This book struck me as average overall. As someone who previously worked in criminal defense and for a law school, I was able to understand much of what she was talking about intimately (though I am not a lawyer myself). Many of her stories were fascinating, particularly if you know what it's like to work in criminal defense. That being said, I thought the parts of the book not directly relating to her legal experience flagged (maybe that's just my personal taste). Toward the end of the book, she gives many sociopolitical takes about the US criminal justice/legal systems. These are very nuanced opinions that you may or may not like, though if you tend to have very strong opinions going in already it is likely you will find her discussion lacking in one way or another.

This memoir completely lacked humility, modesty, and discretion. While I do appreciate the honesty around the realities of being a lawyer, this book was just so negative that it reflected poorly on the author, felt like a personal attack against anyone she's ever worked with, and got annoying to keep reading.
I typically appreciate candid memoirs, but did not understand the point of this as it was totally lacking hope and seemed to paint all lawyers as criminals.

Enjoyable but not as remarkable as I'd hoped it would be, but those looking for light narrative nonfiction will definitely like Bad Lawyer

Perhaps I was not the right audience for this book. As an attorney, I’ve been through law school and had similar but also extremely different experiences. The author of this book is obviously intelligent but seems too busy doing drugs and alcohol to zealously represent her clients. I would never “skim” a contract. It’s unethical. I have also never had the negative experiences with male and female attorneys she’s discussed. In all professions there are jerks, but to make that the standard is unfair. I did not find the book funny or very interesting. So perhaps the book is full of artistic licensing in an attempt to be entertaining or she is in fact a really bad attorney. In the end, I’m glad the book was short.

I was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, however, I quickly realized it was not for me. Little in the writer's experiences as a lawyer or in law school seemed realistic, and the tone of the book was off-putting. Occasionally there were moments of humor, but the book as a whole was disjointed and hard to get through.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a galley of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This memoir details a former lawyer’s likes and dislikes about the legal field. While there were a couple of funny parts, this book felt disjointed and the story was not cohesive. While some legal experiences were relatable, overall it just left no real impression on me. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I found this to be such an interesting read! However, it is probably not a book for everyone.

Anna Dorn’s memoir is all about her experience going to law school (despite not really wanting to be a lawyer) and her brief legal career. She talks about the challenges and flaws in our legal system. Obviously, this was Dorn’s point of view through the process, however I did not agree with everything she had to say.

Although not involved in the legal system myself, I am the daughter and wife of two lawyers. My dad went to law school when I was a teenager, so I clearly remember his experience in law school and it was nothing like what Anna Dorn described. My husband started law school 3 weeks after we got married - and again his experience was drastically different from what was described. The way that Dorn described lawyers, in my opinion, does not accurately describe them all. Maybe I have a bias because of my relationship to lawyers, but I don’t think that is the case. I think that like in everything, there are good and bad people (and parts).

If you are interested in the legal system, this gives you insight into one person's experience. It was fascinating to hear her point of view, even though I did not agree with all of it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Books for my advanced reader copy!

The fact that this peek behind the scenes is shocking to so many is why this book needed to be written. Our justice system is full of flaws. I was a criminal justice major in school and the fact that we had more courses on what is wrong with the system instead of what is right says everything you need to know.

As a lawyer myself (albeit one who genuinely loves being a lawyer!), I was particularly excited to receive an ARC copy of “Bad Lawyer” by Anna Dorn. Unfortunately, I thought this memoir was a mediocre read. In particular, Dorn’s account of her law school experience felt a little overprivileged, boastful and frankly unrelateable (e.g. my law school experience was by no means “cushy” - it was hard work!). While I appreciated Dorn’s at times subversive insights into the flaws of the justice system, legal profession and its constituents, I felt that some of her comments (particularly about lawyers and judges) were sweeping generalizations, comedic exaggerations or uncomfortably gossipy. That said, I kept reading all the way to the end because I did enjoy Dorn’s writing style - law may not have been for Dorn but it seems like writing is! She published a novel last year (Vagablonde) and I may add it to my "to be read" list.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Books for this ARC copy of “Bad Lawyer” in exchange for my honest review - this book comes out on May 4, 2021.

