701 books
—
592 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Street Lawyer” as Want to Read:
The Street Lawyer
by
Michael Brock is billing the hours, making the money, rushing relentlessly to the top of Drake & Sweeney, a giant D.C. law firm. One step away from partnership, Michael has it all. Then, in an instant, it all comes undone.
A homeless man takes nine lawyers hostage in the firm's plush offices. When it is all over, the man's blood is splattered on Michael's face-- and suddenl ...more
A homeless man takes nine lawyers hostage in the firm's plush offices. When it is all over, the man's blood is splattered on Michael's face-- and suddenl ...more
Mass Market Paperback, 449 pages
Published
February 1st 2000
by Dell
(first published February 16th 1998)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of The Street Lawyer
“You spend more on fancy coffee than I do on meals. Why can’t you help the poor, the sick, the homeless?”
― John Grisham, The Street Lawyer
This book was so very good. I am a big Grisham fan but certain books are better then others and this one was near flawless.
I liked the lead character, Michael very much and loved the story line. It is a page turner from start to finish and I loved that the homeless angle was flawlessly woven into the story line.
Some things never change..some bad guys, a nasty ...more
― John Grisham, The Street Lawyer
This book was so very good. I am a big Grisham fan but certain books are better then others and this one was near flawless.
I liked the lead character, Michael very much and loved the story line. It is a page turner from start to finish and I loved that the homeless angle was flawlessly woven into the story line.
Some things never change..some bad guys, a nasty ...more
An entertaining thriller from John Grisham. Also an excellent introduction to the plight of the homeless on the streets of D.C.
The Street Lawyer, John Grisham
The Street Lawyer is a legal thriller novel by John Grisham. It was Grisham's ninth novel. The book was released in the United States on 1 January 1998, published by Bantam Books, and on 30 March 1998 in the UK, published by Century. A homeless man, identifying himself only as "Mister," enters the offices of the powerful Washington D.C. law firm Drake & Sweeney and takes many of the lawyers hostage while angrily demanding information about some kind of eviction tha ...more
The Street Lawyer is a legal thriller novel by John Grisham. It was Grisham's ninth novel. The book was released in the United States on 1 January 1998, published by Bantam Books, and on 30 March 1998 in the UK, published by Century. A homeless man, identifying himself only as "Mister," enters the offices of the powerful Washington D.C. law firm Drake & Sweeney and takes many of the lawyers hostage while angrily demanding information about some kind of eviction tha ...more
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
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
Apr 09, 2019
S.P. Aruna
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
thriller-mystery
One of Grisham's most inspirational novels, and among those that turned me into a Grisham fan.
It is clear that the author was disturbed by the plight of the homeless and decided he would write a fictional vehicle to raise awareness of this problem. What makes the story more striking is the contrast presented by the protagonist's own affluence, and the price he must keep to maintain it.
The story starts out with a bang, literally, an event so traumatic that the main character, Michael Brock, is fo ...more
It is clear that the author was disturbed by the plight of the homeless and decided he would write a fictional vehicle to raise awareness of this problem. What makes the story more striking is the contrast presented by the protagonist's own affluence, and the price he must keep to maintain it.
The story starts out with a bang, literally, an event so traumatic that the main character, Michael Brock, is fo ...more
May 26, 2020
Rob
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
courtroom-thriller,
2020-reads
A stand alone legal novel by John Grisham first published 1998.
I really enjoyed this. It’s a novel full of moral rectitude and the question it asks is ‘why, in the world’s most affluent nation, is there so much poverty’?
It’s all a bit black and white but the message is still strong for all that. The homeless are portrayed as down trodden innocents where as the legal profession are, for the most part, portrayed as money grabbing whores.
Michael Brock works in one of the nation most powerful legal ...more
I really enjoyed this. It’s a novel full of moral rectitude and the question it asks is ‘why, in the world’s most affluent nation, is there so much poverty’?
It’s all a bit black and white but the message is still strong for all that. The homeless are portrayed as down trodden innocents where as the legal profession are, for the most part, portrayed as money grabbing whores.
Michael Brock works in one of the nation most powerful legal ...more
Apr 12, 2017
Natalie Vellacott
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
john-grisham
I am re-reading some old John Grisham books that I enjoyed the first time round to see if my perspectives have changed in 10-15 years...
