Product Description

'TheBusiness of Practicing Law' is a frank discussion of the inner workingsand cultural milieu of the modern American law firm. The author's keen insightsinto the business aspects of the practice of law will fill a void in thetypical attorney's legal education. The material is presented in a crisp andreadable style, blended with the pertinent personal experiences of twoimaginary third-year law students, culminating in their interviews with a modelfictional law firm and their ultimate career choices. Every attorney who is consideringpractice in a law firm--and even those who have already made that choice - willbenefit from Mr. Koster's cogent observations, which are based on his 35 yearsof practice in a variety of legal settings. He manages to convey information ina unique manner that engages the reader, illuminates aspects of the privatepractice of law that may come as a surprise, and forces an introspectiveexamination of an attorney's goals and compatibility with law firm life. Thisbook is a 'must read' for law students and law firm associates.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #598722 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 168 pages

About the Author
Priorto his retirement from the active practice of law in 2001, William Koster's career spanned 35 years, during which he heldpositions with the Iowa attorney general's office and the Iowa BankingDepartment and was in-house counsel for a large mid-western banking corporationand a shareholder-director of a 70-attorney Minneapolis, MN law firm. Duringhis law firm years, he assisted clients with a wide range of business-relatedlegal services and participated in firm management. He has been a frequent speakerat meetings and seminars for legal and business organizations. He currently isan adjunct professor at the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, MN .A graduate of the Creighton University School of Lawin Omaha, NE, he resides in Edina, MN.

Customer Reviews

Worthless drivel.
This book offered no insight into the business of a law firm. At best, it provides some wishy-washy insights into the most basic aspects of how a law firm operates. Take these earth-shattering lines as examples: "It is a well-established principle that people tend to do what they are rewarded for doing." Or, talking about the importance of a law firm developing a "focus": It "may be broad or narrow . . . [with] many practice areas, or only one or two."

You'll be disappointed if you are into "BigLaw" (ie, one of the Vault 100 firms), because this book focuses on a mid-size regional firm and the author has no BigLaw experience.

I obtained this book expecting research from actual successful law firms, and interviews from leaders at those firms. This book offers none of these. I found out recently that this book is published by a self-publishing outfit called "AuthorHouse," which is why it hasn't undergone the scrutiny that "real" books have undergone.

Lame
I'm afraid I have to agree with the only other review here, the one that says this is a weak book that wouldn't have made it into print if it weren't self-published. I'm a lawyer, and I've read several such books. This one is by a retired lawyer who speaks in useless generalities, possibly because he's been out of it too long, and who writes poorly. There are other, vastly better books out there on the same subject. I regret having wasted my money on this one. I'd sell it to anyone who'd pay for shipping.
Too bad. It had a decent title.