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The Street Lawyer

by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 56,428 ratings · 1,098 reviews

Michael was in a hurry. He was scrambling up the ladder at Drake & Sweeney, a giant D.C. law firm with eight hundred lawyers. The money was good and getting better; a partnership was three years away. He was a rising star with no time to waste, no time to stop, no time to toss a few coins into the cups of panhandlers. No time for a conscience.

But a violent encounter wi...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published April 26th 2005 by Bantam (first published January 1st 1998)

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Aug 03, 2008 Brian rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: r_fiction

Prosperous people should feel guilty because there are homeless people in our cities. That is the main message in this Grisham novel.

In the book are perfectly normal people who become homeless because they are down on their luck. Strangely, no mention is made of the primary sources of homelessness: drugs and mental illness. No, according to The Street Lawyer, the problem of homlessness is caused by the selfish prosperity of our country.

Besides the misled preachiness of the story, it's also rath...more

10 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2010 Candice rated it 1 of 5 stars

Boring. Preachy. Heartbreaking. Disgusting.

What was particularly disgusting was the protagonist's racism. There were remarks about a jury consisting of "12 black faces" ('cause there can't possibly be any white people in DC, right?) and the incredulous thought "a handsome white boy thrown in the pit!" and "the shoes in question were old Nike cross-trainers. They were not basketball shoes, and should not have appealed to [him.]" (because ALL black people play basketball, right?) Ugh.

Michael Bro...more

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May 13, 2007 Nathan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was the first John Grisham book I've read. The story was straightforward and interesting, but the book was surprisingly less gripping than I expected from Grisham. I expected more plot twists, betrayals, and fast action. Instead, the story was actually quite predictable. On the other hand, it certainly never dragged, and it was actually quite believable, which is more than I can say about the Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, or Michael Crichton books that I've read (which is sort of the pop-ficti...more

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Jan 24, 2009 Ethan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I personally have become a recent fan of John Grisham’s book and to any of those fans out there, this is a book that will not disappoint you. Even for those who aren’t John Grisham fans, this book is a must read. Grisham captures the life of the impoverished and needy in downtown D.C. and he shows how the law treats different class’s different ways. This book is not only a page turner but a fast page turner. I found myself rushing at times, anxious to read on and discover more about this mysteri...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 23, 2009 WK rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Not only does one of the most admirable characters I've ever come across, it has a meaningful moral lesson thrown in for good measure.

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 30, 2012 Devina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fun-read, justice, liked-it, politics, injustice

3 measly stars compared to what it could have been.

************

First off, I think this would have been a great book, not great as in ‘gonna be a classic one day’ or a ‘bookshelf must have’, but great as in ‘an abrupt reality check right up close and personal’. But it wasn’t. What put me off was:

1. Michael’s apparent racism which Candice, a fellow goodreads reviewer, had aptly put it:

What was particularly disgusting was the protagonist's racism. There were remarks about a jury consisting of "12...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 16, 2009 Nishana Sujith rated it 3 of 5 stars

What started as a casual not so interested read turned out to be a great book that really touched me with its beautiful story. If you could ever fall in love with a character of a story, then i will be with Michael brock ; the protagonist(after prince of persia of course).Anyway the story talks about this multibillion law firm lawyer Brock who after a hostage situation by a man of the street decides to dig into the dirt taking pity on the man's story only to find out the darkest and the dirtiest...more

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Sep 10, 2009 Chad Sayban rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended

It is a really good book - an engrossing story of a big-time lawyer who's near-death experience forces him to come to grips with his sudden choice to pursue helping people rather than the pursuit of money. This choice puts him in direct confrontation with his old firm, but even as his marriage and career crumble, his spirits are lifted. A great read that is light on legalese and heavy on the pursuit of right-and-wrong over money. Check it out if you get the chance. It's not preachy - it's just g...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Seth rated it 1 of 5 stars

If I had to describe "The Street Lawyer" in one word, the word I would choose is propaganda.

It tells the tale of a yuppie lawyer named Michael Brock who reorders his priorities in life after he's held hostage by a homeless man for an afternoon. He quits his high-paying job even though he's only a couple of years from making partner - and goes to work for a free legal clinic that helps the homeless. He thinks his old firm was partially responsible for the deaths of a homeless family, so he commit...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Colin Craib rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: law-politics

The Street Lawyer is what I would consider a typical Grisham book. It delivers well on the law, it has nice characterization for some characters, and it does not leave anything memorable behind. That is not to say that it's bad, but for those of you who are familiar with Grisham books it will be a fun read that six months later you'll remember the loose details of the book and nothing else. The main problem that this book lacks is the catch.

The premise of The Street Lawyer is that the main chara...more The Street Lawyer is what I would consider a typical Grisham book. It delivers well on the law, it has nice characterization for some characters, and it does not leave anything memorable behind. That is not to say that it's bad, but for those of you who are familiar with Grisham books it will be a fun read that six months later you'll remember the loose details of the book and nothing else. The main problem that this book lacks is the catch.

The premise of The Street Lawyer is that the main character, Michael Brock, has a life altering event when confronted by a homeless person. I won't go into the details since I don't want to spoil it, but I can easily say that I don't really believe the event in question would have made him do a complete about face. The situation itself isn't so implausible, but I don't think that Grisham wrote the scene believably enough.

After that Brock goes into street law, hence the name. He learns about how lucky he was, how spoiled everyone he knows is, etc. etc. In the write circumstances it might be touching, but again I think that it just lacked Grisham's normal flair for writing his main characters.

The new law firm he goes to work for (though it's hardly a firm) does introduce us to one of the more interesting characters. A black lawyer named Mordecai Green who's been doing this for a while. He's full of vim and vigor and a truly colorful character. Brock begins to learn under Green and continues on his path to becoming a better person, but he still lacks something that makes him truly relatable to. I don't know what it was that was missing, but I just found myself completely detached from Brock.

The other main problem is that the book seems to lack a significant plot. There is a case that Brock takes up against his old law firm, but it seems almost secondary. Towards the end the book picks up while we learn more about it, but the first half of the book seems almost preachy. Overall I would have to say that while I enjoyed the book, it isn't something I will reread unless I completely forget what it is about. 3/5.(less)

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May 24, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Grisham does know how to tell stories. He also is fond of crusading. He does both here.

Michael Brock, on the fast track to big bucks in a large legal firm, has an epiphany after being held hostage by a homeless man who calls himself "Mister". First, Michael is curious about what Mister really wanted. He does not believe the homeless man would have hurt anyone. Just a few inquiries makes him more curious.

He meets Mordecai Green, lead lawyer of a firm that assists homeless persons for free, and he...more

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May 11, 2012 Andrea Mcdermott added it

Andrea McDermott
Mrs. Davis
English
May 10, 2012
The Street Lawyer book review
Michael Brock was in a scrabble. He was climbing up the ladder at Drake & Sweeny, a giant D.C. law firm with eight hundred lawyers. The money was good and he was about to become a partner. He had no time to waste and no time for the needy. But he had a violent encounter with a homeless man that stopped him in his tracks. He survived, but “Mister,” the homeless man, did not. Who was this guy? Why him, why Michael? Mi...more Andrea McDermott
Mrs. Davis
English
May 10, 2012
The Street Lawyer book review
Michael Brock was in a scrabble. He was climbing up the ladder at Drake & Sweeny, a giant D.C. law firm with eight hundred lawyers. The money was good and he was about to become a partner. He had no time to waste and no time for the needy. But he had a violent encounter with a homeless man that stopped him in his tracks. He survived, but “Mister,” the homeless man, did not. Who was this guy? Why him, why Michael? Michael was determined to find out. He dug through the files at the Drake & Sweeny office and he found it. He found the little secret that could ruin his beloved law firm. What was he to do? The Street Lawyer engaged me with its use of crime and mystery.
The Street Lawyer takes place in Washington D.C., at first at a huge law firm in the clean, nice parts of town. It has hundreds of lawyers, including Michael. After a tragic incident with a homeless man who calls himself Mister, Mike takes a turn to the streets. He travels to the homeless shelters of the city, the churches that pack the needy in the cold winter nights. He finally gets a small glimpse into the life of a man with no where to stay and no food to eat.
The book focuses on justice. I believe this is the main theme and moral of the story. Throughout the story the characters are trying to find peace and justice for those who cannot do it for themselves. The whole purpose of some of the characters is to do this, including Mordecai Green.
Mordecai is a street lawyer, always has been. All he wants is maybe a few new phones at the 14th Street Legal Clinic where he works. But even more than that he wants to find justice for those that do not have a home. He is big and tough but he has a huge heart. Grisham does an excellent job of creating a deep and emotional connection with the main characters of the book. Michael goes through a crisis after the ordeal with Mister; he becomes stricken with emotional feelings for the homeless. He starts to realize the pain the homeless people feel. All through this emotional awakening he is also going through a divorce. The people of Drake & Sweeny including a man named Arthur are your average lawyers, tough, hardworking, and determined to bill the most hours. They have spent their entire career chasing money and a role as a partner. Arthur is one of the partners; he is eighty years old and has spent his whole life at the firm. But he may just surprise you in the end.
The Street Lawyer starts off with Michael Brock as a seven-year veteran at the largest at the largest firm in D.C. Two pages into the book, Michael and seven other lawyers are taken hostage at their office. Their taker; a homeless man named Devon Hardy. He calls himself Mister. Mister is loaded with what looks like dynamite and a loaded gun. But all Mister really wants is answers, he asks the hostages questions, such as “How much did you make last year?” Also many questions that relate to the charity that the lawyers do, like “How much of that did you give to the homeless?”
After awhile the Mister is shot by a sniper and the hostages are set free. After that Michael becomes interested in why Mister would do such a dangerous act. He meets Mordecai and Mordecai offers him a job. After awhile of debating, Michael decides to quit the good life and become a low paid street lawyer. After digging through the files at Drake & Sweeny he uncovers a wrongful act that a partner at the firm committed. After awhile Mordecai and Michael decide to sue Drake & Sweeny for what they had done. Drake & Sweeny will do everything in their power to keep the trial out of the press. They do end up settling the case and the 14th Street Legal Clinic get paid a large some of money. Michael is happy with his work and his job. He is finally doing something that matters to someone else.
The Street Lawyer is an inspiring story that says the underdog can win, in this case the homeless people of Washington D.C. Grisham’s captivating modern law made me want to keep reading, not only the book, but all of Grisham’s work. The Street Lawyer is a great book and will have you cheering for the homeless.

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Mar 17, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting enough as most John Grisham novels and it dealt with the social issues of homelessness that I read with interest as he unfolded his story. I felt it was fairly accurate in it's description of the issue that many in this country deal with and in fact too many struggle with. There was a lack of condemnation on part of the individual lives of the homeless and dealt more with the various conscious levels of the affluent and their views on poverty. It tackled the issue with decency. I fou...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Steven rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a typical Grisham novel, with the plot surrounded a young lawyer suffering under the weight of a corporate law firm. As with most of his books, he takes great pains to criticize the corporate law structure and speak out against the evils of workaholism, greed and the corporate law structure. It's remarkably similar to most of his novels, the main character is young, male, white and Yale-educated, has a strained relationship with his father and finds a higher calling. As with all of his n...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Michael Cremin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read a few of Grisham's early books years ago (The Firm, A Time To Kill) and thought they were, for the most part, formulaic legal fiction. I wouldn't normally have picked up another one of his novels,but years ago I read a short article he wrote for a high school magazine about how he researched The Street Lawyer, and I was intrigued. I finally grabbed the book last week and read it over the weekend. Standard fare for a Grisham novel: a young lawyer going up against a corrupt, powerful legal...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: legal-suspense

Good but not as entertaining as his other books.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The author’s intentions were to write about the plight of the homeless and generate sympathy, compassion, and hopefully some action. The character development and dialogue were excellent – as usual for this author. But the plot development wasn’t as exciting as some of his other books. At best I would say it is a good story – worth reading if you’re a Grisham fan. At times it gets a little preachy with statistics and problems of...more Good but not as entertaining as his other books.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The author’s intentions were to write about the plight of the homeless and generate sympathy, compassion, and hopefully some action. The character development and dialogue were excellent – as usual for this author. But the plot development wasn’t as exciting as some of his other books. At best I would say it is a good story – worth reading if you’re a Grisham fan. At times it gets a little preachy with statistics and problems of the homeless. Frank Muller is very entertaining as a narrator. I purchased the mp3 audiobook through Audible(dot com). About six times or so, the narrator erroneously repeated a sentence. It wasn’t bad, but it was noticeable.

