Beyond the Bar

by Albert Stark

Albert Stark takes us on a journey through his first fifteen years as a lawyer. Sixteen chapters, written with the pace and interest of a novel, teach lessons in time management, fee negotiation,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1401083641
• ISBN13: 9781401083649
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Engrossing portrait of an early legal career

Beyond the Bar, Challenges in a Lawyer's Life, chronicles the first fifteen years of veteran trial lawyer Albert Stark's formative experiences practicing in Trenton, N.J. Told in the form of refreshingly original case vignettes, an engaging portrait emerges of a man whose character was shaped in part by his early clients and ofttimes unlikely collaborators. The human toll of his clients' encounters with an imperfect legal system is examined in stories woven in a distinctly compassionate literary style. The author's choices are revealed as more often heartfelt than calculated. We root for young Albert as he attempts to navigate sometimes unfriendly waters, populated by the "characters" who inhabit the musty Mercer County courthouse where he plies his trade. Cases are won and lost. Although we share his triumphs, we see that the author's defeats reveal more of his character. His is a cautionary tale which, nonetheless, celebrates the nobility and dignity of those who populate the book, most of whom could have easily sprung from the streets of Dickens' London. The overriding tone of the book is decidedly redemptive and hopeful. Stark emerges as a man who has come to terms with the systems' limitations, yet manages to marshal his inner reserves, achieving success by drawing upon a much appreciated support network of those whose opinions he seeks and values. He wins big cases for deserving clients and changes the lives of people he will never meet, by taking on companies who put profits above safety. He builds a firm of lawyers who, in his image, give back .... in the truest sense, not content to perpetuate the unjustified stereotype of lawyers, held by a jaded few.This book should be required reading for all those embarking on a career in the law. They will draw solace from the revelation that a man who has risen to great heights began as an awestruck neophyte, searching to make sense of a profession that is, as one of Albert's colleagues remarks, "an art, not a science." Stark has found peace Beyond the Bar. He has enjoyed the journey and is poised to take on whatever adventure awaits. To read it is to be infused with a sense of all that is possible and to have one's faith in trial lawyers restored, through a rare glimpse into the heart and soul of one of the finest.

A Great Book for Anyone Beginning their Career

Vibrant, empathetic, thoughtful. That is how I would describe Beyond the Bar. I picked it up, thinking it was going to be another law management book. To my surprise, I found that the book read like a novel with each story full of suspense and twists and turns. As a young lawyer, six years out, I could relate to Stark's experiences. I think that because of the book I will be less reluctant to seek advice from experienced lawyers. In fact, I gave the book to my mentor to read.

Rumpole fans rejoice! The fun continues but it's all real!

Beyond the Bar is not only for lawyers, but for everyone interested in how the legal profession works - the dealings, the courtroom procedures, the events behind the scences.Some of the cases in the book appear at first glance to be non-cases - not open and shut. Through solid detective work and interpretation they are brought to an unexpected success. There is a sense of suspense. The conversations and real people make for lively reading.John Mortimer, a British author and barrister created Rupole of the Bailey. The reader will find the intriguing plots of similar quality in the stories and cases in Beyond the Bar.

Memoir of a Young Lawyer with Heart

In an era of unparalleled greed and an apparently insatiable taste for law suits, Stark's memoir of a young lawyer's efforts to maintain his compassion and his unwavering desire to help ordinary people who are hurt is not only refreshing, but a joy to read. Told simply and with feeling, Stark traces his life from his earliest days as a public defender in Trenton, New Jersey, his sometimes hilarious friendships with a cast of Shakespearean characters, to his fortieth birthday, and his success as a PI attorney specializing in victims of brain injury. A candid examination of his victories and defeats, his determination and his fears, his disillusionment and his doggedness, Stark goes a long way toward restoring my faith in lawyers. The Law may be against him, but a caring, creative, and stubborn lawyer can "change . . . the life of a person whose fate has been changed by someone else's carelessness." Fast-paced, humorous, reads like a novel. All lawyers should read this book!