Four Trials

It was in the courtroom that I learned how, when you build a case, every detail matters and every bit counts. And I learned that you can never for a moment forget the big picture or the broad ambitions of justice....I came to genuinely understand how smart and decent all kinds of regular people are -- even at the worst moments in their lives. And I learned how our great system can often discount the hardships and genuine suffering of such people -- and how it can sometimes seem to forget their struggle almost completely.Before he was elected United States Senator from North Carolina in 1998, John Edwards worked as a lawyer for twenty years. Raised in a small town by parents who worked in the local mills, Edwards worked in those mills himself -- and then went on to become one of America's most successful and respected attorneys. During that time, he built a national reputation representing people whose lives had been shattered by corporate recklessness and grievous medical negligence. Often those battles took aim at entrenched powers backed by the kind of financial interests that made the chance of victory seem slim -- at least in the eyes of many. Yet in landmark cases, Edwards helped people from all walks of life stand up for themselves against tremendous odds. "Four Trials" provides an electrifying account of four of his cases as it tells the story of the courageous and unmistakably decent people Edwards was privileged to represent in times of tragedy, great loss, and often great joy. And in a deeply moving account, "Four Trials" also speaks of the tragedies and joys that Senator Edwards has known in his own life -- and how today life and justice are more precious to him thanever.

Review :
Richard North PattersonMoving and intensely human, "Four Trials" invests the stories of the ordinary people John Edwards served with the crackling drama of a novel. And he reminds us of what we too often forget -- the indispensable role of our legal system in obtaining justice for the powerless from the privileged. Senator Edward M. KennedyI've known John Edwards since his election to the Senate in 1998, and I'm always impressed by his background as a successful lawyer and his reputation as a fighter for the underdog. But nothing prepared me for the power of this book and its moving stories. Anyone who reads "Four Trials" will have new respect for the genius of our legal system -- and instantly understand why lawyers are so indispensable to the "little guy" and so hated by those in corporate America who are held accountable. Senator John McCain In "Four Trials," John Edwards has written movingly of people who were terribly wronged, and whom he helped seek some measure of justice with great skill, determination, and genuine compassion. He shows a perceptive appreciation in these accounts for the strength of his clients' character. And, in the loving portrait of his son, Wade, and the deeply touching account of his loss, John reveals the strength of his own character and gives the reader a look beyond a political biography into the heart of a good man.