Double Billing: A Young Lawyer's Tale Of Greed, Sex, Lies, And The Pursuit Of A Swivel Chair by Cameron Stracher
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Book Reviews of Double Billing: A Young Lawyer's Tale Of Greed, Sex, Lies, And The Pursuit Of A Swivel Chair
Book Review: Decent book
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a pretty decent book. It's not completely non-fiction but the author does state that its a compilation of his experiences. It's quite amusing and kept me interested, though the title is much more exciting than the actual story.Book Review: Glad I Didn't Choose Litigation
Summary: 4 Stars
Double Billing is a fairly good representation of the life of a junior litigation associate in a large New York law firm. For all practical purposes, the firm described in the book may as well have been CS&M or S&C. I agree with some other reviewers that the title and subtitle for the book are a bit misleading, but the book is worth reading nonetheless for anyone interested in "BigLaw" and the money and prestige that come to the select few. Stracher shows that he is a talented writer in this entertaining tale and did a good job of portraying large firm life, the never-ending hours, the demanding partners and senior associates and the gradual loss of one's life and friends outside of work. Yet, despite knowing all of this, there are numbers of law school students ready to kill for a coveted summer associate position with one of these firms and the job offer at the end of the summer that usually accompanies it. Although I'm currently working in a New York law firm, the constant thought I had while reading this book was that I am glad I stayed away from litigation. I recommend this book for anyone interested in large law firm practice or civil litigation.Book Review: Not worth the time
Summary: 1 Stars
I disagree with the reviewers who state that this book is a "must read" for anyone considering law school, lawyers, etc. The book could not hold my attention. Stracher likes to complain. He complains about is frustration about the doors a Harvard law degree opens yet boasts on the same page about his elation of getting in, and the opportunities that await. He can't write or hold the reader's attention. Skip this book, and pick up something better. Book Review: Stracher's Complaints - All the Whining Without the Raw Liver
Summary: 2 Stars
Stracher's book is a fairly boring whine-fest. He comes across as a silly young man, who went from college to law school without stopping to take the time to determine if law school was right for him. Then, after law school, off he immediately went to take a job as an associate at an enormous law firm, and was ultimately surprised to find himself miserable. Stracher's insights into the world of law are mundane and simple. It takes him three years to figure out he took the wrong job. He (and the reader) would have been much better served if he had engaged in some introspection prior to applying to law school, and again prior to taking a job, instead of thoughtlessly following a path, and then whining that he doesn't like where he has found himself. Book Review: Real Life Lawyering
Summary: 4 Stars
Some of the other reviewers have described this book at "exhilirating," but I didn't find much excitement or action in the book, rather it is a very accurate portrait of life as a young associate at a law firm, which is seldom exciting or interesting. Though the job promises a lot of money, prestige and future opportunity, it also demands a lot of unpleasant grunt work and very long hours. Stracher does a great job detailing his emotions throughout the time at the firm (and his initial decision to join the firm) as well as the tasks he was asked to perform on a day to day basis and in doing so provides a very honest example for people thinking of doing big law. The writing itself is sometimes a little too flowery, but the story does move along very well and is very insightful, so I would recommend it to anyone considering a career at a big firm or people who just want to see what a big firm is really like (as opposed to the depictions you usually see on tv or in John Grisham novels).