The Proving Ground Quotes

“There was a time in my life when I believed this was sacred ground. But now it seemed that nothing was sacred anymore. Not the rule of law, and not those who practiced it.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“FIRST”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“and we drove in silence and awe at what we were seeing up ahead. It made me think of a Dave Alvin song I had heard a long time ago. I couldn’t remember the tune anymore but the lyrics I could never forget. California’s burning There’s trouble in the promised land. You better pack up your family And get out while you can.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“Nobody bats a thousand. Nobody wins every case. The law is fickle. You're the prince of the city one day, a street sweeper the next. The skill is being able to get back in the Lincoln, buckle up, and drive on.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground: The Brand New Blockbuster Lincoln Lawyer Thriller

“Well, that's the thing about trials. You're never really sure about anything.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground: The Brand New Blockbuster Lincoln Lawyer Thriller

“Tidalwaiv was for sale and its investors were hoping one of the big techs would swallow it. The three Ms were circling—Microsoft, Meta, and Musk. This trial and its outcome could be the difference between millions and billions.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“We all stood when Judge Ruhlin entered the courtroom, her robe flowing behind her, and took the bench. She told us to be seated and convened court, calling the case...I knew I would be the first one up and tried to control the butterflies. It didn't matter how many times I did this; there was always much at stake, and I would think that something was wrong if the nervousness ever went away.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground: The Brand New Blockbuster Lincoln Lawyer Thriller

“To some its a stage. A place where carefully choreographed drama takes place. To others, a chess match with moves designed and practiced weeks and sometimes months in advance. Where nothing is left to chance. Where the wrong moves have grave consequences and finality. Where the recruited audience sits in silent judgment with their hidden biases and contempt.

I have never thought of it that way. To me it's the Octagon, where mixed martial arts are deployed in brutal combat. Two go in; one comes out the victor. No one is left unbloodied. No one is left unscarred. This is what the courtroom is to me.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground: The Brand New Blockbuster Lincoln Lawyer Thriller

“because the adolescent brain is not fully formed yet. It is still evolving at this stage of life. Adolescence is a time when a sense of self is just beginning to form and acceptance by peers is at its most important. This is a phase in the emotional development of every young person. And what is a key part to all of these social media platforms? Peer response. The LIKE button. The comment window. Adolescents, who are still forming their sense of self, their confidence in who they are, become quite vulnerable to peer responses on social media. They seek out positive responses—likes and followers—to the point of addiction.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“WINNOWED”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“cutting”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“While this is a work of fiction, the author learned much and drew inspiration from the pleadings in the Megan Garcia v. Character Technologies lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“Okay, Mr.… uh…” “Wojciechowski—pronounced like ‘Watch your car key.’ My father always said that when people had trouble with it.” “Thank you, Mr. Watch-your-car-key. I think you can go now. And can you ask the deputy marshal to step back in?”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“Wojciechowski—pronounced like ‘Watch your car key.’ My father always said that when people had trouble with it.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“Isaac Asimov was a futurist and a science fiction writer. He came up with the three laws: One, a robot cannot harm a human being. Two, a robot must obey orders from a human unless the order conflicts with the first law. And three, a robot must protect its own existence, as long as such action does not conflict with the first or second law.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“It simulated Rogerian psychotherapy, which is a humanistic approach to patients that is dependent on simple, supportive, and nonjudgmental responses from the therapist. It’s the And how did that make you feel? kind of therapy. We”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“was named after Eliza Doolittle from the Shaw play Pygmalion and, of course, the musical My Fair Lady,”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“Are you saying that an AI program like Wren will carry the biases of those who feed it data and train it?” “That is absolutely what I’m saying. It is true of all technology.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“What is the Eliza effect?” “In short, it is people’s tendency to attribute human thoughts and emotions to machines.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“Children are idealistic when young and become pragmatic the older they get.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“She wants what I call a triple-A settlement: accountability, action, and apology.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground

“TO SOME IT’S a stage. A place where carefully choreographed drama takes place. To others, a chess match with moves designed and practiced weeks and sometimes months in advance. Where nothing is left to chance. Where the wrong moves have grave consequences and finality. Where the recruited audience sits in silent judgment with their hidden biases and contempt.”
― Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground