Rough Justice: Days and Nights of a Young D.A.

by David Heilbroner

Chronicles a young lawyer's three-year stint as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan D.A.'s office, providing a devastating portrait of the chaos of a big-city criminal justice system that sometimes ignores justice to prevent total anarchy

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Memoir

286 pages, Hardcover

First published August 11, 1990

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book after reading an excerpted article in my father's Northeastern University alumni magazine while I was still in high school. I was hooked. I already wanted to become an Assistant District Attorney and this book solidified my interest in the law, but opened my eyes to the underside of our social services system. The compassion for people being processed through the social service and criminal justice systems awakened by this book's stark and honest portrayal set me on my path to entering the social services field. I owe a huge debt to David Heilbroner and his raw and honest book.

[Dee Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone looking for insight to the legal system.
While providing real cases and circumstances DA’s and other legal system stakeholders experience, it allows for the reader to understand pitfalls of the legal system and the emotions and thoughts of those who partake, while providing theoretical solutions by the end.
Unfortunately with the legal system still being dysfunctional, many of these instances still apply in the 2020’s and this book reminds us that in the legal realm, charges don’t change. They just have different faces and names.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cool to read as an ADA in another state! Took me forever to finish because I'm an ADA and going home to read about my job after doing my job all day got a little redundant!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s really not anything like Law and Order

[laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looooved this book! I read it for my theory of criminal justice class and I found myself thoroughly enjoying it!

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed, muddied look at the work of a young DA in 1990's Manhattan.

[Vivencio · Rating 4 out of 5]

so far, so good