Preet is great and I love his thoughtful takes on just about everything.

I nursed this one along for most of the year because reading about heavier topics isn't really my jam right now because the world weighs me down when I think about it too much.

Also - go listen to his podcasts: Stay Tuned and Café Insider. ( )

Preet Bharara was US Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2009 until 2017 when President Trump fired him for his refusal to interfere with the Mueller investigation.

I first encountered Bharara in a live interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning feature writer Eli Sanders at a Seattle city venue complete with an interactive audience in March, 2019 (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/dan-savage/blabbermouth/e/59733466) where I found him intelligent, well-spoken, and humorous. When asked questions on current events or cases, he did not give a knee-jerk reaction but carefully outlined all the possible legal reasoning behind an attorney’s and court’s activities and explained the consequences for each action.

Doing Justice is Bharara’s first book, and I check it out as a book on CD. He reads the book and it feels as if he’s having a conversation with a friend, he wasn’t preachy or full of legal Latin terms as if trying to impress you.

This is not a dry book on legal topics by a law professor droning on and on. He covers compelling stories – some are famous cases we’ve heard about – providing background and discussing what attorneys must consider when bringing a case to trial (or not), including the ethics involved.

The book is arranged like a criminal case: Part I Inquiry (the investigation), Part II Accusation (do they charge or not?), Part III Judgment (court proceedings), and Part IV Punishment (what happens when a defendant is found guilty). And discusses each in the realm of actual cases. In Part I the first case he talks about is the Lyle and Erik Menendez case (turns out he has a personal connection there) when he realized anyone could be guilty of anything.

From the Preface: 'Smart laws do not assure justice any more than a good recipe guarantees a delicious meal. The law is merely an instrument, and without the involvement of human hands it is as lifeless and uninspiring as a violin kept in its case. The law cannot compel us to love each other or respect each other. It cannot cancel hate or conquer evil; teach grace or extinguish apathy. Every day, the law’s best aims are carried out, for good or ill, by human beings. Justice is served, or thwarted, by human beings. Mercy is bestowed, or refused, by human beings.'

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was disappointed when it ended. I’m now following his weekly podcast podcast (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/cafe/stay-tuned-with-preet). ( )

Good insights into how an "activist" prosecutor thinks (SDNY seems to believe in a very expansive jurisdiction for themselves, which certainly didn't start with Bharara). I'm definitely far more libertarian than basically any US Attorney would ever be, but SDNY is generally on the extreme end of that spectrum as well.

It's always hard to judge how honest someone is being in an autobiography, particularly someone still mid-career, but this seemed to at least only commit errors of omission. Mostly focuses on illustrating how things in the office work, and prosecutorial philosophy, illustrated with specific cases.

What's particularly great about this book is how it basically avoided political axe-grinding. Despite being fired by Trump, he mentioned it only briefly and didn't go into any detail -- instead focusing on his own work and the work of colleagues in his office. Overall a very well written book, and an exceptionally good audiobook. ( )

Preet Bharara was the federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York who was fired by Donald Trump in 2017. (That used to be a dubious distinction – now he is just one of legions of people Trump has dismissed.) However, this book isn’t focused on his firing. His book is a walk through each step of the legal process – inquiry, accusation, judgment and punishment – and how each step works in the context of the SDNY.

I found the examples he used in the book fascinating. A book of this nature could easily be dry and boring but Bharara’s style is engaging. I found the section on inquiry to be particularly interesting. It’s such a long, detailed process to develop a rapport with someone so that they will feel comfortable provided information. I had no idea.

I listened to the audiobook of Doing Justice. Bharara reads it himself in a conversational manner. He has a podcast about legal topics called Stay Tuned. I haven’t listened to it yet but I plan to soon. If it’s as good as his book, then I know I’ll enjoy it. If you already listen to his podcast, then check out his book. Recommended. ( )

5703. Doing Justice A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law, by Preet Bharara (read 25 Aug 2020) The author was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2009 till fired by Trump in 2017. The book tells of many of his experiences as such attorney and during his time as a prosecutor. He was born in India and came to the U.S. when he was two years old. He graduated from Harvard and from Columbia Law. He tells of big cases he brought while U.S. Attorney and of some remarkable victories--and even of some cases he did not win. I found the book consistently good reading and must believe he really did good things as a prosecutor. I was amazed that he successfully convicted the leading members of the New York General Assembly--I did not know of those prosecutions. We can be glad we have had prosecutors like the author. ( )