End of the Street Lawyer

Many conclusions can be made by reading the end of the Street Lawyer. We follow a middle aged man named Michael who lives in Washington D.C. He was once a very successful lawyer for the firm Drake and Sweeney, made more than enough money, and had a everything set up with him. This all changed when a homeless man, named Mister, came into the firm and took Mike and several other lawyers hostage. After the whole ordeal, we see several changes in Michael. He takes for notice in the homeless in his community and sees the difference life quality between the homeless and himself. He then becomes involved with helping homeless in shelters with a public lawyer named Mordecai Green. This then leads him to quit his well paying job at his firm, divorcing his wife because their relation was not going well, and helping Mordecai step up a legal law firm that is assessable to everyone, including homeless clients.


Predictions can be made of how Michael's life will be after reading the story. Since he is determined to help people in need in legal cases, especially the homeless, he will continue to work at the new firm of 14th Street Clinic. Working there, he will become more and more like his companion Mordecai, more eager in cases and volunteering in shelters. Though his pay is lower than that of his old job working at Drake and Sweeney, his new life style is one of helping others no matter how expensive or hard it is.


Earlier in the story, Michael helps a woman addicted to crack named Ruby with her case. At the end of the story, Mike bonds with her by taking her and his new lover Megan on a vacation to reflect on their lives. Taking this into thought, with the help received from Michael and a well needed vacation, Ruby will recover from her addiction by the therapy classes Michael paid for. As of Megan, Michael will probably marry her because they are into helping the helpless and share many of the same goals, not like Brock's old marriage with Claire who did not care about what he did. He ends up running his own Street clinic with his friend Mordecai, finds a new lover with common interests, and helps countless others including Ruby in their cases.


John Grisham, author of the Street Lawyer, made a pretty clear message, or theme, to his story. The theme is: Do what is right, no matter the cost. Michael Brock not only quits a well paying job and his marriage with another successful person, but he leaves behind his old live all together to help people in need, in this case the homeless in legal cases. He has to change his lifestyle all together to accomplish this, but to him it is the right thing to do, which he starts to enjoy towards the end of the book. Even though he left his old life behind, a new life has begun for him.


Response: Homelessness is a problem that needs to be solved around the world, but until then, people need to help others in need in every way they can. Much like the fictional character John Grisham created to bring this problem to light, Brian Davis, a man who helps homeless in Cleveland, does the same thing. He helps the homeless the ability to sell newspapers and allowed them to have a chance to earn money. By giving this opportunity, he saved many lives by providing them money to buy food, clothes, and a chance to help themselves in a productive way.