐️。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy。
Sophia Dyer • bookishly。vintage
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I received a finished copy of this book from Hachette in return for my honest thoughts， thank you！I took a business law class in college and thoroughly enjoyed it， and despite the hard work （and being SO much more work than my other classes）， I also had fun and learned a lot too。 I even briefly entertained a career in law， or even paralegal。 Sadly that was a fleeting dream （I didn't want the extra schooling when I was so close to the end） so I was excited to read this book and see if the interes I received a finished copy of this book from Hachette in return for my honest thoughts， thank you！I took a business law class in college and thoroughly enjoyed it， and despite the hard work （and being SO much more work than my other classes）， I also had fun and learned a lot too。 I even briefly entertained a career in law， or even paralegal。 Sadly that was a fleeting dream （I didn't want the extra schooling when I was so close to the end） so I was excited to read this book and see if the interest is still there。I loved Dorns writing and I was left giggling at times， but also shocked at some of the injustices。 She comes out and says she knows people will probably glaze over the "lawyer talk，" and even if you do the book is still readable。 The second half of the book feels heavier and less light-hearted than the first， but its also a shift away from law and more into the process of getting this book published。The title is fitting for Dorn， who was a bad lawyer and kind of a bad student too。 I sometimes feel like I wasted money on college because I don't use my degree （degree in business， work for a florist）， but Dorn takes it further and talks like she's proud of getting this degree then not doing anything out of it。 I know it's hard to have a career shift after spending so much time and money toward one thing， but it does kind of suck to see it not pan out。This book talks a lot about privilege and injustices in the system， as well as the glaring racism problem across the US。 Dorn does make some sweeping generalizations about all lawyers and judges that I feel just aren't true， but not being a lawyer or knowing anyone in the profession means I truly don't know。So， in short， I enjoyed this book but it did kind of sway me from the idea of working in law。 I mean， just talking about how people go into law to "make a change" and then end up selling out is a depressing idea， and one Dorn discusses often。 It was a quick read and I got through this in no time， but I will probably pass this along for the time being。 。。。more
Peter Dyer
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"LA was unhinged and haunting in a way that appealed to me。 Everyone seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown。 I liked that。" -Anna Dorn， Bad LawyerAnna Dorn writes sentences that feel like a refreshing， ice-cold glass of lemonade。 I found her book Vagablonde last summer and devoured it during one of the hottest weeks in June， feeling seen by the pop culture references as well as the tart humor that I found on every page。 Vagablonde ended up being one of my favorite novels of last year， s "LA was unhinged and haunting in a way that appealed to me。 Everyone seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown。 I liked that。" -Anna Dorn， Bad LawyerAnna Dorn writes sentences that feel like a refreshing， ice-cold glass of lemonade。 I found her book Vagablonde last summer and devoured it during one of the hottest weeks in June， feeling seen by the pop culture references as well as the tart humor that I found on every page。 Vagablonde ended up being one of my favorite novels of last year， so I was looking forward to reading her memoir Bad Lawyer （which officially releases on May 4th）。Dorn's debut memoir did not disappoint。 I read it in a couple days， partly because it's a short， page-turning story， but also because Dorn's sentences are just so smooth and easy to read。 She's a no-bullshit writer， and a great memoirist。 Reading Bad Lawyer feels a night spent sitting at the bar with her， drinking Tequila Sunrises and hearing about her experience as a lawyer as well as her biting cultural commentary。 One of the reasons I liked Vagablonde so much was because of how much Dorn's influences were on full display。 I could tell that she was a huge fan of a lot of the same music that I am （Lana Del Rey， Yaeji， Grimes） because of how often those artists were name-dropped throughout the story。 It was a novel that felt very much like a product of Dorn's influences， and I liked that。 Bad Lawyer is similar。 While Vagablonde was lightly autobiographical， Bad Lawyer obviously delves more into the underbelly of Dorn's experience at law school， all the way up to passing the California Bar Exam and realizing that she was more meant to write creatively。 I also love how much of the 2010s are alive on these pages。 On the playlist that accompanies the book， Dorn included one of my favorite songs from 2010， "Pop The Glock" by Uffie。 The Myspace feel of that song is present in the scenes in which Dorn describes spending her law school days just smoking weed and watching reality television。 