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Unbillable Hours: A True Story

by Ian Graham

Unbillable Hours: A True Story Cover

ISBN13: 9781607146292
ISBN10: 1607146290
All Product Details

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The story — part memoir, part hard-hitting exposé — of a first-year law associate negotiating the arduous path through a system designed to break those who enter it before it makes them.

Landing a job at a prestigious L.A. law firm, complete with a six figure income, signaled the beginning of the good life for Ian Graham. But the harsh reality of life as an associate quickly became evident. The work was grueling and boring, the days were impossibly long, and Grahams main goal was to rack up billable hours. But when he took an unpaid pro bono case to escape the drudgery, Graham found the meaning in his work that he'd been looking for. As he worked to free Mario Rocha, a gifted young Latino who had been wrongly convicted at 16 and sentenced to life without parole, the shocking contrast between the quest for money and power and Mario's desperate struggle for freedom led Graham to look long and hard at his future as a corporate lawyer.

Clear-eyed and moving, written with the drama and speed of a John Grisham novel and the personal appeal of Scott Turow's account of his law school years, Unbillable Hours is an arresting personal story with implications for all of us.

Review:

“Did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did ...Definitely worth the read. Better than most else in the genre, for sure.”  Jeremy Blachman, author of Anonymous Lawyer

Review:

“…engrossing memoir" LA Magazine

Review:

“Graham's telling of the overwrought work environment at Latham Watkins brings John Grisham's The Associate to real life.” New York Journal of Books

Review:

“Inspiring, crisply written, and gripping, this behind-the-scenes account of one man's pursuit of justice is highly recommended.” Tucson Citizen

Book News Annotation:

In this memoir, Graham relates the story of his five years as a young associate at a law firm and the pro bono murder case that changed his view of the world. Graham worked to free Mario Rocha, who was wrongly convicted of murder at 16 and sentenced to life without parole. Graham realized that he had started at the firm to make money, but after taking the case, reevaluated his future as a corporate lawyer. He tells of the nun who persuaded the firm to take the case and his work with the rest of the team to free Rocha, with whom he developed a friendship and who was eventually released. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Synopsis:

Clear-eyed and moving, and written with the drama and speed of a John Grisham novel and the personal appeal of Scott Turow's account of his law school years, Unbillable Hours is an arresting personal story.

About the Author

Ian Graham is a lawyer living in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from Rice University in 1997 and the University of Texas Law School in 2001, he joined the law firm of Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles where he worked as an associate from 2001 to 2006. While at Latham his pro bono work on behalf of Mario Rocha, a young Latino man then serving a double life sentence for a murder he did not commit, was featured in the award-winning documentary film Mario's Story, currently airing on Showtime.  He continues to represent Mr. Rocha, and worked as the Associate Producer of Kicking It, a documentary on the Homeless World Cup soccer tournament in Johannesburg, South Africa, that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007 and airs on ESPN.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:

Leavenworth Reader, January 1, 2012 (view all comments by Leavenworth Reader)
Great book. Forget first time author - it is a wonderful read from any author. If you are an attorney, law student or retired from the legal field you will especially like Graham's book.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781607146292
Subtitle:
A True Story
Publisher:
Kaplan Publishing
Author:
Graham, Ian
Subject:
Trials (Murder) -- California.
Subject:
Rocha, Mario - Trials, litigation, etc
Subject:
Lawyers & Judges
Subject:
Criminal Law - General
Subject:
Personal Memoirs
Subject:
Biography-Lawyers and Judges
Subject:
Legal
Publication Date:
20100504
Binding:
Hardback
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
256
Dimensions:
8 x 5.25 in 13.02 oz
Unbillable Hours: A True Story
0 stars - 0 reviews
$ In Stock
Product details 256 pages Kaplan Publishing - English 9781607146292 Reviews:
"Review" by , “Did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did ...Definitely worth the read. Better than most else in the genre, for sure.” 
"Review" by , “…engrossing memoir"
"Review" by , “Graham's telling of the overwrought work environment at Latham Watkins brings John Grisham's The Associate to real life.”
"Review" by , “Inspiring, crisply written, and gripping, this behind-the-scenes account of one man's pursuit of justice is highly recommended.”
"Synopsis" by , Clear-eyed and moving, and written with the drama and speed of a John Grisham novel and the personal appeal of Scott Turow's account of his law school years, Unbillable Hours is an arresting personal story.
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