The Street Lawyer.

• Author: Kolk, Jacalyn N.

by John Grisham Reviewed by Jacalyn N. Kolk

In a powerful story, John Grisham tells it like it is on both sides of the street. Michael Brock is a big firm corporate lawyer, an antitrust specialist. Mordecai Green is a poverty lawyer, trying to keep a legal clinic open. The catalyst that brings the two worlds together is the homeless "Mister."

Mister says very little, actually. Both lawyers say a lot, but it is Mister's story that provokes the clash between the two worlds. The conflicts Grisham presents seem real no matter what setting you work in.

For Michael Brock, the clash plays itself out not only in his work, but also in his home life. It is clear in the beginning that Michael's communication with his wife is difficult and that the marriage is probably failing. Perhaps both parties wanted their marriage to be important, but the demands on him as an associate aiming for partnership and those on her as a medical student and surgical resident did not leave enough to give the relationship a chance. The marriage seems almost irrelevant to the story, but it may be...