A Convincing Case for Tort Reform
Written: Mar 31 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: You'll want to keep reading until you're done
Cons: Not Grisham's best; features Grisham's least likable Grisham character
The Bottom Line: If you're a die-hard Grisham fan, don't miss it. Otherwise, try A Time to Kill or The Pelican Brief.
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| KateTPZ's Full Review: John Grisham - The King of Torts |
It's obvious to readers that John Grisham the author is also John Grisham the lawyer. He may no longer practice law, but his background and education lend credibility to the terminology, the inside scoops, and what seems to ring true as the straight dirt. It's no surprise, then, that the worst of the legal profession is revealed with such glaring harshness and such moral disdain. I haven't researched Mr. Grisham's legal career, but I'm willing to bet he's never filed a class action lawsuit.
The King of Torts is the story of Clay Carter, veteran of the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) turned mass tort lawyer of the year. The book follows Clay as he leaves the OPD to start his own firm, as he makes the legal world stand up and take notice, and his eventual and inevitable fall from grace. If Clay were a admirable character, an idealistic young lawyer like The Firm's Mitch McDeere or The Rainmaker's Rudy Baylor, The King of Torts might have become my favorite Grisham novel. Instead, it left me disappointed and completely disillusioned with the American legal system.
What Went Wrong Here?
Grisham's characters are usually well developed, well understood, and genuinely ethical. If they change, Grisham escorts the reader along the winding trail, pointing out every obstacle and nuance contributing to the change. He forgot to play tour guide with Clay Carter.
The book begins with Clay Carter, plugging away in the Office of the Public Defender, dating the daughter of an affluent family and turning down an offer for a financially lucrative corporate law position arranged by his girlfriend's meddling father. It seems money doesn't matter to Mr. Carter.
Enter the mysterious Max Pace. Pace calls, purportedly with a job offer, and Clay agrees to meet with him. The job offer turns out to be something a bit less legitimate and a lot more lucrative, and faster than you can say "does something smell fishy to you, Mr. Carter?" Clay has recruited co-workers from the OPD, cleaned out his office, and opened his own firm.
Within weeks, Clay has become a different person. One week he's comparing himself with the big guns of the mass tort world, patting himself on the back for not being as greedy and flamboyant as they are, and the next he's spending money faster than his firm can bill it.
But this is the world of mass torts - class action extortion, and the next cash cow is just over the horizon.
Or is it?
What Grisham Did Right Here
I’m not a lawyer and I confess that I didn’t understand how class action suits work. I’ve seen the commercials, of course: “If you’ve ever taken the drug Target-Du-Jour, you might be entitled to financial compensation.” I have a much better understanding of how they work now, of how lawyers get rich and consumers and manufacturers get cheated. I’ve heard lawyers and politicians talk about the need for “tort reform” and now I understand why they say that.
Grisham shows mass tort lawyers in a most unappealing light – as predators, as immoral opportunists who don’t care about the truth and don’t care about their clients. They care about fees. Large fees. It’s not about protecting the public from bad drugs or bad products – it’s about large settlements with large fees.
My Recommendation?
I’m going to reinforce with my children my hope that they will not pursue a career in the legal profession. If they show any inclination toward law school later in life, I will make them read The King of Torts. Otherwise, I’m not going to recommend the book to anyone. A die-hard Grisham fan will read it regardless of my recommendation, I suspect, and I’d prefer to recommend one of Grisham’s better works for anyone who wants to read Grisham for the first time.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
KateTPZ
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Kate
Location: North Carolina
Reviews written: 126
Trusted by: 80 members
About Me:
40-something Mom of two great kids and aspiring author in my "spare" time.
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