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Library Journal Review

A long-time aviation accident lawyer, Speiser draws upon many of his own cases to illustrate the American system of tort law, which insurance and business groups want to reform. He refers to negligence attorneys as ``equalizers'' who empower injured clients with the means of obtaining adequate compensation from stronger opponents. By performing these functions, such lawyers attain Speiser's version of the American Dream: personal achievement that benefits the lawyers financially while doing good for their clients. Many of Speiser's themes and highlighted cases were the subject of his earlier book, Lawsuits ( LJ 2/15/81); however, this is not only an update but an enthusiastic blast at tort reformers , whose agendas are best represented by Peter Huber's Liability (BasicBks: HarperCollins, 1988). Best suited for general readers rather than scholars, this book is also recommended for law libraries not owning Speiser's earlier book or Laurence Drivon's more concise The Civil War on Consumer Rights ( LJ 4/1/90) .--Merlin Whiteman, Indianapolis (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

This is a self-indulgent personal history masquerading as a popular history of tort (or injury) law. Speiser ( Lawsuit ) begins with discursive analyses of the ``American Dream'' and the television show L.A. Law , concluding, a bit contortedly, that by representing injured plaintiffs in potentially profitable tort cases, the fictional lawyers pursue the American Dream of personal success and societal betterment. What follows is a highly arbitrary and partial account of tort law and its development, with one-third of the book devoted to a relatively unimportant case regarding the 1943 crash of Pan Am's Yankee Clipper , which the author helped litigate. His accounts of some other cases he handled, including Ralph Nader's invasion of privacy suit against General Motors, are more interesting. However, Speiser's story of the rise of tort lawyers ignores many key figures. In his final chapter, Speiser defends tort lawyers against their many critics with a sketchy, fictionalized ``debate'' between Humphrey Bogart, representing the ``Equalizers'' (tort lawyers), and Sydney Greenstreet representing corporate interests, with John Huston moderating. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Booklist Review

What's the difference between a lawyer and Superman? Not much, so you would gather from this provocative book hailing lawyers as defenders of truth, justice, and the American way. Speiser calls lawyers "equalizers," since they represent underdogs in civil lawsuits against the establishment. In a largely historical review of the profession, the author presents key revolutionary battles waged in U.S. courtrooms that have defined and defended aspects of what is commonly perceived as the American dream. After a chapter-long look at the characters and memorable cases on the television series "L.A. Law" (whose fictional attorneys serve as examples throughout the text), the book takes a tedious turn. The next seven chapters recount the evolution of tort law (cases involving accidental injury or death) by way of an exhaustively detailed account of a 1943 Pan Am crash and the resultant lawsuits. When Speiser departs from the history lesson and shares his own courtroom stories, including battles against tycoons Onassis and Gucci, the reading is far more interesting. The final chapter is a gem, a point-counterpoint discussion on the "liability explosion," featuring Humphrey Bogart as the "equalizer," Sidney Greenstreet as a "tort reform" advocate, and John Huston as the moderator. ~--Kerri Kilbane