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A crazed, homeless gunman takes Michael Brock and eight other attorneys at the prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm of Drake & Sweeney hostage, setting in motion a chain of events and major change of life that Michael could not have anticipated the day before. Then, he had been comfortable in his job, well paid and on the fast track to partnership, which could mean a million dollars a year for the rest of his life. Soon after he escapes from the hostage crisis, he begins taking steps that lead him away from corporate antitrust law and into a small law firm dedicated to advocacy for the homeless. Prior to leaving, however, he purloins a client file, in which he hopes to find information about the deaths of five homeless people. The file becomes both his weapon for use against the firm due to the information in it and the firm's weapon against him because of his theft of it.

"The Street Lawyer" is perhaps John Grisham's most socially-conscious effort (though one might well consider "The Chamber," which dealt with the death penalty, to hold that distinction), and it therefore contains a fair amount of politics in it, especially in the frequent complaints of Mordecai Green, the lawyer who heads the small firm that Michael joins. Readers who prefer the clear-cut lines of good and (very) bad of other Grisham efforts (particularly "The Firm" and "The Pelican Brief") may be disappointed by the gray areas here, for much of the book reads as an indictment of the upper middle and upper classes and of republicans. Grisham does not allow these indictments to get in the way of the story too frequently, though, and he brings the story to a conclusion quite similar to that in "The Rainmaker," albeit with less over-the-top drama.

The issue of homelessness is indeed an important one, and Grisham includes a personal afterword suggesting his newfound awareness of the problem and the factors contributing to it. One cannot help but wonder, however, whether the author is genuinely concerned or merely paying lip service while using the problem for a novel that will no doubt be the source of more millions of dollars for him. During the hostage crisis that starts the book, the gunman has all of the hostages divulge their salaries and the amounts they've given to charities for the poor. The message is clear, especially because the protagonist (Michael) feels guilty for having done nothing to help others. And yet "The Street Lawyer" arrived on book stores' shelves with a list price of $27.95--considerably higher than many hardcovers--and nary a mention that the proceeds would in any way help anyone besides Mr. Grisham, his agent and publisher, and the stores selling the book.

Compared to other Grisham efforts, "The Street Lawyer" probably does not rank among his best. Compared to other legal novels in general, the law in "The Street Lawyer" is rather naive or simplistic. While this simplicity should ensure that the wide audience that is the book's target does not lose interest with discussions of legal niceties, it does make for a somewhat unbelievable resolution and some problematic ethical issues.

The Street Lawyer was the first novel I read by John Grisham. Depsite bad reviews on this sight that put down Grisham's efforts to shed light onto problems of the "street people", I really enjoyed this book.

The Street Lawyer doesn't waste any time getting into the action. Within the first chapter, a homeless man takes a large DC firm hostage. Michael Brock, a rising lawyer in the Drake and Sweeny firm, is one of the 9 lawyers taken captive in a plush office. When he comes out alive, Michael visits a poor section of the city and his eyes are opened to the world of the homeless. He decides to quit his high-paying job to work with fee for the street people of Washington DC. A major case against Drake and Sweeny causes him to steal a file and land in jail.

I really liked this book and recommend it for any Grisham fan or someone who hasn't read his works at all.

...I still liked reading this one. It's one of Grisham's lesser works and a bit too preachy but if you're not looking for anything special it WILL keep your interest. A good, rather mediocre read that's entertaining and not like Grisham's other works, which says something...