It's clear that Anna Dorn， even with all the weed she's smoking， had （and has） her finger on the pulse， always paying attention to her surroundings and the behavior of her particular milieu。 Some parts of this memoir lag， but that isn't even Dorn's fault。 It's more about who I am as a reader。 I liked hearing about Dorn's growth as a character， as well as her opinions。 Some of the sections about the bar exam and other more in-depth law topics started to become a bit dull to me， but I had to remind myself that this book was first and foremost about Dorn's experience in law school， and that a little bit of law education should be expected within these pages。 I am so glad that Anna Dorn realized that law wasn't for her， and I can't wait for whatever she does next。 I'll read anything Dorn writes if her prose continues to be as smooth and addicting as it has been in both Vagablonde and Bad Lawyer。 。。。more
Morgan
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As a current law student getting ready to graduate and take the Bar Exam this summer， I enjoyed this book so much。 Not only could I totally relate to the various experiences Anna encountered， but I also found myself agreeing with a lot of her thoughts on various topics related to the legal field。 I laughed out loud several times while reading this and then I also felt her frustrations and fears as well。 While her situation is different than mine in many ways， it still was a very interesting read As a current law student getting ready to graduate and take the Bar Exam this summer， I enjoyed this book so much。 Not only could I totally relate to the various experiences Anna encountered， but I also found myself agreeing with a lot of her thoughts on various topics related to the legal field。 I laughed out loud several times while reading this and then I also felt her frustrations and fears as well。 While her situation is different than mine in many ways， it still was a very interesting read because it highlights the flaws in our justice system and just how classist and elitist the entire process of becoming a lawyer can be。 If you've ever wondered what it would be like to go to law school or to be an attorney， or if you just want to know what really goes on behind the scenes in the legal field， I highly recommend this book！ 。。。more
Sara K
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I found this to be such an interesting read！ However， it is probably not a book for everyone。 Anna Dorn’s memoir is all about her experience going to law school （despite not really wanting to be a lawyer） and her brief legal career。 She talks about the challenges and flaws in our legal system。 Obviously， this was Dorn’s point of view through the process， however I did not agree with everything she had to say。Although not involved in the legal system myself， I am the daughter and wife of two lawy I found this to be such an interesting read！ However， it is probably not a book for everyone。 Anna Dorn’s memoir is all about her experience going to law school （despite not really wanting to be a lawyer） and her brief legal career。 She talks about the challenges and flaws in our legal system。 Obviously， this was Dorn’s point of view through the process， however I did not agree with everything she had to say。Although not involved in the legal system myself， I am the daughter and wife of two lawyers。 My dad went to law school when I was a teenager， so I clearly remember his experience in law school and it was nothing like what Anna Dorn described。 My husband started law school 3 weeks after we got married - and again his experience was drastically different from what was described。 The way that Dorn described lawyers， in my opinion， does not accurately describe them all。 Maybe I have a bias because of my relationship to lawyers， but I don’t think that is the case。 I think that like in everything， there are good and bad people （and parts）。 If you are interested in the legal system， this gives you insight into one person's experience。 It was fascinating to hear her point of view， even though I did not agree with all of it。Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Books for my advanced reader copy！ 。。。more
Kari
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This is one book that where Author has created a compelling narrative of how many occupations begin just because it is in the family blood as they say。 Having parents， grandparents， aunts or uncles already in the same career or business does sometimes entrap their future youth to feel they must fulfill obligations or try not to disappoint their family by following their own dreams。 So why not go with the flow and become a lawyer like your dad and so many others in your family; even if it means y This is one book that where Author has created a compelling narrative of how many occupations begin just because it is in the family blood as they say。 Having parents， grandparents， aunts or uncles already in the same career or business does sometimes entrap their future youth to feel they must fulfill obligations or try not to disappoint their family by following their own dreams。 So why not go with the flow and become a lawyer like your dad and so many others in your family; even if it means you’re going to be a bad one。 The Author is downright honest from what she sees， what she does and doesn’t do in her time from beginning law school all the way to the writing of this very book。 Be prepared to laugh， be shocked and to anticipate another book like I am。 Kudos to Bad Lawyer！ 。。。more
Kat's Book Club
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As a lawyer myself （albeit one who genuinely loves being a lawyer！）， I was particularly excited to receive an ARC copy of “Bad Lawyer” by Anna Dorn。 Unfortunately， I thought this memoir was a mediocre read overall。 In particular， Dorn’s account of her law school experience felt a little overprivileged， boastful and frankly unrelateable （e。g。 my law school experience was by no means “cushy” - it was hard work！）。 While I appreciated Dorn’s at times subversive insights into the flaws of the justice As a lawyer myself （albeit one who genuinely loves being a lawyer！）， I was particularly excited to receive an ARC copy of “Bad Lawyer” by Anna Dorn。 Unfortunately， I thought this memoir was a mediocre read overall。 In particular， Dorn’s account of her law school experience felt a little overprivileged， boastful and frankly unrelateable （e。g。 my law school experience was by no means “cushy” - it was hard work！）。 While I appreciated Dorn’s at times subversive insights into the flaws of the justice system， legal profession and its constituents， I felt that some of her comments （particularly about lawyers and judges） were sweeping generalizations， comedic exaggerations or uncomfortably gossipy。 That said， I kept reading all the way to the end because I did enjoy Dorn’s writing style - law may not have been for Dorn but it seems like writing is！ She published a novel last year （Vagablonde） and I may add it to my "to be read" list。Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Books for this ARC copy of “Bad Lawyer” - this book comes out on May 4， 2021。 。。。more
M Moore
，
I was drawn to this book because of the title。 I was raised by a lawyer and now I'm married to a lawyer。 I experienced law school as the child of and then the wife of a law student。 I expected a book of some anecdotes， realizations and truths about law school and the legal system。 But what I read was a frivolous account of privilege and sweeping generalizations。 While I appreciate that Anna does bring attention to the injustices of our legal system and makes efforts to recognize her own white pr I was drawn to this book because of the title。 I was raised by a lawyer and now I'm married to a lawyer。 I experienced law school as the child of and then the wife of a law student。 I expected a book of some anecdotes， realizations and truths about law school and the legal system。 But what I read was a frivolous account of privilege and sweeping generalizations。 While I appreciate that Anna does bring attention to the injustices of our legal system and makes efforts to recognize her own white privilege， she cancels out any progress made with her complete lack of awareness and efforts to justify her laziness and apathy for the legal field。 I could appreciate this memoir more if it focused only on her experiences and perspective but instead she makes broad assumptions and statements about a system that， yes is very flawed， but does not recognize that the system also includes passionate， driven and committed lawyers and judges who see the law as their life's calling to "change the world" not just a way to pass the time or fulfill a privileged family legacy。Thank you to @bibliolifestyle and @hachettebooks for this ARC。 Bad Lawyer is available May 4。 。。。more
Brandice
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Bad Lawyer: A Memoir of Law and Disorder is Anna Dorn’s memoir about her brief legal career。 After reluctantly pursuing then graduating from law school， Dorn realizes she doesn’t like much about the life of a lawyer。 It seems she enjoyed the idea of being a lawyer more than actually being one。 Parts of this book， especially in the first half， felt braggy （I didn’t even really want to go to law school， it wasn’t that hard， I was pretty cool， etc。） but， Dorn’s story grew on me as she eventually gr Bad Lawyer: A Memoir of Law and Disorder is Anna Dorn’s memoir about her brief legal career。 After reluctantly pursuing then graduating from law school， Dorn realizes she doesn’t like much about the life of a lawyer。 It seems she enjoyed the idea of being a lawyer more than actually being one。 Parts of this book， especially in the first half， felt braggy （I didn’t even really want to go to law school， it wasn’t that hard， I was pretty cool， etc。） but， Dorn’s story grew on me as she eventually grew up — Readers get to see Dorn’s growth， not just as a professional， but as a person in Bad Lawyer。 I enjoyed the later chapters where she discusses the deeply flawed U。S。 criminal justice system and found myself agreeing with many of her observations。 I’m not a lawyer but work in this space and was naturally curious when I heard about this book — The type of law you practice， your firm’s culture， and your prior professional life， can be significant factors in your overall experience as/ perception in being a lawyer — 2。5 stars Thank you to Hachette Books， NetGalley， and Bibliostyle for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Andrew
