Thanks to Kevin, I bagged myself a free copy of "Barman," a thinly-fictionalized account of Alex Wellen's journey from law student to fully licensed attorney.
The only catch to getting a free book was that I actually had to write about it. ("But, Kevin, what if I hate it?" "Then you hate it. Say what you think.")
So I didn't hate it. Not exactly the Second Coming of Grisham, but a cute, engaging story nonetheless.
Taking the bar exam is the ultimate drama for many attorneys-to-be. Most people find it enormously stressful, and Wellen was no exception. Almost anyone who has taken a bar exam in the last ten years will smile at the details that Wellen nails dead-on - even to the point where, when he describes the teachers of his bar-prep class, I knew which ones he meant.
I had to wonder, how in the world did he remember all this stuff if he was studying as diligently as he claimed? Did he take notes? Did he go back and take the bar exam a second time just to get it right? Or does he just have freakishly good memory for irrelevant details? Only Wellen knows. But I can tell you, the vast majority of this book is a dead ringer for reality. I suspect the only parts he really made up were the ones about his success with women. Of course, he's married now, so he may not have found a need to pad his record.
Lawyers and anyone who knows lawyers will find this book a familiar journey, more fun than taking the test, but not as intellectually challenging. After reading it, I thought that I might have quite a bit in common with the author, and I regret that I missed him when he was in my neck of the woods.
Posted by wasylik at November 23, 2003 05:58 PM | TrackBack