STORY BRIEF:
Mike was an Ivy League educated lawyer. He was working 80 hours a week for a large prestigious law firm Drake & Sweeney (DS). His specialty was antitrust law. He would probably make partner in another three years which would give him income of $800,000 or more per year. The story begins when a homeless man comes to the firm with dynamite strapped to his chest. He holds Mike and several others hostage in a conference room. The hostages survive. The homeless man said DS had wrongfully evicted tenants from a building. Out of curiosity Mike looks into this. He meets Mordecai who runs a legal aid clinic for the homeless. Mike decides to leave DS and join Mordecai. Mike borrowed a file from DS which showed the firm helped to evict tenants illegally. His file borrowing causes problems for Mike.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hrs and 30 mins. Narrator: Frank Muller. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day Washington D.C. with one scene in Chicago, IL. Book copyright: 1998. Genre: legal suspense.

OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following John Grisham books.
5 stars. The Firm
5 stars. The Client
5 stars. The Pelican Brief
5 stars. The Runaway Jury
4 ½ stars. The Rainmaker
4 stars. Playing for Pizza
3 stars. The Partner
3 stars. The Street Lawyer
2 stars. The Chamber(less)

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Jun 21, 2011 Stephen Gallup rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read and enjoyed most of Grisham's legal fiction ten or more years ago. My fave was probably The Partner, but there wasn't a dog in the bunch. Sure, they follow an obvious formula, but it works. Somehow, I missed this one until now. I picked it up idly, since several other titles were already in progress, but was hooked by the very effective opening sequence.

That scene, in which a deranged homeless man barges into a conference room full of rich attorneys and threatens to blow them all up with...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Trudee Hunter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A lawyer with a conscience? A Homeless man with a message? A law firm held to ransom? So much drama and so effectively told. We are taken quite brutally into the uncomfortable, compelling, and ugly world of homelessness which for manifold reasons exist in ever-increasing numbers in cities all around the world. Michael Brock is a man of character; a man who discovers he cannot live with who he thought he was, following a frightening hold up in his office. He witnesses the fear, disbelief and horr...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Rajius Idzalika rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am picky in terms of legal stories since it is not actually my favorite topic. Yet John Grisham has a special place in my heart. While I don’t read his works for quite a while, this one come up as the most impressive compared to some others in my record.

The idea of being a street lawyer seems to be not a choice for most advocates, I guess. Why bother to defend poor people and paid less while you can get much more from the wealthy clients. However, Michael Brock has his own reason. Working in a...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Cameron rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't usually read John Grisham books, but I decided to give "The Street Lawyer" a shot. It was actually pretty good. Michael Brock is a wealthy lawyer who's life is changed when a homeless man comes into his law firm's office and takes him along with several other lawyers hostage. The homeless man is eventually gunned down by a police sniper, but what Michael learned from this homeless man while being held hostage, changes his life forever. He ends up leaving his firm to work at a Street Lega...more

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Apr 27, 2010 Jeff Steward rated it 3 of 5 stars

In a nutshell, lawyer Michael Brock is held hostage by a homeless man who has been wrongfully evicted. The hostage situation ends quickly and dramatically but births a nagging conscious in Brock. Not as exciting as the Rainmaker, The Firm, or the Runaway Jury - but an excellent read. If nothing else it dispels some of the glamor of the lawyer lifestyle through is portrayal of their hours and hours of work, work, bill, bill career. (At least my hours & hours at the office were spent playing w...more

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Jan 25, 2010 Jeremiah rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jeremiah Wistrom
Literary Works
Period 2

The Street Lawyer
By: John Grisham

The Street Lawyer is a very engaging novel about the life of a lawyer making the change from a big firm to helping the homeless for a meager salary. John Grisham does a magnificent job of portraying the struggles of living on the street, and how lawyers work to aid these homeless men and women.

Early one morning, a homeless man, who was later discovered to have the name Devon Hardy, entered the Washington D.C. Drake and Swee...more Jeremiah Wistrom
Literary Works
Period 2

The Street Lawyer
By: John Grisham

The Street Lawyer is a very engaging novel about the life of a lawyer making the change from a big firm to helping the homeless for a meager salary. John Grisham does a magnificent job of portraying the struggles of living on the street, and how lawyers work to aid these homeless men and women.

Early one morning, a homeless man, who was later discovered to have the name Devon Hardy, entered the Washington D.C. Drake and Sweeney law firm, where he proceeded to take eight of the firm’s lawyer’s hostage. After many hours, the door to the room was opened to retrieve food and a well-trained sniper shot Hardy in the head. The story’s main character, Michael Brock, was one of these lawyers and a few days after this event Brock wanted to find out Hardy’s motive. Michael went to see Hardy’s lawyer, Mordecai Green, and even though they didn’t discover Hardy’s motive, these two did become good friends.

A few days later, Mordecai called Michael and asked him to help at a local soup kitchen. Michael agreed, and while volunteering he met a family of four young children and their mother, Lontae Burton. Michael went home, and the next day he went shopping for clothes and food that he could give to this family, and he planned to help them out by putting them in a hotel room, but Michael could not find them anywhere, and he soon discovered that they were found dead in a car. They were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Michael is inspired to help the homeless after he hears this news, and he ends up leaving the big bucks at Drake and Sweeney, for a meager salary at the legal clinic at which Mordecai works. Michael discovers that Devon Hardy and Lontae Burton were both wrongly evicted from a building they were paying rent in. The eviction was carried out by the Drake and Sweeney law firm, and Michael asked Braden Chance if he could see the file for the eviction, but he angrily refused. Michael was secretly given the key to the file by Chance’s assistant Hector Palma. Michael took the file and planned to return it, but he was in a car accident and couldn’t return it, so Drake and Sweeney began investigating the stolen file. Drake and Sweeney then went on to sue Michael for stealing the file, but Michael and Mordecai sued Drake and Sweeney, along with the real estate company RiverOaks, and the landlord of the building where Lontae and Devon had lived. The two sides settled the dispute in court with Drake and Sweeney having to pay a large sum of money, and Michael is forced to lose his lawyer’s license for 9 months.

This story is filled with diverse characters ranging from arrogant lawyers who make millions of dollars a year to the poorest homeless people who are forced to travel from soup kitchen to soup kitchen just to survive. The most arrogant, self-centered lawyer is Rafter, whom most of the characters, including his work associates, do not like being around. Michael is just like most of these uppity lawyers until the hostage situation, in which he realizes the hardships of the homeless and is compelled to change. The most well covered homeless person in the story is Ruby, who lives out of her car and is addicted to crack. She wants to change so she can see her son again, and Michael helps her out by sending her to a hotel for a few nights, and keeping her off the streets.

Grisham does an excellent job of describing each of these characters, and he really paints a picture of how they act, and how their personalities reflect on other people. I think that the best personality he depicts is that of Mordecai Green, whom he describes as a large man who is very wise, influential, and persuasive.

Grisham also thoroughly explains the setting of Washington D.C., and how the lives of the homeless are so difficult in this area. I enjoyed all of the facts Grisham gave about the homeless shelters, and the different people who tried to help out the homeless by setting up shelters and soup kitchens.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books about legal matters, or stories about people changing their lives for the good. People who are homeless, or who have had experiences with the homeless would probably enjoy this story as well, and would probably hope that a lawyer like Michael would come into their lives. Once you start reading this book you don’t want to put it down, and I believe that anyone who decides to read it will not only finish it, but will thoroughly enjoy it also.
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Oct 30, 2009 Nenette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book to pass the time while I was stranded in the mall that fateful Saturday when typhoon Ondoy brought devastation to Manila . I consider myself very, very lucky for having survived the storm cloistered in a comfortable mall, while others were braving it on rooftops and in the raging flood waters. I was only half-concentrating on the book as I read from the lounge chairs in the gym as I was thinking of how my son was doing, having gone to the university early that day. My husband...more

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Jul 17, 2009 Keegan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

My husband and I listened to this book while driving back and forth between our parents' houses during a recent visit. I've listened to it on tape before, but it was fun to listen to it again with my husband this time.