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Bad Lawyer is a telling of what someone perceives to be unsexy about their craft。 Dorn does this in a relatable， insightful， and often slyly crude way。 It makes for a laugh out loud experience， albeit one that does force you to look at how flawed the legal system is regarding race， gender， and other factors。 I breezed through this book thinking the entire time about how stuck we often are in positions we have because it’s convenient or because we’re told to。 It’s clear Dorn was in that position Bad Lawyer is a telling of what someone perceives to be unsexy about their craft。 Dorn does this in a relatable， insightful， and often slyly crude way。 It makes for a laugh out loud experience， albeit one that does force you to look at how flawed the legal system is regarding race， gender， and other factors。 I breezed through this book thinking the entire time about how stuck we often are in positions we have because it’s convenient or because we’re told to。 It’s clear Dorn was in that position and many of us are or have been in our own lives。 Dorn is outstanding in her truth telling and her candor。 I wouldn’t rate this as I did if I didn’t love so much about her story。 I hope it’s as insightful as I believed it was for you。 Who knows， maybe you’ll find your calling too？ 。。。more
R
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I couldn't make it past the third chapter due to the repetitive mentioning of weed， not wanting to be a lawyer， how she was privileged but took advantage of it， and the language。 It all got old fast。 I couldn't make it past the third chapter due to the repetitive mentioning of weed， not wanting to be a lawyer， how she was privileged but took advantage of it， and the language。 It all got old fast。 。。。more
BooksAmyRead
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I received an advanced copy from Hachette books a while back and only now got around to it and I loved it！ As a former lawyer myself， having gone to law school， practiced it for two short years， and then escaped that world， this book resonated with me in every way。 Reading Anna's accounts was like being back in that world， sitting with a friend trying to make sense of whatever it was we got ourselves into。 Her book is honest， brutally honest in some parts， but in the best possible way。 The only I received an advanced copy from Hachette books a while back and only now got around to it and I loved it！ As a former lawyer myself， having gone to law school， practiced it for two short years， and then escaped that world， this book resonated with me in every way。 Reading Anna's accounts was like being back in that world， sitting with a friend trying to make sense of whatever it was we got ourselves into。 Her book is honest， brutally honest in some parts， but in the best possible way。 The only way I can describe it is a "fun read about the inside world of lawyers that will make you hate the legal system even more！"。 。。。more
Stuart Jennings
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This is a really good read。。。regarding the legal system。。。Anna Dorn has a gift for writing。。。not only hilarious commentary but insightful views into our treasured legal system。。。If you're an aspiring attorney。。。here's a great read。。。so you'llknow what you're wading into。。。I loved the writing。。。the insights and the light-hearted waythat Dorn has described the rabbit-hole one is falling intowhen they enter the 'system'。。。 This is a really good read。。。regarding the legal system。。。Anna Dorn has a gift for writing。。。not only hilarious commentary but insightful views into our treasured legal system。。。If you're an aspiring attorney。。。here's a great read。。。so you'llknow what you're wading into。。。I loved the writing。。。the insights and the light-hearted waythat Dorn has described the rabbit-hole one is falling intowhen they enter the 'system'。。。 。。。more
Larry Tressler
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I loved / hated this story。 I was expecting to read a lot of funny or weird cases of how the lawyers screwed up。 I guess I did， but it was a lot more。 The more I got to know Anna， the more I did not like this spoiled， arrogant， entitled student。 Ok。。。 she was pretty much expected to be a lawyer because she came from a lawyer family。 Her answer was pretty much， yea sure。Her grandmother paid all her expenses， she spent most of her evenings drunk or stoned， and studied barely casually。 She had mone I loved / hated this story。 I was expecting to read a lot of funny or weird cases of how the lawyers screwed up。 I guess I did， but it was a lot more。 The more I got to know Anna， the more I did not like this spoiled， arrogant， entitled student。 Ok。。。 she was pretty much expected to be a lawyer because she came from a lawyer family。 Her answer was pretty much， yea sure。Her grandmother paid all her expenses， she spent most of her evenings drunk or stoned， and studied barely casually。 She had money to often fly from coast to coast， and even to foreign countries when she felt like it。 She never really applied herself to any project， and she only landed a job when she had a contact on the inside。 Must be nice。But she did open my eyes to the law profession。 Of how most of the work is just handed down to interns & clerks while the real lawyers take all the credit。 It started out light hearted & fun， but got heavy & boring the last third。 I didn't like it， but I didn't hate it。 Now that I'm done， it will not remain on my bookshelf。 I never trusted lawyers， and I still don't。 。。。more
