BIGLAW by Lindsay Cameron Published by Ankerwycke on September 7th 2015
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
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*Harper's Bazaar Must-Read*
The Devil Wears Prada meets One L, BIGLAW provides an insider's view of the cut-throat world of big New York law firms.
Mackenzie Corbett has always dreamed of living in New York City. Now, almost two years into her job as an associate at a premier Manhattan law firm, she's living her fantasy--big salary, high profile deals, cute boyfriend, designer bag on her arm. The giant bags under her eyes from lack of sleep don't fit into the fantasy, though. To make matters worse, she's being tormented by a bitter, bitchy senior associate, her cute boyfriend is annoyed she never has time for him, and now she's stuck on the deal from hell with a partner whose biggest claim to fame is throwing a stapler at a cleaning lady because she touched his ficus plant.
With the opportunity to secure a prestigious secondment on line, the overachiever in her is determined to endure whatever it takes to close the biggest deal in the firm's history. But when Mackenzie finds herself the focus of a devastating investigation her dream job begins spiraling into a nightmare.
In this pitch perfect, frightening accurate novel, Lindsay Cameron throws back the curtain to this intriguing world exposing the truth about life in Biglaw.
BIGLAW is a surprisingly new version of ChickLit for me. The novel is written by a lawyer with attention to basic legal terminology and legal procedures while simultaneously developing a story most women will connect with.
Although I had some issues with the main character the bulk of the novel regarding Mackenzie’s experience working in BIGLAW was actually exciting.
I know a lot people have said in reviews that the way she was treated was horrific, but it was exciting to feel the rush of competition pouring off the pages. Honestly, this is why I had always wanted to be a corporate lawyer: the competition, the rush, the around the clock schedule. It sounds fantastic! Plus, the fact that they have it set up so you can get everything you need and not have to stop working? I’d like to sign up to that, please! It’s annoying having to leave your desk to grab food when you’re on a deadline that doesn’t really allow for meal breaks – in my experience sometimes you just don’t eat at all to save time.
The novel starts out with Mackenzie being pulled into her boss’ office with a strong sense of foreboding and fear. Mackenzie keeps rethinking her day, trying to figure out where she could have made mistakes or done the wrong thing. The whole chapter ends with her wondering if the partners had learned of her tiny misbehaviour and if she was going to be fired for it. It was a really great line to hook in readers before they are thrust back months before this ill fated meeting takes place.
I loved the legal aspects of this novel and would have given it five stars if only it had stronger lead character..
Mackenzie’s motivations for becoming a lawyer were incredibly selfish, considering it to be the epitome of success and not taking into account the actual job she would be doing. She often considered herself a victim in an environment where everyone is exposed to the same pressure and probably just as worn out and exhausted as she is. She was irresponsible; constantly pointing fingers at others for her mistakes. She honestly spent more time describing what designer labels she was wearing than focusing on the deals she was managing. I think that I just really couldn’t connect with someone with such different motivations and priorities..not to mention background. I couldn’t best my own biases on this one.
Regardless, I really enjoyed BIGLAW for it’s fantastic story telling and realistic look at corporate law in New York City. I was both excited and inspired by this book in multiple ways. I definitely recommend reading BIGLAW if you are a ChickLit fan or a fan of novels that are slightly outside their genres. I will definitely be checking out more Lindsay Cameron in the future!
About Lindsay Cameron
Lindsay Cameron is a graduate of the University of British Columbia School of Law. She worked for six years as a corporate attorney at large law firms in both the United States and Canada, including one of New York’s most profitable firms. Deciding that writing was more fun than lawyering, she left the law behind to pursue a career writing novels while hunched over her laptop at Starbucks. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two young children. BIGLAW is her debut novel.
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