"I was a lawyer for 10 years - a short time, but it molded me into who I am. My clients were little people fighting big corporations, so it was a natural thing to not only represent the little guy but also to pull for him - it's the American way"
About this Quote
Grisham frames his origin story like a closing argument: brief tenure, lasting imprint, clear moral geometry. “A short time, but it molded me” is craftily modest. It downplays résumé-padding while claiming the deeper credential that matters in American storytelling: being shaped by the fight itself. The line sets up the central Grisham brand promise - not technical legal realism, but moral clarity delivered through procedure.
The phrasing “little people” versus “big corporations” is deliberately plain, almost folksy, and that’s the point. It refuses nuance in favor of legibility. In Grisham’s world, power isn’t abstract; it has an office tower and a fleet of attorneys. “Natural thing” suggests instinct rather than ideology, as if rooting for the underdog is less a political position than a reflex you’re born with if you’re decent. That’s a rhetorical move: it launders a critique of corporate power through patriotism.
The key tell is “not only represent… but also to pull for him.” Lawyers are trained to separate advocacy from emotion; Grisham admits he didn’t, and recasts that breach as virtue. He’s telling you his fiction won’t pretend to be neutral. It will take sides, and it will invite you to take sides too.
Ending with “it’s the American way” is both marketing and mythmaking. It tethers individual grievance to national identity, turning the courtroom into a civic stage where democracy supposedly still works - if you can find one principled lawyer and keep the jury awake.
The phrasing “little people” versus “big corporations” is deliberately plain, almost folksy, and that’s the point. It refuses nuance in favor of legibility. In Grisham’s world, power isn’t abstract; it has an office tower and a fleet of attorneys. “Natural thing” suggests instinct rather than ideology, as if rooting for the underdog is less a political position than a reflex you’re born with if you’re decent. That’s a rhetorical move: it launders a critique of corporate power through patriotism.
The key tell is “not only represent… but also to pull for him.” Lawyers are trained to separate advocacy from emotion; Grisham admits he didn’t, and recasts that breach as virtue. He’s telling you his fiction won’t pretend to be neutral. It will take sides, and it will invite you to take sides too.
Ending with “it’s the American way” is both marketing and mythmaking. It tethers individual grievance to national identity, turning the courtroom into a civic stage where democracy supposedly still works - if you can find one principled lawyer and keep the jury awake.
Quote Details
| Topic | Justice |
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