Annie
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Thank you to Goodreads Giveaway for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。As a Paralegal myself I really wanted to love this book。 However， I end up with mixed feelings。 There are parts I loved and then very dull parts。The Good: I absolutely loved Anna's realization of just how unjust the legal system is especially using the comparison of how a white woman is treated with DUI charge。 I also really loved her time working in the Superior Court and the crazy anecdotes and behaviors of h Thank you to Goodreads Giveaway for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。As a Paralegal myself I really wanted to love this book。 However， I end up with mixed feelings。 There are parts I loved and then very dull parts。The Good: I absolutely loved Anna's realization of just how unjust the legal system is especially using the comparison of how a white woman is treated with DUI charge。 I also really loved her time working in the Superior Court and the crazy anecdotes and behaviors of her co-workers。 The Rihanna joke was hilarious！ Her views on how women lawyers are forced to dress/behave/prove themselves are also spot on。The Bad: The book seemed very disjointed and all over the place。 I could have done without the tediously boring case law and sample assignments she shared regarding her time at law school。 Also at times her privilege and slacker behavior made me roll my eyes in frustration especially considering how hard some people work just to be able to attend college （both academically and financially）。In the end， the book was just okay。 However， I will pass it along to all of my friends who are lawyers as there are some very funny stories within the book。 。。。more
Roxanne
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This is a very good read。 Anna never wanted to go to law school but she wanted to make her parents happy。 She finds out the law is not like Hollywood portrays it to be。 She learns the whole system is flawed and is sometimes not about justice。
Jane
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Thank you so much to NetGalley， Anna Dorn， and Hachette Books for an advanced e-book copy in exchange for an honest review。 The book was not what I expected and I had difficulty getting through it。 It felt like the author was adding in repetitive mentions of her extracurricular activities just for shock value。 The parts that were about her law career were overshadowed by this。 I didn't enjoy the tone or the content。 Thank you so much to NetGalley， Anna Dorn， and Hachette Books for an advanced e-book copy in exchange for an honest review。 The book was not what I expected and I had difficulty getting through it。 It felt like the author was adding in repetitive mentions of her extracurricular activities just for shock value。 The parts that were about her law career were overshadowed by this。 I didn't enjoy the tone or the content。 。。。more
Anne Hart
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Bad Lawyer: A Memoir of Law and DisorderBy Anna Dorn Available May 4， 2021Publisher: HachetteIf the show Gossip Girl and the movie Legally Blonde had a baby it would be the book Bad Lawyer。 Anna Dorn calls herself an “overprivileged blonde lesbians addicted to collecting degrees。” She is the daughter of a very successful attorney and money wasn’t an issue for her。 Although the premise of her book may be to highlight the inadequacies of the judicial system， she inspires others to watch to change Bad Lawyer: A Memoir of Law and DisorderBy Anna Dorn Available May 4， 2021Publisher: HachetteIf the show Gossip Girl and the movie Legally Blonde had a baby it would be the book Bad Lawyer。 Anna Dorn calls herself an “overprivileged blonde lesbians addicted to collecting degrees。” She is the daughter of a very successful attorney and money wasn’t an issue for her。 Although the premise of her book may be to highlight the inadequacies of the judicial system， she inspires others to watch to change the system。 The stories of her juvenile clients which she filed appeals for will break your heart。 Although she often cites penal codes and cases， this isn’t an essay designed to actually function as an in-depth critical analysis。 In fact all of the exact citations to the penal code， rules for the bar exam and even the few cases mentioned could be cut from the book。 What is gritty and real is her elitist gossip about everyone from judges to her own mother。 After reading Anna’s innermost thoughts， I’m thankful she isn’t a lawyer anymore。 Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it！ Anna is a great writer so society （or at least us elitist book buying readers） will benefit from her dry sense of humor。 。。。more
Jackie Taylor
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