John M. Poswall

"The Altar Boys" by lawyer John M. Poswall is an entertaining and credible tale that easily holds its own in the crowded legal genre – as did Poswall’s earlier book "The Lawyers: Class of ’69."

Former altar boy turned lawyer J.J. Rai, a thinly veiled caricature of the author, nearly proves the maxim “no good deed goes unpunished” when he turns what might have been a routine court hearing into a spirited battle between good and evil.

The story moves rapidly as author Poswall limits dialogue and description to plot advancement and is largely successful in avoiding pontificating characters lost in extraneous settings. Poswall has mastered cutting to the chase.

For those who might wonder – Poswall is faithful in his description of things Sacramento and I suspect his characters are less fiction than some might hope.… (mer)

Forrest Gump Goes To Law School

Attorney John Poswall (Sacramento) tells a story – not merely writes about characters. The book begins and ends at the 30th reunion of the graduating class of ’69 from Boalt Hall, the law school located on the campus of UC Berkeley.

Law students struggle in school, relationships, career choices and finding their place in society. The students become lawyers and the struggles continue. A reader’s journey travels through three decades of success, failure and tragedy. Some of the characters interact with historical figures as they chase success or attempt to make a difference.

I ran into the author at a bookstore hawking his book, The Lawyers: Class of '69, front and center to passersby. Frankly, I expected the book to be a vanity publication with little substance by an incredibly successful lawyer – success describes John Poswall. I was pleasantly surprised.

Early chapters are so well-written that I felt as if I was reliving a nightmare. I was forced to avoid reading too close to sleeping. Later chapters brought introspection - the ‘60’s, making a difference, family and responsibility. Not your typical lawyer book.

Note: The first customer review at Amazaon.com is by the late Congressman Robert T. Matsui, he gave the book five stars – I unreservedly agree.… (mer)