Thank you to Netgalley and W. W. Norton for a digital ARC of this book

This was an excellent book. It highlights some court cases brought to the Supreme Court by Stephen Bright.

The book assumes some familiarity with the US justice system. I think most US residents will have enough base knowledge to understand this book, but those completely new to the US system may have difficulty with some parts.

This book covers Bright's nearly four decade career, arguing capital cases on behalf of the poor and those with mental disabilities. It's split into four parts, each covering a different death penalty case through each phase, starting in state courts and working their way up to the Supreme Court. One case was marred by misconduct of the prosecution and the exclusion of black jurors. Another focused on the lack of evaluations done to determine if those suffering from intellectual and mental disabilities were adequately able to assist in their own defense. One focused on the abyssal quality of the defense lawyers provided to those lacking the means to hire counsel of their own.

This book was very well crafted. It lays out very complex processes into a smooth narrative, following each case as it winds through the system. If you desire change in the US criminal justice system, if you believe the poor and those with disabilities deserve fair treatment under the law, if you believe in the cause of racial justice, you will learn from this book.

Demand the Impossible was a really interesting critique of the legal system and the inequities in it. Very solid writing.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this book was that it was not simply an investigation of Stephen Bright's life, but rather a history of his methods and how his advocacy shaped them. The cases in this book and the discussions that go along with them brought forth some serious issues that people have faced where their constitutional rights were denied or put in jeopardy. The main issue that I had was that the book was hard to follow at times and could have been organized in a more linear fashion.

This is a pretty academic book that is overall easy to follow. The legal system isn't perfect, but this book brings a glaring light to some glaringly wrong things. For instance, one of the most important rights of legal defendants is the right to an attorney, and capital cases need attorney assistance more than others. However, this book shows how people were denied the right to competent attorneys because the state was trying to save money. Racial bias in juries is also addressed, something which can be so easily hidden and was only proven after diligent attorneys proved that the pattern was ongoing for many years.
There are some solutions at the end, but real solutions would take a lot of work by everyone in the system. People need to call each other out and governments need to make sure that the resources are there to provide constitutionally protected rights. Change must be systemwide.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this