Saturday, November 10, 2007 9:40 AM
Blawg Book Highlighter #9: The Confused Lawyer's Field Guide to the Courthouse
Now and then you stumble upon a book in the most unlikeliest of places. I'm a subscriber to the Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop Newsletter, a monthly published out of the University of Dayton. Its focus is humor writing, which is why you don't expect to find books on the law in it.
Let's face it, most law writing is pretty dry, drab stuff. But if you practice the law, you know that it is a virtual treasure trove of material for humor.
Lawrence B. Fox of Fox Williamson Mattioli, P.C., in Allentown, Pennsylvania, has mined those gems gleaned from his own practice into four books that take an amusing look at the legal profession.
Here's what Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop Newsletter editor Tim Bete wrote of Fox: "Fox is a lawyer and just finished his fourth humorous book, The Confused Lawyer's Field Guide to the Courthouse. The book was self-published, just like his previous three humorous law-related books, Fox has sold 6,000 books and got a 500 copy advance order for his latest book. His books appear in a printed gift catalog sent twice a year to every major law firm in the country. So far, sales of his books have been solid, with total revenue of more than $100,000. Fox says the bottom line is, "If the material is any good, it will ultimately sell."
The cover of Fox's newest book is good for a few laughs itself. It depicts a somewhat deranged looking man opening a courtroom door with shirttail hanging out of his pants and tie flipped over his shoulder. You get the idea. He's your stereotypical harried, unprepared and overwhelmed lawyer entering a courtroom.
From the book description: "The courtroom adventures and antics experienced by Attorney Fox continue in this hilarious and sometimes poignant collection of stories. Larry's wry humor and quirky take on the world infuse the book and bring to life the book's kooky clients and wacky characters. A thoroughly entertaining read, made even more so because what he writes is true (except where he has lied a little)."
Fox's other books, all of which are available through his website or major online retailers, are "No Noose is Good Noose," "Has My Lawyer Called Yet," and "There's No Justice – Just Court Costs."
So, got any good lawyer jokes?
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Randy Richardson is an author, humorist, former journalist, and a lawyer. His fiction debut, Lost in the Ivy, a murder mystery set against the backdrop of Chicago's storied Wrigley Field, won the Writers Marketing Association's “Fresh Voices” Book Award and the Illinois Woman's Press Association's Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest. He writes the Dad Libs column for SanityCentral.com and is a frequent contributor to Chicago Parent magazine. In his day job, he is an attorney for the Social Security Administration’s disability appeals branch. At night and during lunch breaks, he serves as president of the Chicago Writers Association (chicagowrites.org) and works on his second novel while a 4-year-old tugs on his legs. Visit his website at www.lostintheivy.com.
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