Book Synopsis: The Street Lawyer

Title: The Street Lawyer

Author: John Grisham
Publication Date: 1998
Page Count: 449
Type: Fiction


Started On: September 18, 2007
Finished On: October , 2007







My Grade: A+






1. Why did I decide to read this book?

I have always heard that John Grisham is many people's favorite author. I was told that his lawyer type stories are the best ever written and it was suggested that I read one of them. One in particular was recommended to me. That novel was The Street Lawyer. My dad gave the book to me during the summer and I hadn't read it yet. The idea that I had to do a synopsis put interest in me for this book.



2. Plot summary (avoiding major spoilers when possible)?

Drake and Sweeney is a big law firm in D.C. Michael Brock, an associate at Drake and Sweeney and a man going through a divorce with his wife Claire, has just had a nerve-wrecking experience with some of his fellow associates. They were all held hostage in a large conference room by a man they only knew as Mister but was later identified as DeVon Hardy. While in the conference room, Mister requested food from a homeless shelter close by. When the door to the room was open, Mister was shot by a sniper outside the room, and the blood splattered on Michael. While this hostage situation was occurring, Mister continuously antagonized the nine lawyers in the conference for having so much money and giving very little to the poor or homeless. After this ordeal, Michael felt very guilty and had trouble just being in the Drake and Sweeney offices. Mordecai Green, a lawyer for the less fortunate, gave Michael a call one night requesting that he help him serve food at a homeless shelter. Those Michael found it odd at first, he went anyway, and he became so compassionate for those poor and needy that he was serving. While there, he encountered a homeless woman and her four children. He held one of them and became attached. A few days later, Michael heard on the TV that a homeless mother, Lontae Burton, and her four children had died in there car where they slept. Through many efforts to find out what happened, Michael discovers that a branch of Drake and Sweeney is the firm that evicted her from a homeless person apartment she was living in and paying rent for. Now working for Mordecai Green at the 14th Street Legal Clinic for those who are poor and less fortunate, Michael is setting up a case against the law firm he used to be an important associate in.


3. What is the setting and why is it important to the novel?

The setting of The Street Lawyer is Washington, D.C. There are also some scenes in Chicago and Memphis. It takes place in the winter months. This is an important setting to the story because Washington, D.C. is home to many homeless. The cold winter weather helps the reader discover how unbearable the worst months for the homeless are.

4. What are the main characters and what role do they play in the novel?

The main characters in the novel are Michael Brock, Mordecai Green, and Lontae Burton. Michael Brock was an associate for Drake and Sweeney, but now he works for the 14th Street Legal Clinic. He is setting up a case against Drake and Sweeney, the law firm that used to trust him. Mordecai Green is a man who has lived his life for the poor and needy. He is assisting Michael in his case against Drake and Sweeney for the deaths of Lontae Burton, a deceased homeless mother, and her four children.

5. What is/are the main conflict(s) in the novel?

Drake and Sweeney has evicted many poor people from a building that they own. Michael Brock must come up a case to bring to court to expose Drake and Sweeney's secrets. Bringing the case to court would raise a problem. Michael has stolen a file from the office of a Drake and Sweeney partner and is planning to use it for his case. He cannot use the file, however, because it is stolen evidence.

6.Describe the climax of the novel?

The climax of the novel is when Michael Brock finds Hector Palma. Hector is a former D.C. Drake and Sweeney lawyer who handled the evictions of Lontae Burton and her family. Hector had moved to a Drake and Sweeney branch in Chicago and is hiding just in case Michael might come looking for him. However, Michael finds him at his office in Chicago and gets the missing information from the file Michael stole from Braden Chance. This helps Michael create his case in a crippling way to Drake and Sweeney.

7. What is the significance of the books title? Is the title appropriate or would I change it to something else?

The significance of the books title, The Street Lawyer, is not a hidden meaning. Michael Brock has quit his job at Drake and Sweeney and is now working for the 14th Street Legal Clinic. The clinic helps homeless people on the streets. Therefore, Michael is now a street lawyer. The title is appropriate, and I wouldn't change it.

8. What is my opinion about this book? Why (give specifics)?

I really enjoyed The Street Lawyer. It is another one of those twisty stories that I love to read. The plot is well thought out and is relatively flawless. I never wanted to put the book down and lost a lot of sleep from it. I would find myself in the world of the street lawyer and the homeless that he serves. That is why I give this novel an "A+" grade.