Boy, what a terrific book! In “The Mother Court,” the distinguished trial lawyer James Zirin gives us a richly textured, immensely readable overview of the modern history of the Southern District of New York, the so-called “Mother Court.” Though the book focuses primarily on noteworthy cases, judges and lawyers who have featured in the modern history of that unique institution, Zirin skillfully weaves into those stories his own personal experience (inside and outside of the courtroom), some social history, and thoughts on the current state of our legal system, to form a compelling and lucid narrative.
I should note one important point at the outset: the book is intended for a general audience, hence gives enough background for non-lawyers to follow the stories that are to come. This is very hard to do: try to explain too much, and the readers’ eyes glaze over, too little, and the reader is lost. To my eye, Zirin gets it just right: I thoroughly enjoyed Zirin’s crisp, clear exposition of the relevant legal rules—some of our jurists should be as concise!
