Trial and Error: The Education of a Courtroom Lawyer

by John C. Tucker

Book Overview

Trial and Error is a legal memoir that gives an unvarnished account of life as one of America's leading trial lawyers; detailing the path from nervous novice to the top of the legal profession. In 1958, John C. Tucker began a legal career that would lead the Chicago Tribune to call him "one of Chicago's finest and most idiosyncratic trial lawyers." Now, in a book reminiscent of Scott Turow's classic One L, Tucker employs painstaking...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786714573
• ISBN13: 9780786714575
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 357 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Great book for trial lawyers

This book is a must-read for any trial lawyer, and especially for criminal defense lawyers. It is a very inspiring book. John Tucker is my hero!

disregard the marketing-focus on the first-rate war stories

John Tucker offers a wealth of tactical insights gleaned from an impressive career as a litigator, mixing the pathos of legal practice for good causes with the legal theories deployed on behalf of a wide array of clients. By striving for objectivity, Tucker avoids the self-aggrandizing tone of some other such memoirs and instead focuses on the meaty tactics, the rush to file, the strategies behind certain suits, and a bit of background to explain why things mattered to him. The diverse cases he litigated at every level, from initial motions to the Supreme Court, are presented fairly. Many are not the blockbuster cases one might have heard of - esp. Clark v. Universal Builders - the case Tucker fought for harder than any other, and though he ended up losing in court, some sort of justice prevailed. Tucker's may be the only enduring account, and as such, he offers a gift to litigators and civil rights activists alike. Two flaws: first, the promotional packaging focuses on the Chicago Eight case, in which Tucker played a small part, as if it were the focus of the book. It's not. In some 20 pages of 360, Tucker explores it and moves on. Lazy publisher might not have read further...More relevant, Tucker evades criticizing his partners and associates (his piercing critique of Judge Hoffman drips with justified acidity), dropping only a subtle hint about other frictions. But that's a forgivable indulgence: who could fault him for refraining from offering anything but praise for mentors and colleagues? Tucker's career is a model for litigators worthy of emulating. While much has changed since he started practicing, the ongoing struggle for justice (and clients able to pay for it) goes on. A must read for future litigators, if only for the tactical insights.

An extraordinary insight into the law and lawyers

For any who lack faith in the America's legal system or think all lawyers are worthy subjects of jokes, Tucker's book is the proverbial lightbulb in the cave. Tucker recounts his journey through a lengthy career as a trial lawyer and along the way demonstrates that our judicial system, while short of perfect, is still the best in the world. Tucker helped the poor, the wealthy, the politically powerful and powerless and the reviled through the judicial system. Some cases he won; some he lost. Win or lose, however, Tucker fought the good fight for his clients, often pro bono. His story is complete. He reveals the importance of trial preparation -- an element that truly separates competent lawyers from their clumsy brethern (the latter of which I always seem to retain; while the former retain me as an expert witness). Tucker tells some wonderful stories about judges, good and bad. Like Tucker, I am from the Chicago area and am very familiar with bad judges. Tucker discloses that there have been many good judges in the area as well and provides useful insight into their judicial reasoning. All in all, a wonderful book that will redeem lost faith in our judicial system. "Trial and Error" is not a courtroom thriller: it is far better than one -- it's real life and I for one am glad that Tucker decided to take the time to write his memoir. It is well worth reading.Jerry

A PRIMER ON THE LAW....FOR EVERYONE

Twenty-one different courtroom cases are covered in this book by a most successful attorney who has his head on straight; by that I mean he mixes the intricacies of the law with living a "normal" life. He certainly puts in long hours in preparation, but that goes along with his job. The author states, "In the American Legal System, a lawyer's job is not to seek justice, but to win the case for his client." He relates many interesting cases, but two exceptional ones are defending a rapist who is truly mentally defective and one about defending the "Chicago Eight" in 1968. A lot of detailed information about that political incident is fascinating. Mr. Tucker does a lot of pro bono work and one of this type was defending the Contract Buyers League in Chicago...a race conflict of great proportions. Fine writing delineates complex legal cases that are most understandable.