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Client by John Grisham

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John Grisham
He is an American novelist, lawyer, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the American
Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers, and his books
have sold 300 million copies worldwide. Along with Tom Clancy and J. K. Rowling, Grisham is one of only
three anglophone authors to have sold two million copies on the first printing.
Biography
John Grisham was born in 1955 in Arkansas. His father, a cotton farmer and itinerant construction worker
moved the family frequently, from town to town throughout the Deep South, settling in Mississippi in 1967.
Although Grisham’s parents lacked formal education, his mother encouraged him to read and insisted that he
prepare himself for college.
By his own account, he had no interest in writing until after he embarked on his professional career. For his
first two years in college, Grisham drifted. He attended three different colleges before earning a degree. After
abandoning a youthful dream of a professional baseball career, he settled down to study accounting and prepare
for a career as a tax lawyer. While in law school, his interest shifted from tax law to criminal law and litigation
(судопроизводство). After graduating from the University of Mississippi law school he established a small
private legal practice. He was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1983. By his second term
he held the vice chairmanship of the Apportionment and Elections Committee.
In Mississippi, attorneys in private practice are sometimes called upon to appear as public defenders for
indigent clients. In this way, Grisham received a valuable experience of the criminal justice system. Inspired by
a case he observed in a Mississippi courthouse, Grisham decided to write a novel. For years, he arrived at his
office at five o'clock in the morning, six days a week, to work on his first book, A Time to Kill. His manuscript
was rejected by 28 publishers before he found an unknown publisher who was willing to print a short run.
Without the benefit of a major publisher's marketing apparatus, he went directly to booksellers, encouraging
them to stock his book.
Although A Time to Kill sold a disappointing 5,000 copies, Grisham had already begun work on a second
novel The Firm. At the same time, bored with the routine of the state capital and eager to spend more time with
his family, he decided not to seek re-election to the state legislature. He closed his office and moved his family
to Oxford, Mississippi, hoping to concentrate on his writing. At age 36, his career as a novelist bloomed when
movie rights to The Firm were sold for a hefty price, even before the book had found a publisher. The Firm sold
more than seven million copies and spent 47 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. With the success of
The Firm, John Grisham finally gave up his law practice to write full time. As of this writing, seven of his
books were the bestselling novels of their respective years. No fewer than ten of Grisham's tales have been
adapted for film and television, including The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Rainmaker and the
original screenplay The Gingerbread Man.
Today, John Grisham, his wife, and their two children keep homes in Oxford, Mississippi. He is also a board
member of the Innocence Project, an organization that promotes the use of DNA evidence to exonerate the
wrongly convicted. Grisham's one nonfiction book to date, The Innocent Man (2006), recounted the real-life
case of Ron Williamson, a former professional baseball player sentenced to death for a murder he did not
commit. Williamson was eventually released, but his case exposed glaring inadequacies in the criminal justice
system.
A John Grisham Room is maintained in The Mississippi State University Libraries, Manuscript Division
where materials generated during the author’s tenure as Mississippi State Representative are archived. Grisham
is a zealous supporter to new writers providing scholarships and writers’ residencies in the University of
Mississippi’s English Department.
I’m going to introduce you two of his novels which I read during my bachelor studies
The Client
It is a legal thriller that revolves around an eleven-year-old boy named Mark Sway, who becomes entangled
in a web of legal and criminal complications. It all starts with Mark and his younger brother Ricky sneaking
some cigarettes in the woods near their trailer park when they witness the suicide of a lawyer, Jerome Clifford
who knew some confidential information. He was the lawyer for Barry «The Blade» Muldanno, the mafia
member who has been accused of murdering a U.S. senator. Before taking his own life Jerome confides in
Mark about the location of the senator body.
After that Ricky goes into shock and gets hospitalized while Mark is forcibly left with the knowledge of
where the dead senator’s body is, making him the target of both the FBI and the mafia. Desperate, Mark hires
lawyer Reggie Love with a $5 retainer fee. Although she doesn’t have children of her own, she is passionate
about protecting kids who got in any kind of predicament so she instantly becomes engaged in Mark’s
extraordinary and tricky case. And together they have to do everything they can to get out of a potentially lifethreatening situation.
Mark is one of the most interesting child protagonists I’ve ever read about. He’s like an adult stuck in a kid’s
body. He comes from the disadvantaged family and they live in the impoverished trailer park area. Even at a
younger age he took the leading position in the family when he managed to save himself, his mom, and his
younger brother from the abuse of his alcoholic father. He steals cigarettes from his mom, so he’s not the
perfect kid by a long shot. But throughout the book, I was drawn to Mark’s grown-up-too-fast personality.
I also like Reggie Love, the lawyer that Mark hires, is a strong woman with a troubling past. I love how she
handles the people around her, and her interactions with the FBI agents, Mark’s mother, and the other lawyers
showcase her confidence and expertise in her work, even though she’s only been a lawyer for four years.
One of the most striking moments in the book is when Mark and Reggie form an unlikely bond as they work
together to outmaneuver the powerful FBI forces pursuing them. Their friendship quickly developed when
Mark visited Reggie’s home and got acquainted with Momma Love.
Grisham tells the story from multiple perspectives, so knowing what Barry Muldanno knows and what Mark
doesn’t know is kind of frightening and really ups the suspense. The legal aspects of the story are also pretty
intense, and Grisham was able to elucidate the workings of the legal system and the criminal world in an
interesting way. It delves into themes of justice, morality, relationship between parents and kids. All in all I can
say the gripping plotline and well-crafted ending makes this a solid read.
Additionally, there is a great deal of legal terminology and just vocabulary related the realm of law but it’s
still not overcomplicated so I’d recommend to start with this book if you want to get acquainted with this genre
Vocabulary
obstruction of justice - the criminal offense of intentionally hindering or interfering with the processes of law
which was used to threaten Mark
But with the help of his lawyer he invoked the fifth amendment and refused to answer
The Fifth Amendment (Amendment V) to the United States Constitution creates several constitutional rights,
limiting governmental powers focusing on criminal procedures. It was ratified, along with nine other articles, in
1791 as part of the Bill of Rights.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or
indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual
service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in
jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be
deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public
use, without just compensation.
Testimony - spoken or written statements that something is true, especially those given in a law court
показание, свидетельство
Subpoena - a legal document ordering someone to appear in a law court; to order someone to go to a law
court to answer questions повестка в суд, вызывать в суд
Take into custody - the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal); "the policeman on the beat
got credit for the collar" заключать под стражу
Warrant - an official document, signed by a judge or other person in authority, that gives the police
permission to search someone's home, arrest a person, or take some other action ордер
In 1994 a movie based on this novel was released. So I’d like to show you a scene from the movie. It’s the
moment where Reggie Love character stands out. It should be pointed out that women working in this industry
it was rare and uncommon so Reggie wasn’t taken seriously by her counterparts . Even Mark at their very first
meeting didn’t expect to see a woman and thought that Reggie was a male name
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
Initially it’s a novel for middle-grade children even judging by the name. It is the first book in a series about
Theodore Boone. Grisham jokingly said in an interview that he wanted to catch up with Harry Potter, since his
number one place was taken in the bestsellers. But I think it has proved that kids’ book can captivate adults too.
The book is also about a boy, a son of lawyers and aspiring junior attorney at age 13, Theodore Boone. He is
prodigy with a big heart and an even bigger sense of justice who brilliantly navigated the complexities of the
justice system and court intricacies.
The crux of the story
He is obsessed with the law and can’t decide if he is going to be a great lawyer or judge. He lives with his
parents. His Uncle Ike lives nearby who was a practicing lawyer before he was disbarred. Theo’s life runs on an
exact routine every day from breakfast to bedtime with allotted times between school, his parents’ office and
their home.
At school although their classes are gender separated, Theo makes time to see his friend April during breaks
and they chat over internet in their spare time. He has learnt kindness from his parents who also help others and
make Theo part of the process, too. April is in the middle of a custody battle but doesn’t want to live with either
parent. Theodore tries to comfort April and explain divorce custody laws to her.
Theodore explains the law not only to April, but also to many of his classmates. One needs advice because
his parents are behind in their mortgage payments and may lose their house. Another has a brother arrested for
the possession of marijuana. Animal control has picked up the dog of a third classmate, and another may have
information that could change the verdict in the biggest murder trial that has ever hit Theodore’s small town.
In the Pete Duffy trial, Pete is accused of murdering his wife. Both the prosecution and defense lawyers in
this case are good, but the prosecution’s case is based on circumstantial evidence. Pete had access to the murder
scene, and he had a motive, but the defense is able to get the jury to doubt Pete’s guilt. In the middle of the trial,
Theodore tracks down a classmate’s cousin, who saw Pete going into his house and leaving it at the time of the
murder. The cousin won’t testify, though, because he is an illegal immigrant and doesn’t want to be sent back to
El Salvador.
Theodore must rely on the advice of Uncle Ike, and eventually both his parents, to figure out his next step.
The whole Boone family finds a way to help the illegal immigrant work toward getting his legal residency and
tells the Duffy trial’s judge what they know.
John Grisham has certainly created a likeable character in Theo as the tagline of the book says «Half the
man, twice the lawyer». He is similar to Mark Sway from the Client in a way that they’re both mature for their
age and willfully or not become engaged in some kind of investigation. Since Theo’s professional parents have
very busy and organized lives that have led to Theo becoming quite independent at a young age and acquired
problem solving skills.
As Theo learns to navigate these events, we can see how his character is being developed into a serious
investigator for the future books to come. In that way, this first book in the series is there to build the
background and introduce us to all players while we also have a murder mystery to solve.
One of the scenes if when he does a presentation to his class about the court system and the case as he knows
all the players from both sides and also gets permission for his class to attend the court during proceedings for a
day. This is also the project we made at university
He walked to the front of the class, pressed a key, and a large diagram appeared on the digital wide-screen
whiteboard. “This is the main courtroom,” Theo said, in his best lawyer’s voice. He held a laser pointer with a
red light and sort of waved it around the diagram. “At the top, in the center here, is the bench. That’s where the
judge sits and controls the trial. Not sure why it’s called a bench. It’s more like a throne. But, anyway, we’ll
stick with bench. The judge is Henry Gantry.” He punched a key, and a large formal photo of Judge Gantry
appeared. Black robe, somber face. Theo shrank it, then dragged it up to the bench. With the judge in place, he
continued, “Judge Gantry has been a judge for about twenty years and handles only criminal cases. He runs a
tight courtroom and is well liked by most of the lawyers.” The laser pointer moved to the middle of the
courtroom. “This is the defense table, where Mr. Duffy, the man accused of murder, will be seated.” Theo
punched a key and a black-and-white photo, one taken from a newspaper, appeared. “This is Mr. Duffy. Age
forty-nine, used to be married to Mrs. Duffy, who is now deceased, and as we all know, Mr. Duffy is accused of
murdering her.” He shrank the photo and moved it to the defense table. “His lawyer is Clifford Nance, probably
the top criminal defense lawyer in this part of the state.” Nance appeared in color, wearing a dark suit and a
shifty smile. He had long, curly gray hair. His photo was reduced and placed next to his client’s. “Next to the
defense table is the prosecution’s table. The lead prosecutor is Jack Hogan, who’s also known as the district
attorney, or DA.” Hogan’s photo appeared for a few seconds before it was reduced and placed at the table next
to the defense. Over here, next to the defense, is the jury box. It has fourteen chairs—twelve for the jurors and
two for the alternates. Most states still use twelve-man juries, though different sizes are not unusual. Regardless
of the number, the verdict has to be unanimous, at least in criminal cases. They pick alternates in case one of
the twelve gets sick or excused or something. The jury was selected last week, so we won’t have to watch that.
It’s pretty boring.” The laser pointer moved to a spot in front of the bench. Theo continued, “The court reporter
sits here. She’ll have a machine that is called a stenograph. Sorta looks like a typewriter, but much different.
Her job is to record every word that’s said during the trial. That might sound impossible, but she makes it look
easy. Later, she’ll prepare what’s known as a transcript so that the lawyers and the judge will have a record of
everything. Some transcripts have thousands of pages.” The laser pointer moved again. “Here, close to the court
reporter and just down from the judge, is the witness chair. Each witness walks up here, is sworn to tell the
truth, then takes a seat.” The laser pointer moved to the middle of the diagram. “This is called the bar. Again,
don’t ask why. The bar is a wooden railing that separates the spectators from the trial area. There are ten rows
of seats with an aisle down the middle. This is usually more than enough for the crowd, but this trial will be
different.” The laser pointer moved to the rear of the courtroom. “Up here, above the last few rows, is the
balcony where there are three long benches. We’re in the balcony, but don’t worry. We’ll be able to see and
hear everything.”
Theo began pacing. “Well, the State has the burden of proving guilt, so it must present its case first. First
thing tomorrow morning, the prosecutor will walk to the jury box and address the jurors. This is called the
opening statement. He’ll lay out his case. Then the defense lawyer will do the same. After that, the State will
start calling witnesses. As you know, Mr. Duffy is presumed to be innocent, so the State must prove him guilty,
and it must do so beyond a reasonable doubt. He claims he’s innocent, which actually in real life doesn’t
happen very often. About eighty percent of those indicted for murder eventually plead guilty, because they are
in fact guilty. The other twenty percent go to trial, and ninety percent of those are found guilty. So, it’s rare for
a murder defendant to be found not guilty.”
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