TRIAL & ERROR The Education of a Freedom Lawyer (ISBN 0978959744)

What a pleasant surprise:
What a surprise to find a book written by an attorney about being an attorney that is rich in insight and yet doesn't take itself too seriously. In language that ranges from profoundly true to wryly ridiculous, this collection of story poems follows a student lawyer from his idealistic beginnings through the end of his first year by which time he has become the first student lawyer to argue before his state's Supreme Court. Along the way he wins some and loses some and learns that to some clients saving face is more important than the verdict. This is not a glamorous view of the law but it's clear as you read that Campbell loves the law and respects even the lowliest of his clients. He calls himself a freedom lawyer because he knows that all of us -- the scarred exheroin addict, the man denied a jury of his peers, the boy in the wrong place at the wrong time -- depend on the the fair administration of justice for our freedom. This was lots of fun to read.

The Musical Prose of a Freedom Lawyer:
In musical prose and poignant self-analysis, Art Campell's tales of his early years as a defense attorney in Washington, DC, are ripe with clear-eyed portraits of the down-and-out, the untrustworthy, and the over-confident, namely, Campbell himself in the guise of the young self-proclaimed "freedom lawyer." Whether his clients are innocent or guilty matters not to this author---it's his defendants' humanity that propels him. With each drug dealer or burglar, he tries to find a way for the law to bring stability to their wayward lives. That rarely happens. I loved reading the deftly told "The Thanksgiving Addict" about a man Campbell thought he had saved but couldn't or "The Weird Case" in which the trial becomes a showdown over due process for the client and not the client's guilt. The judge's verdict is often a surprise but the truth of what the law, the prosecution, and the accused teach Campbell about life is not.

Campbell's Book Sings:
Here are some professional reviews sent to my publisher: "Campbell's book is magic. It sings. It dances. The law ought to be about people-- people in trouble, people with claims for justice who need to be heard. Art Campbell knows this. He also knows how to bring you into the lives of the people he has-- with wit, grit and dedication-- represented over the years. This is a great book. " -- Mike Tigar, internationally renowned trial attorney. "Professor Campbell's Trial & Error reads like a fast paced work of fiction with fascinating real life experiences, laced with poetry. I am grateful that he had the insight to record and preserve these images from his life so that the public and a generation of lawyers will have the unique opportunity to peek into his past and share these vivid courtroom scenes, his keen wit and his growth as a burgeoning attorney. Campbell's journey, while sometimes painful, is remarkable for the intensity of his feelings and his single minded desire to always improve. And improve his does as we watch the birth of an outstanding lawyer. Sit back, read this book and be prepared an exciting tour through the eyes of a truly talented person." -- Mario Conte, former Executive Director of Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc. "Art Campbell provides us with brilliant flashes of insight into the mysterious workings of the legal system. His prose poems are heart-wrenching, powerful, compelling. As an insider, Campbell is in an unique position to provide vivid glimpses at the colorful characters on both sides of the law. His prose poems are full of compassion and a generosity of spirit. In sharing with us his 'tales from the trenches,' he reveals the heart and soul of a young trial lawyer." -- Nancy Kim, lawyer and author of critically acclaimed novel CHIMHOMINEY's SECRET. "For anyone who is now, or ever has been, or ever wants to be, a criminal defense lawyer, Art Campbell's book of prose poetry is a must read. Art, who has been there and done that, is a compelling storyteller of the life of one representing criminal defendants- good, the bad and the ugly; not even the judges are spared his acerbic pen." -- Rt. Hon. James Stiven, Judge, San Diego Superior Court, Retired. "Lawyers, the best and the worst of them, are storytellers. When the stories cluster around an ever elusive justice, as they do in Campbell's Trial and Error, law amounts to little more than tragedy. And yes, there are a few hard fought victories for clients along the way. The law, as we see in Campbell's stories, is a life of the bitter and the sweet; it makes for lawyers, a topsy-turvy life." -- Jim Elkins, Law Professor and Editor of The Legal Studies Forum.

Art has fun with words.:
From the first to the last page, Art takes me to legal hearings, describing strategy, tactics, sharing his victories and defeats. Each poem is a mini-lesson for anyone interested in Law, and in Defending, in particular. A quick, fun book, not easy to put down. Art uses interesting and colorful language; afterall it's prose poems -"...how easily a defense can crash when splayed on spindly legs." (p49); "...drawn a warp and woof of words..." (p54). I enjoyed the many adages and quotes sprinkled throughout the poems, like "...When facts stand against you, pound the law. When law stands against you, pound the facts. When both stand against you, pound the podium." (p94) and the Contemporary Zen adage: "A closed mouth gathers no foot." (113). I plan to order Art's next book - Trial & Error Volume II: For the Prosecution.