Bad Lawyer: A Memoir of Law and Disorder is Anna Dorn’s memoir about her brief legal career. After reluctantly pursuing then graduating from law school, Dorn realizes she doesn’t like much about the life of a lawyer. It seems she enjoyed the idea of being a lawyer more than actually being one.

Parts of this book, especially in the first half, felt braggy (I didn’t even really want to go to law school,, it wasn’t that hard, I was pretty cool, etc.) but, Dorn’s story grew on me as she eventually grew up — Readers get to see Dorn’s growth, not just as a professional, but as a person in Bad Lawyer. I enjoyed the later chapters where she discusses the deeply flawed U.S. criminal justice system and found myself agreeing with many of her observations.

I’m not a lawyer but work in this space and was naturally curious when I heard about this book — The type of law you practice, your firm’s culture, and your prior professional life, can be significant factors in your overall experience as/ perception in being a lawyer — 2.5 stars.

As an attorney who kind of hated law school, the description of Bad Lawyer: A Memoir of Law and Disorder really appealed to me. This memoir about practicing law ultimately did not disappoint.

Dorn is mostly talking about her experience in choosing to go to law school, take the bar exam, and be a practicing attorney. Peppered between personal stories is some commentary on the shortcomings of the American legal profession and criminal justice system

There were some points during reading that I laughed out loud because Dorn’s story was so relatable to me. There were other parts that definitely left me disagreeing with her point of view. However, it’s Dorn’s memoir so she is clearly going to discuss her personal experiences and opinions, and I did not go in expecting to agree with everything she said.

Overall, this memoir gave me an enjoyable reading experience because of the way I could relate to the things Dorn wrote about, such as studying for the bar exam and recognizing the ways the legal system fails criminal defendants. This was also easy to follow and a quick read. When I put it down, I kept wanting to pick it back up.

Before choosing to read this, I would make sure you’re aware that this is one woman’s story and commentary on the legal profession. It was clear Dorn has an apathetic at best and cynical at worst point of view on the legal profession. I would advise taking her story seriously but know that being a lawyer is not a monolithic experience. In her memoir, Dorn is telling her story, not speaking for all lawyers.

My rating: 4 stars

This book gives me whiplash as the author jumps around between relationships, locations, and opinions, all well-peppered with slang. It does contain some good sections about the law school experience but I hate to give people the wrong impression of it all.
I am an ex-law student. Maybe people at better schools have more time and money for drugs, travel, and promiscuity?
Well written overall.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Anna Dorn, and Hachette Books for an advanced e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book was not what I expected and I had difficulty getting through it. It felt like the author was adding in repetitive mentions of her extracurricular activities just for shock value. The parts that were about her law career were overshadowed by this. I didn't enjoy the tone or the content.

Bad Lawyer: A Memoir of Law and Disorder
By Anna Dorn
Available May 4, 2021
Publisher: Hachette

If the show Gossip Girl and the movie Legally Blonde had a baby it would be the book Bad Lawyer. Anna Dorn calls herself an “overprivileged blonde lesbians addicted to collecting degrees.” She is the daughter of a very successful attorney and money wasn’t an issue for her. Although the premise of her book may be to highlight the inadequacies of the judicial system, she inspires others to watch to change the system. The stories of her juvenile clients which she filed appeals for will break your heart. Although she often cites penal codes and cases, this isn’t an essay designed to actually function as an in-depth critical analysis. In fact all of the exact citations to the penal code, rules for the bar exam and even the few cases mentioned could be cut from the book. What is gritty and real is her elitist gossip about everyone from judges to her own mother. After reading Anna’s innermost thoughts, I’m thankful she isn’t a lawyer anymore. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it! Anna is a great writer so society (or at least us elitist book buying readers) will benefit from her dry sense of humor.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Hachette Books for providing me an advance copy of Anna Dorn’s memoir, Bad Lawyer, in exchange for an honest review.

