A Time to Kill (Jake Brigance, #1)

by John Grisham

Make friends with fear, Lucien always said, because it will not go away, and it will destroy you if left uncontrolled.

A trial lawyer, like a gladiator in a fight, walks into the courtroom with a dozen things to be afraid of. Big trials usually start on Monday, and the lawyers work around the clock all weekend getting ready. There is a mountain of stress and tension. And fear. The stakes are so high, especially in a death penalty case. The great trial lawyers learn to handle the fear and use it to their advantage. There’s an old saying: “If you’re not afraid you’re not ready.”