I had so many feelings reading this book. Dahlia Lithwick invoked a million different feelings, and so many memories – of what it took for me to become a law librarian. Not only that, but to help me remember my roots on <em>why</em> I became a law librarian- one that has devoted their life to public service.

Dahlia has broken down the stories of some bad a$$ women in the law who have taken a stand in the name of justice. She breaks down the law, along with their stories so any non-lawyer can understand and appreciate. But for those working in the law, I would guarantee that while reading this, there was a lot of nodding of the head, and loud commentary disrupting the slumber of the cats keeping the reader company.

For those that have fatigue from what has happened in the USA in recent memory- be it within the courts, justice system, or the halls of Congress, this story will grant you the second wind you didn’t know you needed.

I adored this book! Lithwick's conversational style was like having her sitting in my living room regaling me with the stories of badass women who are standing up for all of us and trying to keep our country from cratering from the outside pressures surrounding the past handful of years. Some of the women are well known, like Sally Yates and Robbie Kaplan, but their stories here provide even more detail about their strength and duty to our country and the law. I also enjoyed getting to know the women that I hadn't previously known about like Pauli Murray, Brigitte Amiri, and Becca Heller. I had no idea, even while standing with a friend at Dulles airport after the vile Muslim ban was instituted, that Heller had been the genesis of any of the protesting around this event and was even more proud that our action helped hers. I highly recommend this book and thank Penguin Press, Dahlia Lithwick, and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, when many progressives were still nursing shell shock, a group of women attorneys took action. Weaving together legal analysis and interviews, Slate senior correspondent Dahlia Lithwick constructs an alternate history of the Trump years focusing the people who worked to combat the devastating policies enacted during their term and their lasting legacy. That includes new legends like Sally Yates, the acting U.S. attorney general who refused to sign off on the Muslim travel ban, and Georgia gubernatorial candidate and voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams alongside a host of lesser known yet inspirational figures. As Lithwick points out, the Supreme Court’s devastating Dobbs decision which ended federal protection for abortion, only underscores the rousing urgency of these 21st century profiles in courage.

I learned so much from this book. As a young female working in the legal field, it was so inspiring to read about these women that fought against the politics of that horrible Presidency that was Trump's term. A great reminder how women can create change and advocate for themselves and others!

A closer look at the female lawyers who fought different Trump-era policies through the law and activism. Each chapter focuses on a specific problem and the woman who worked against it

I have mixed feelings about this book. I found chapters fascinating and I learned a lot about the law and the many different ways that activism and the law intersect. The women highlighted were inspiring, and the events surrounding each case were vividly well-written. However, the book as a whole fell flat to me. I think its a mix of the author's use of woman as a monolith (women lawyers did this..., women tend to do that,,,,) as well as the many Handmaiden's Tale references that gave me out-dated white feminism vibes - that type of "color-blind" feminism, which can be problematic.

I still think that this is a great book that does a great job explaining law to laypeople and the stories of these women and their activism is well written and emotional to read. I just wanted to like it more than I did.