Let me preface this by saying that I am a lawyer, so my review might be skewed simply because I can commiserate with many of the thoughts and experiences one has when embarking on a career in law.

#BadLawyer is not your typical memoir. It is a combination of an autobiography and think piece, with elements of a memoir woven throughout each chapter. One could also label it as humor, a career guide, or working thesis. In other words, the book extends beyond the bounds of a single genre. Not sure if this was done intentionally by the publisher to reach a wider audience or if the author initially wrote two separate books, then decided to consolidate them into one.

Regardless, the first portion focuses on the author’s childhood and her journey to law school. These chapters contain some of the funniest moments in the novel. The author discusses what it was like growing up in D.C., surrounded by a family and district full of practicing lawyers.

By chapter four, we have graduated to law school. Although the book still maintains some levity at this point, her explanations of law students, law school, and the bar exam gave me horrific flashbacks. I literally cringed reading the torts hypothetical, but howled with laughter when she describes choosing extracurriculars in law school.

Also, there is absolutely no experience like taking the bar exam. None. I refuse to engage with comments about the CPA or medical school exams because law students are simply a different breed of neurotic. Period.

Moving on, once the reader reaches the chapter entitled, Death Penalty Clinic, that is when the book starts to pull on some of the statistics the author noted earlier and transitions into a think piece. While many of the issues will already be familiar to those who work in the legal field, follow current events, and/or have personal experience with our justice system, those who do not can learn a lot from the remainder of the novel.

The issues the author raises have been around for far too long. For the most part, I agree with nearly everything she said concerning the justice system, the law, and the legal profession. As citizens, we need to continue illuminating the inherent problems of the U.S. legal system. The first step to reversing or resolving them is by keeping the public informed. The less educated the public is about them, the less likely that things will change.

When I first finished #BadLawyer, I immediately thought it was written for a niche audience and that only lawyers, law students, and pre-law students would appreciate it. After sleeping on it, I realized that the second half of the book holds value for a much wider audience. Though it may be uncomfortable for some to read about topics like domestic violence and juveniles sentenced for life without parole (or worse), it is important that you don’t look away because therein lies part of the problem.

Read if you: Want a unique look at the law profession. It wasn't quite what I was expecting (expected something a bit more thoughtful/serious), but her thoughts on the profession and obstacles people face are worth reading.

Librarians/booksellers: Purchase if "career" memoirs are in demand.

Many thanks to Hachette and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I tore through this memoir by a writer walking away from the law career she never wanted. Dorn does a complicated dance between acknowledging the privilege of getting through law school in the first place and calling out some of the many (many) inequalities inherent in the system where she played a part. Maybe the bar's loss, definitely our gain.

As a “recovering attorney”, I thought this would be right up my alley. But, sadly, nope. The tone here is off putting and Dorn’s wanting to be cool for drug abuse; cool for sexual promiscuity; a carbon copy of Elle in Legally Blonde; top of her class without trying; admired for her accomplishment; and praised for her writing was not only irreconcilable but also cringeworthy.

Anna is a bad lawyer, but in many ways she's not an unusual one. While many of her behaviors are loathsome (and she seems perversely proud of some of those behaviors), they are not particularly remarkable in the practice of law. As a law librarian and legal educator, I've seen worse, with much less self awareness. This book should be required reading for every aspiring law student, to give them a hint of the reality of the field they want to go into.

Anna Dorn never really wanted to be a lawyer, but pursued it anyway.
This is pretty much the stance as she begins her memoir of excelling in school and wanting to prove, mainly to herself, that she is worthy of what she has been taught is a worthy profession. She describes her anxiety, her dogged determination to succeed, and her successes and failures. She also describes her own coming out, her emerging feminism and how it influenced her opinion of law and government. She evolves into her own as a writer, and decides to focus on that rather than pursuing more prestige in the legal field.

A worthy read, for those familiar with legal terms and for those who are interested in how one excels at something they initially have no interest in.