The Street Lawyer was a favourite in the past. It tells the story of Michael, a wealthy lawyer climbing the ladder at a prosperous firm, Drake and Sweeney. His marriage is in trouble but he surrounds himself with work, competing with his soon to be ex-wife. Who is the most ambitious and who will earn the most money? But in a dramatic turn of events, Michael find ...more
The Street Lawyer was a favourite in the past. It tells the story of Michael, a wealthy lawyer climbing the ladder at a prosperous firm, Drake and Sweeney. His marriage is in trouble but he surrounds himself with work, competing with his soon to be ex-wife. Who is the most ambitious and who will earn the most money? But in a dramatic turn of events, Michael find ...more
People here claiming a white upper class lawyer (from Yale remember) in the 1990s is racist because he (Michael Brock, the character remember, not the author John Grisham) noted how basketball was popular and Washington D.C. jails and juries would be majority black, need to have their SJW cards revoked and get off their high horse and soapboxes.
It continues to amaze me the incompetence of readers and lacking insight and nuance.
If you can't handle facts even today in your snowflakey world then ...more
It continues to amaze me the incompetence of readers and lacking insight and nuance.
If you can't handle facts even today in your snowflakey world then ...more
Jun 04, 2012
Sully (thysaltymar)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorite,
owned-books
While I was browsing my Goodreads account, I came across one of my first book reviews. Thinking of rereading it again because this is one of the books that inspired me to become a lawyer.
Felt slightly embarassed reading the reviews I wrote almost 7-8 years ago. Haha. But anyway, now that I am a lawyer, have I found the purpose of my chosen profession? Guess it’s too early to tell.
——
Review posted on April 1, 2010:
“Privileged people don't march and protest; their world is safe and clean and govern ...more
Felt slightly embarassed reading the reviews I wrote almost 7-8 years ago. Haha. But anyway, now that I am a lawyer, have I found the purpose of my chosen profession? Guess it’s too early to tell.
——
Review posted on April 1, 2010:
“Privileged people don't march and protest; their world is safe and clean and govern ...more
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.
...more
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
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
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
Sep 14, 2016
Corey
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
political-thriller,
suspense-thriller
This book didn't feel like your typical Grisham courtroom drama, it just had a different feel to it, but in a good way.
The Street Lawyer takes place in Washington DC, Michael Brock is working for a big law firm that pays big money. Until one day a homeless man enters the firm and takes Brock and many other lawyers hostage. The police take out the suspect, but afterword's Michael discovers something going on in the very firm he's been working for. So Brock has a change of heart, he quits the fir ...more
The Street Lawyer takes place in Washington DC, Michael Brock is working for a big law firm that pays big money. Until one day a homeless man enters the firm and takes Brock and many other lawyers hostage. The police take out the suspect, but afterword's Michael discovers something going on in the very firm he's been working for. So Brock has a change of heart, he quits the fir ...more
Another JG masterpiece....Sometimes tense, sometimes heartwarming, always a page turner. The setting is Washington D.C. (the district) with focus on an old and very large, prestegious D.C. law firm. One of the staff, young attorney Michael Brock, is onto the firm's misbehavior and does some digging on his own. His actions are not without potentially severe consequences as well. Michael, who will soon be going through his own divorce, seeks counsel from the local 'homeless' lawyer's office.
His li ...more
His li ...more
Oct 29, 2020
M.M. Strawberry Library & Reviews
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
20th-century,
legal
Typical John Grisham read at 3.5/5 stars. It could get a bit preachy in some parts, and frankly I had no sympathy for the character of Ruby, but the narrative is not wrong in how cities and lawmakers treat the homeless and I liked the character of Mordecai, so this was in some ways an educational read.
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
I think Grisham should always write in the first-person. His stories are livelier and more realistic from the first-person perspective. This novel is somewhere in the middle of his works, and it shows signs of becoming formulaic, but it still feels fairly fresh. The only reason that I'm giving it three stars and not four is that I didn't appreciate the racism implicit in ideas about homelessness in Washington D.C. Obviously, facts are facts, but there is a way to handle them without being sided
...more
With this being a John Grisham novel I had better expectations for it. It was slow in developing and moved kind of slow and methodically for me. The ending came rather quickly, but finished up with a good message and a feel-good ending.
