alireadsbooks 's review for:

Bad Lawyer: A Memoir of Law and Disorder by Anna Dorn

3.0

funny informative reflective medium-paced

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Bad Lawyer is Anna Dorn’s memoir of her time in law school and as a practicing lawyer afterwards. As someone who was pressured into law school by her family, Dorn doesn’t hold back about the eye-opening struggle of being a law student when you really don’t care about law school. She debunks all the Legally Blonde-esque assumptions people make and then, even more interestingly, goes into the harsh reality of the institution of law itself. 

This was a super interesting read, and Dorn has a funny, raw way of talking about her experiences. It’s quick, it’s honest, and it’s very witty. It’s also privileged, but generally with a refreshing amount of awareness. Dorn, as a white woman from a wealthy background, worked to be an advocate for those who are so often hurt the most by our system of law. 

As someone who thought about going to law school at one point, those chapters were interesting and insightful. However, I really wish there was more of Dorn’s post-academia experience in this book; that’s where I think she really has a lot to say. I guess what I’m saying is that I would’ve liked this more if it were less of a memoir and more of a commentary on the country’s broken legal system. The foundation was there, but it could’ve used some better organization and more depth. 

All in all, Bad Lawyer was a fun and insightful look into the life of a law student and young lawyer. Her anecdotes about dating, realizing her sexuality, interacting with her uptight parents, and taking on some weird internships all made this book enjoyable and something I would recommend if the subject matter interests you.