Preview of One L Summary:

In all his books, Turow is "fascinated by the extent to which the law define[s] our everyday lives." In this book, he shows the methods by which lawyers are trained to argue and to view the truth, a concern also at the heart of his two subsequent novels, Presumed Innocent (1987) and The Burden of Proof (1990). Turow is intrigued with the law's central paradox: While it endeavors to standardize its judgments and eradicate ambiguity, the law also realizes that ambiguity forms the basis of most court cases. In its "war with ambiguity, with uncertainty," the law must presume that the truth may be discerned and that adequate judgments may be rendered.

More than the problems inherent in the law itself, Turow is also concerned with how the single-minded pursuit of the law affects those who study it so assiduously. Over the course of the year, he becomes dramatically...