*Review Coming Up 🤞
The Street Lawyer is a legal thriller novel by John Grisham. It was Grisham's ninth novel. The book was released in the United States on 1 January 1998, published by Bantam Books, and on 30 March 1998 in the UK, published by Century.
Plot
A homeless man, identifying himself only as "Mister," enters the offices of the powerful Washington D.C. law firm Drake & Sweeney and takes many of the lawyers hostage while angrily demanding information about some kind of eviction that took place. Although he is ...more
Plot
A homeless man, identifying himself only as "Mister," enters the offices of the powerful Washington D.C. law firm Drake & Sweeney and takes many of the lawyers hostage while angrily demanding information about some kind of eviction that took place. Although he is ...more
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
************
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
Just like the last Grisham I read, overlong and boring. There is zero suspense, and Grisham doesn't even pretend there's a topic here that might be suspenseful. The courtroom scene did seem very realistic, though....dry as dust. Why is this scribe so popular?
Grisham might have some female issues. The women characters tend not to have last names. The protagonist's wife, a chilly workaholic surgical resident, has a goal "to become the greatest female neurosurgeon in the country, a brain surgeon ev ...more
Grisham might have some female issues. The women characters tend not to have last names. The protagonist's wife, a chilly workaholic surgical resident, has a goal "to become the greatest female neurosurgeon in the country, a brain surgeon ev ...more
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
WOW! I loved this book!! But for more reasons than the story itself. Published in 1998, before the current financial collapse, Grisham based this story around the homeless. If the homeless population was bad then, I can only imagine what it is presently. People in general look at the homeless as lazy and uneducated not worthy of their time or money. Nothing could be farther than the truth. The government talks a good talk but spends more money fighting the issue rather than helping.
I loved Micha ...more
I loved Micha ...more
Jul 22, 2017
Krissy
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobook,
pgs-300-399
My first Grisham novel. I really enjoyed it!
Equal parts sobering and illuminating, The Street Lawyer was my first introduction to Grisham. (I tend to avoid household names; just below the mainstream is where I feel most at home.) Nevertheless, I was mightily impressed with this mid-career novel of his (1998) and the social concerns it raises.
The story, set in D.C., follows Michael Brock, a Big-firm attorney who finds himself in the right place at the wrong time. He and his colleagues are taken hostage in their own office suite by a derang ...more
The story, set in D.C., follows Michael Brock, a Big-firm attorney who finds himself in the right place at the wrong time. He and his colleagues are taken hostage in their own office suite by a derang ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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
I started to like this book because it is fun to watch people choose roads less traveled, fighting for something truly valuable and finding themselves, their true calling.
However, this book felt a bit dragging.
However, this book felt a bit dragging.
Outstanding! I couldn’t put it down.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Good Thing About Working To Your Small Attorney At Law | 1 | 1 | Mar 21, 2020 03:55AM | |
| Responsibilities Of Ft. Worth Motorcycle Accident Attorney | 1 | 2 | Feb 24, 2020 10:26PM | |
| Goodreads Librari...: Correction | 3 | 40 | Oct 17, 2019 08:56AM | |
| A Quality Accident Lawyer For Legal Needs | 1 | 1 | Aug 02, 2019 06:06AM | |
| Qualities to Look for in a Divorce Attorney | 1 | 1 | Jul 17, 2019 06:10AM | |
| A Fantastic Drunk Driving Defense Attorney For Your Legal Needs | 1 | 1 | Jul 15, 2019 02:45AM | |
| Medical Personal Injury Attorney | 1 | 2 | Jul 14, 2019 12:38AM |
Readers also enjoyed
![शोभा | Shobha [ Marathi ]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595327905l/54622987._SX98_.jpg)
![चंद्रा | Chandra [ Marathi ]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594094198l/54425816._SX98_.jpg)
"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
Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of ...more
Related Articles
Ever wonder what bestselling authors like Sarah J. Maas, Neil Gaiman, Paulo Coelho, or Tayari Jones were thinking as they were writing?...
45 likes · 3 comments
36 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“I didn't dare think of the future; the past was still happening.”
—
110 likes
“Privileged people don't march and protest; their world is safe and clean and governed by laws designed to keep them happy.”
—
35 likes
More quotes…
