One L

The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School

De: Scott Turow

Narrado por: Holter Graham

Decades after Scott Turow entered law school comes an all new unabridged production of this classic with a special introduction by and interview with the author

One L, Scott Turow's journal of his first year at law school and a best seller when it was first published in 1977, has gone on to become a virtual bible for prospective law students. Not only does it introduce with remarkable clarity the ideas and issues that are the stuff of legal education; it also brings alive the anxiety and competitiveness - with others and, even more, with oneself - that set the tone in this crucible of character building.

Each September, a new crop of students enter Harvard Law School to begin an intense, often grueling, sometimes harrowing year of introduction to the law. Will the One L's survive? Will they excel? Will they make the Law Review, the outward and visible sign of success in this ultra-competitive microcosm.

With remarkable insight into both his fellow students and himself, Turow leads us through the ups and downs, the small triumphs and tragedies of the year, in an absorbing and thought-provoking narrative that teaches the listener not only about law school and the law but also about the human beings who make them what they are.

©1977, 1988 Scott Turow (P)2005 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Reseñas de la Crítica

"The most accurate, complete, and balanced description yet of a century-old rite of passage in America." (Baltimore Sun)
"[One L] should be read by anyone who has ever contemplated going to law school or anyone who has ever worried about being human." (The New York Times)

Great and honest book about the 1L process

The intensity, information, and honesty about all the factors of being a 1L provided great insight into the mechanisms that may tempt you from your success.

considering law school?

I would highly recommend this book to anybody considering law school. There is no other book of its kind...it will definitely give you an idea as to what you're in for.

A well-told and well-written account

One L brought insight into the self-induced psychopathology that first year students bestow on themselves, as well as the misdirected, flip pieces of advice that professors give to students undergoing a great deal of stress. I also became very interested in learning the basics of the law. I never knew what "torts" were until I listened to the story. I was impressed with the liveliness of the narration, and the clear writing as well. While some explanations rambled a bit, I was very interested in hearing Turow's story, and listened to the story straight through. I have new insight to the world my lawyer friends went through in their first year, and greater understanding why many of them exhibit the aggressive, combative personas when I talk with them. Turow wrote the book while undergoing law school, and the tone of the narrator's complaints and demonizing remarks sometimes come across as immature and whiny. Nonetheless, the narrative felt authentic, and I was engrossed in Turow's progress.

Good Story

You can really feel what the author is feeling as he writes in his journal about his first year. I don't agree with his politics, and think some of his fears may have been misplaced, but I haven't gone to Harvard Law School, so I can't comment further.

Not a great “general audience” book

This is really only useful for people who are wanting to be lawyers. I read it mainly as research for another project, and I was bored to tears by the lengthy coda wherein the now-older author tells us all about his opinion on legal practice vs legal academia. It’s cool if you’re into that, but I found myself aghast when he explained very eloquently in a final interview some very important information about his time at Harvard which wasn’t covered at all in the book — namely, that his time there was made all the more precarious by his own sense of having “already failed” as a writer at the tender age of 26. This piece of characterization, while perhaps seeming small, was actually kind of a major aspect missing from the main body of the text. Indeed, I knew very very little of the author-protagonist’s backstory by the end of the book, which was odd. I learned much more about him from that interview at the end. My first thought was that, had the younger author been keen to add more vulnerability and heart to the story — really get into his demons in a way that I acknowledge perhaps wasn’t appropriate for men in the 70s to do, especially white Ivy League educated lawyers-to-be — it would’ve read much more cleanly. There was a ton of telling-not-showing, and the central “Incident” was a yawn. Not my favorite, but weirdly I’m glad I read it, so I know definitively not to be a lawyer.

Comes across as observant, truthful and thoughtful

My daughter expects to attend law school next year, and I thought this book would give me a better sense of what her experience might be like. In that regard, i got what I wanted out of it, and it was well written to boot. The afterward, written from the perspective of thirty years out of law school, was also excellent. The question whether its observations are dated I don't have enough knowledge to judge.

Perfect pre-law school listen.

What did you love best about One L?

It pretty much laid out a blueprint of everything to expect during the first year of law school. I listened to it a few weeks before school started and it really helped me get into the right mindset.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Perini. Are all contracts professors alike? Or maybe the Harvard Law contracts professor character in The Paper Chase was based on the same Harvard Law contracts professor that Turow based Perini.

Have you listened to any of Holter Graham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When he was about to have a nervous breakdown and tried to see the on-campus psych, but then things got better... Cheesy, I know, but I've definitely thought about it. It's a good motivator.

Any additional comments?

Would recommend to ALL future 1Ls. Absolutely.

A Must Read for the Law School Bound

I found this audio book enjoyable and most informative. I bought it hoping to give me some idea what law school is like and the amount of work I'd be expected to do while attending. This book does a good job describing the challenges of law school - academic, social, emotional and other challenges. It also illustrates the enjoyable, rewarding aspects of law school. Most valuable was the experiences and advices shared of how to deal with the stress of 1st year and social pitfalls to watch out for.

A Classic

I reread One L this week in preparation for meeting the author. One L is Scott Turow’s nonfiction account of his first year of law school. It has been read by generations of aspiring law students. I first read it 36 years ago before my first year of law school. I then reread it just after completing my first year of law school. And now again this week. It’s a great book and very realistically portrays the first year of law school or at least what I experienced. I’ve recommended it to many over the years who were contemplating going to law school. I can say I got a little bit different out of the book each time I’ve read it based on the stage of my legal career. When I met Turow last night, I told him that I discussed One L and Presumed Innocent with Prof Lord in my personal interview at Campbell Law. I also asked him if he ever rereads it like watching old home movies. He confirmed that he has reread it many times. I really enjoyed the reread and I’m very thankful that I don’t have to actually go through my first year again.

Still great!

Only negative is that the author's very in depth criticism is a little out dated now. However, his main points still carry truth.