Keeping It Civil: The Case of the Pre-Nup and the Porsche & Other True Accounts from the Files of a Family Lawyer

A prominent family lawyer with the Philadelphia firm Berner Klaw & Watson shines a light on the tumultuous and complex world of domestic relations law in this optimistic yet cautionary exposé. Klaw addresses the old and the new, covering everything from divorce cases to the evolving legislation on same-sex marriages. Illuminating chapters on these legal conundrums alternate with a detailed narrative of a particular divorce case as it wends its way through the Pennsylvania court system. This “Anatomy of a Trial” serves as an excellent, non-technical crash course on how and why lawyers do what they do—from planning a witness examination to devising strategies to appeal to a judge, navigating conflicts with the opposing counsel, and managing the relationship with their own client. Klaw’s candid and pragmatic commentary provides additional insight into how lawyers balance personal convictions and professional considerations, a feat made all the more complicated by the nature of Klaw’s particular kind of practice. Substantive yet accessible enough to appeal to both law students and clients alike, this book accomplishes an admirable goal: to foreground the humanity in the halls of justice. (Sept.)