By being interested in the death penalty, I have read many books, watched many documentaries. But, never have I thought of things from the defense lawyers point of view. This book made me do so. Very interesting read. It does not matter if you are for the death penalty or not, this book will give you a different way at looking at things. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

I loved this book. It gave a lot of good information and opinions. It also gave a lot of good cases and examples. I highly recommend this book to anyone whether they are interested in a pathway of law or the judicial System, or if it’s just an interest to them (as it is for me).

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for a unbiased review of these works.

a facinating and fresh look at this role and the challenges it brings

This was an ill illuminating look into a career that I have always wondered about-- defense attorneys, specifically those representing death row inmates. This would be a great read for trur crime buffs like myself.

Thank you NYU Press and Netgalley for this ARC.
This was a super interesting book on a very controversial topic. I was interested to gain new perspectives on this issue. It answered lots of questions I had previously asked myself.
Well recommended reading.

This book really explains a lot about Capital punishment and why some lawyers choose to fight against it so strongly. Gives you a fresh understanding of things.

Wonderful read about a group of lawyers come face-to-face with many murders on a daily basis. Touches on many issues That will help you to see more of this world

Very interesting book about a subject that needs to be talked about. The many things that go into capital punishment and both its pros and cons will forever be debated as long as the practice is still in place. This book was easy to read and gave opinions and information which is important to note when considering the subject matter.

Capital Defense by Jon B Gould and Maya Pagni Barak is an eye-opening book about the defense attorneys who concentrate on capital cases. This is a perspective that few of us have thought about, even those of us who feel strongly about the subject of capital punishment.

This book is very well researched and discusses the legal profession, and legal maneuverings, in some detail. Having said that, I was very impressed with how well they kept the writing accessible to those of us without law degrees. The latter part of the introduction even includes a primer on the Capital Defense Process. This covers the basics of who can bring charges, how the sentence is determined, and, maybe most important, how it is not determined. This alone will probably answer some questions readers might not have even known they had.

Like any profession, the reasons for practicing criminal law, especially capital cases, are varied but do have some common motivations. Prestige is certainly part of it for many but not nearly as much as what the common perception of lawyers might indicate. Far more are at least as interested in doing what they believe to be right. From a basic opposition to the death penalty to the racial and class disparities in the "justice" system to simply upholding the basic tenets of the foundation of our legal system, namely that everyone is entitled to a rigorous defense.

The toll that taking these cases has on them is steep. They know every action or inaction on their part might be the difference between life and death for their client. Many of these attorneys suffer silently because they know that the cases aren't about them, so they just keep plugging away.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in the topic of capital punishment, whether an activist trying to get people to realize there is NO positive to the government murdering people or a neanderthal that thinks murder is okay when done by who they like. I would also recommend this to anyone considering a field of law in which to practice, this will let you go in with your eyes open, or help you decide to choose another type of law. Either way, a positive thing for your career.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

This was such an interesting read! I have always wondered why the lawyers that defend murderers do it. This book answers that question. It was an eye-opening read!

I never thought how much dedication, passion, effort, and sacrifices capital defense lawyers put on their work until I read this book.

Before I read this, I had an impression that almost if not all capital defense lawyers were motivated by just money and the penchant to protect the alleged criminals because they like to take advantage of the drama to be popular. Little did I know that many are motivated by many other factors I haven’t even considered.

So as I went through the pages of this book, I came to realize that belief in sanctity of life, that the government should not have the right to kill, that alleged offenders are just victims themselves of what is wrong in our society, are just few of the reasons why capital lawyers choose to practice in this area. Some practice capital defense due to the intellectual and the adrenaline rush it gives. In other words capital lawyers find fulfillment in this role. Fulfillment that few can only understand.

This book also discussed how capital work affects the health and well-being of the lawyers. While many experience vicarious trauma others were able to cope. Handling the responsibility of defending the so-called “worst of the worst” of our society can really takes its toll.

This is really an eye opening book. I learned a lot and understand that there are those people who can see something worth fighting for in even the most despised individuals in this world.

A very interesting perspective on something that I had not thought of extensively. The death penalty is such a controversial issue, that looking through the eyes of the lawyers involved was interesting.