It's a good story and it caused my husband and me to have a good conversation about poverty and homelessness. I like that Michael Brock is really smart but also does a bunch of stupid stuff. I like the character of Malachi -- he's a very rich, very full character. I felt that I kn...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Huma Khan rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of my favourite authors is John Grisham. His books are one of the reasons that I decided to study Law for my degree. Even though his portrayal of the law and the job that comes with it is slightly exaggerated and intense, I believe there is truth behind his novels. He is an American lawyer specialising in Criminal law. This is evident within his novels as he is best known for his legal thrillers. I have read the majority of his books and out of all of them, The Street Lawyer has by far been...more One of my favourite authors is John Grisham. His books are one of the reasons that I decided to study Law for my degree. Even though his portrayal of the law and the job that comes with it is slightly exaggerated and intense, I believe there is truth behind his novels. He is an American lawyer specialising in Criminal law. This is evident within his novels as he is best known for his legal thrillers. I have read the majority of his books and out of all of them, The Street Lawyer has by far been my favourite read.

The Street Lawyer is a story of a wealthy, successful lawyer in Washington DC, Michael Brock. One day at work within his law firm, Drake and Sweeney, they are challenged by a homeless old man who walks into the office armed. The old man is shot by the police and Michael, in shock by this, investigates and soon realises that his law firm had made the old man homeless. With his marriage breaking up in his personal life and the trouble surrounding him in his professional career, he decides he can no longer work for the law firm. He meets Mordecai Green, who runs a law firm which helps the homeless, and decides to join him. Michael goes against his law firm and steals evidence from them which proves that the company evicted the old man and other tenants. Michael leaves his wife and begins work in a shelter for the homeless. His company realise that he knows the truth and do everything possible to try and stop him from revealing their dark secrets, resulting in his arrest. The book then builds on the case where Mordecai Green defends him.

The book is gripping in the sense that you don't know what the company are going to do next. They are so desperate to keep their secrets hidden and it is scary to read how far they are prepared to go to stop Michael, their ex co-worker and friend. The most appealing aspect of the book to me is not just the law system and the corruptions which surround it, but also the storyline regarding the homeless. In reality, a growing number of people in big cities are homeless. Some lose their jobs and cannot afford to live; some leave their home or are forced to leave their home to avoid domestic violence and abuse. Whatever the reason, the sad truth is that the local governments have shelters but they are usually crowded. Charities run hostels and soup kitchens where they offer hot food but even they are crowded and, sadly, some end up on the streets and survive by begging. Young people tend to find seeing someone on the streets somewhat amusing and I think the reason for this is that they are not educated behind the reasons of what can put a person in this position. The systems to provide shelter are long winded by paperwork and old-fashioned traditions, leaving the homeless helpless and lost. Unfortunately, this happens more than we, as society, like to acknowledge and it is easy to forget. So I like this book because it broadens your mind about everyday life occurrences and shows you the ugly truth which society tries to avoid.

I would say this book is appropriate to read from the ages of 11 and above. I read this book at a very young age myself and it really makes me grateful to my teachers who made it possible for me to read. The Street Lawyer always reminds me that education is a powerful instrument which can make a difference in your development, both academically and socially. Reading not only develops your imagination but can change you as a person. If mature reading can be instilled into an individual from a very young age, it will have a positive effect on their future aspirations.

I believe this book can be used to make older students discuss attitudes toward the poor and homeless, developing their social awareness skills. The book teaches you about helping those in need and looking beyond the face surface of situations. It can also be used for students to begin thinking about their future aspirations and maybe if they want to carry out a career in law or even anything else. Students can also be asked to carry out role-play activities in relation to the conversation between the characters in the book. This will involve working together in pairs or in a group with the aim of creating a scene from their own interpretation and understanding of the book. There is a certain emphasis on the media within the book so the book can be used to promote interest in one of the powerful sources of society which acts as a social change. Students can be divided into groups to talk about the media, focusing on the power of the media and how their intervention changed the course of events. This can lead to intellectual discussions and also may get young adults to engage in conversations over every day events and how they are portrayed in the news and newspapers today. This book can be used with young people for many activities. Reading this book can be viewed as both relaxing and fun, but at the same time educational. It is insightful, interesting and thrilling, all at the same time.
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Aug 02, 2012 Prateek Gupta rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think in The Street Lawyer John Grisham wanted to write about the homeless and it seemed like a plot was built around this issue. The legal side is counterbalanced by a strong moral issue.

John Grisham's depiction of the homeless is tight enough to indicate a fair amount of tight research. The author does not fall into the trap of overworking the heart-rending aspects of the story, which would have been a fair temptation. Instead, Grisham's story is filled with pathos and understanding.

