May it Please the Court
A Lawyer's War Stories
Mitchell D Kessler
Bonneville Books

With a Table of Contents bearing titles 'Secrets of Jury Selection,' 'The Foot Soldier's Law School,' 'Endangered Species,' 'Mollie,' and 'Judge Given' writer Kessler offeres a series of twenty anecdotes comprising some of the varied experiences Kessler experiences as a personal injury lawyer. Kessler recounts in 'Zargon' his needing to find a job: his student loan was about to go into default and finding a job was imperative. With his resume tendered and interview to begin Kessler wasn't too sure just what to expect. Meeting with the taciturn Fineas Pearl was not all that Kessler hoped for. For one thing the salary offered was $15,000 a year, and even for the year it was pretty low. Kessler was sent next to talk with Robert Zargon; a man about whom Kessler knew nothing. Later he learned that Zargon was 'the' personal injury lawyer of the day. Kessler learned most of the Zargon associates lasted a year or two. Kessler found the job to be a rugged one: Zargon was a tough taskmaster, he expected devotion in exchange he taught and trained and challenged his young lawyers to become the best they could be. Kessler stayed for three years before moving on.

On the pages of "May it Please the Court" Kessler offers a appealing peep into the excitable ups and downs that a personal injury lawyer faces while offering the reader opportunity to gain a better awareness of how the courts really work. Written in a coherent, readable manner Kessler's reminiscences and examples of the various methods, people, cases and matters he has dealt with over the years "May it Please the Court" is a pleasant break from the often usual fare offered for an afternoon read.

On any given day there are thousands of cases awaiting in courts. Most are predictable standard fare where

individual drama play out before zealous juries who may be the only occupants in the courts save the judge and other officials and a handful of people waiting for the trial to resolve. Most times, for most cases the rows of courtroom seats are empty save for the parties to the case itself. Few cases heard in the courts garner the type of interest engendered by a nationwide grabber in which a sports star or other celebrity is taken before a jury. "May it Please the Court" offers a glimpse into some of these routine, but highly interesting cases.

Writer Kessler is a personal injury lawyer offering a glimpse into some of his triumphs both in and out of the courtroom and of his personal struggle against some of the wrongs of our imperfect society. His job is to speak for those who cannot always speak for themselves. "May it Please the Court" offers powerful tales involving random acts of violence, falsified police reports, incorrect autopsy reports, prescription drugs providing tragic side effects, consequence of reckless drivers as you glimpse into the world our nation's courts.

Fine book for an evening read when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet.