http://www.theimbroglio.com/05/27/2006/matter-of-perspective-dos/ The ratio of people to cake is too big. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:16:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.theimbroglio.com/05/27/2006/matter-of-perspective-dos/comment-page-1/#comment-123 the imbroglio » Blog Archive » Anonymous Lawyer: Does the Truth Hurt? Sun, 11 Jun 2006 19:25:59 +0000 http://www.theimbroglio.com/2006/05/27/matter-of-perspective-dos/#comment-123 [...] In a nutshell: This book is simply great. If you have any interest at all in the law as a profession, this book will be one of the best “light” reads of your summer. As all the reviews point out, it’s so funny you’ll laugh out loud. And of course it is! What else would we expect from the genius behind the blog from which the book developed? On top of that, it’s one of the first books written almost completely in blog posts1 and its ending is likely to surprise you. But if you pick up this book only expecting some great laughs, be warned: Serious commentary on the state of the legal profession lurks just behind every outrageous thought, statement, and action of the Anonymous Lawyer. That’s what makes this book truly great: like all great satire, even as it’s making you fall out of your chair with laughter, it’s also commenting seriously on the characters and themes it constantly mocks. Ostensibly the book is about the Anonymous Lawyer’s (the AL) struggle to become chairman of his firm. But buried in the jokes is the story of why no one should want to be any part of that firm in the first place, let alone its chairman. It’s funny, but it will probably make you think, too. Of course, there are at least two reasons you may want to take what I say about this book with a grain of salt. First, I have almost zero first-hand knowledge of what biglaw is like. The only time I’ve ever set foot inside a big law firm I got so freaked I nearly crapped my pants. So while I think the book’s depiction of Biglaw is cuttingly accurate, I really don’t know—it may just be confirming my prejudices and stereotypes. And that’s the second reason I may be an unreliable reviewer: I’m predisposed to think the worst of Biglaw because, even w/out knowing more about it, I’ve long known I never want to be a part of it. That means if Anonymous Lawyer makes Biglaw seem like a form of hell, of course I’m going to love it b/c it confirms my prejudices and suspicions. I’m guessing readers who work in Biglaw and enjoy their jobs and lives (if such people can be found) would have a very different perspective.2 [...] [...] In a nutshell: This book is simply great. If you have any interest at all in the law as a profession, this book will be one of the best “light” reads of your summer. As all the reviews point out, it’s so funny you’ll laugh out loud. And of course it is! What else would we expect from the genius behind the blog from which the book developed? On top of that, it’s one of the first books written almost completely in blog posts1 and its ending is likely to surprise you. But if you pick up this book only expecting some great laughs, be warned: Serious commentary on the state of the legal profession lurks just behind every outrageous thought, statement, and action of the Anonymous Lawyer. That’s what makes this book truly great: like all great satire, even as it’s making you fall out of your chair with laughter, it’s also commenting seriously on the characters and themes it constantly mocks. Ostensibly the book is about the Anonymous Lawyer’s (the AL) struggle to become chairman of his firm. But buried in the jokes is the story of why no one should want to be any part of that firm in the first place, let alone its chairman. It’s funny, but it will probably make you think, too. Of course, there are at least two reasons you may want to take what I say about this book with a grain of salt. First, I have almost zero first-hand knowledge of what biglaw is like. The only time I’ve ever set foot inside a big law firm I got so freaked I nearly crapped my pants. So while I think the book’s depiction of Biglaw is cuttingly accurate, I really don’t know—it may just be confirming my prejudices and stereotypes. And that’s the second reason I may be an unreliable reviewer: I’m predisposed to think the worst of Biglaw because, even w/out knowing more about it, I’ve long known I never want to be a part of it. That means if Anonymous Lawyer makes Biglaw seem like a form of hell, of course I’m going to love it b/c it confirms my prejudices and suspicions. I’m guessing readers who work in Biglaw and enjoy their jobs and lives (if such people can be found) would have a very different perspective.2 [...]

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