It's an...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Andrew Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the movie “A Christmas Carol” the Scourge goes from only caring about money to caring about other people and trying to be nice and generous, just like the main character in the book The Street Lawyer by John Grisham. Mike used to care all about money until a life changing event with a homeless guy holding him hostage. In Street Lawyer by John Grisham Mike wanted to help homeless people get jobs, benefits, and to be treated like normal citizens just like many other people through out the world...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Ray rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Street Lawyer deals with homeless people, and a lawyer who gave up his position in a major law firm, the high salary, and the perks to work for the poor and homeless for very low wages. The book takes a sympathetic view of the poor and downtrodden, and does makes the point that society could do more for the deserving poor. That may make some readers somewhat uncomfortable, especially those who feel that the majority of the homeless are in that situation due primarily to bad choices they've m...more

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Jun 03, 2008 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Street Lawyer by John Grissom was an intense book. About a top firm laywer for Drake & Sweeny. I like how it shows are capital as a rough city with many homeless people. For a top lawyer who will make millions to throw it all away just to help some homeless people. He later then steals a file to help a women with 4 childeren who die because its so cold. He has a real eye opener and anyone who thinks poor people dont matter read this book.

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Apr 09, 2013 Carol added it · review of another edition

I found this book in the clubhouse library of my father-in-law's residence in FL and thought it might be an easy, quick read during our trip back home to MI.

Mr. Grisham has become a wealthy man. For some reason (perhaps an incident involving a homeless man in New York referenced in Newsweek) he feels guilty about the fruits of his talent and the liberal heart bleeds without clotting -- "If we could all just give the homeless money, they'd be fine."

Grisham seems to have gone "slumming" in our nat...more

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About John Grisham

"Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of...more "Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Realizing he didn't have the right stuff for a pro career, he shifted gears and majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990.

One day at the DeSoto County courthouse, Grisham overheard the harrowing testimony of a twelve-year-old rape victim and was inspired to start a novel exploring what would have happened if the girl's father had murdered her assailants. Getting up at 5 a.m. every day to get in several hours of writing time before heading off to work, Grisham spent three years on A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. Initially rejected by many publishers, it was eventually bought by Wynwood Press, who gave it a modest 5,000 copy printing and published it in June 1988.

That might have put an end to Grisham's hobby. However, he had already begun his next book, and it would quickly turn that hobby into a new full-time career—and spark one of publishing's greatest success stories. The day after Grisham completed A Time to Kill, he began work on another novel, the story of a hotshot young attorney lured to an apparently perfect law firm that was not what it appeared. When he sold the film rights to The Firm to Paramount Pictures for $600,000, Grisham suddenly became a hot property among publishers, and book rights were bought by Doubleday. Spending 47 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, The Firm became the bestselling novel of 1991.

The successes of The Pelican Brief, which hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and The Client, which debuted at number one, confirmed Grisham's reputation as the master of the legal thriller. Grisham's success even renewed interest in A Time to Kill, which was republished in hardcover by Doubleday and then in paperback by Dell. This time around, it was a bestseller.

Since first publishing A Time to Kill in 1988, Grisham has written one novel a year (his other books are The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Street Lawyer, The Testament, The Brethren, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, The Summons, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Last Juror, and The Broker) and all of them have become international bestsellers. There are currently over 225 million John Grisham books in print worldwide, which have been translated into 29 languages. Nine of his novels have been turned into films (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber, A Painted House, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas), as was an original screenplay, The Gingerbread Man. The Innocent Man (October 2006) marks his first foray into non-fiction.

Grisham lives with his wife Renee and their two children Ty and Shea. The family splits their time between their Victorian home on a farm in Mississippi and a plantation near Charlottesville, VA.

Grisham took time off from writing for several months in 1996 to return, after a five-year hiatus, to the courtroom. He was honoring a commitment made before he had retired from the law to become a full-time writer: representing the family of a railroad brakeman killed when he was pinned between two cars. Preparing his case with the same passion and dedication as his books' protagonists, Grisham successfully argued his clients' case, earning them a jur(less)

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“I didn't dare think of the future; the past was still happening.” — 57 people liked it

“Privileged people don't march and protest; their world is safe and clean and governed by laws designed to keep them happy.” — 8 people liked it

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