“Indefensible” by lawyer David Feige
I finished reading David Feige’s Indefensible: One Lawyer’s Journey into the Inferno of American Justice a few days ago, and I was impressed.
I normally don’t go out of my way to read nonfiction, but this one came recommended by a friend in law school, so I had to give it a shot.
In the book, Feige recounts what it was like to be a defense attorney in the Bronx — and he’s quite honest about it. (In fact, he’s so truthful that he’s now being sued by a former assistant DA over the way he depicted her in the book.)
One gets the feeling that the hard part for him wasn’t arguing for those hundreds of defendants (ranging from turnstile-jumpers to murderers), but trying to stay sane from day to day while dealing with bad cops, jaded lawyers and moronic judges.
(Nowadays, he’s a legal issues commentator on MSNBC, Court TV and NPR. Probably a good career move, as it’s much easier to promote a book when you deal directly with the media…)
Indefensible is a very good book, and a quick read — check it out, if the justice system (and it’s flaws) interests you.