What Do Lawyers Do?: An Ethnography of a Corporate Law Firm

John Flood

Oct 2013 · Quid Pro Books

About this ebook

A legal scholar and sociologist, John Flood spent years observing a large law firm from the inside--much like an embedded journalist, but with the perspective of a researcher on the theory and practice of legal organizations. What John Flood found and analyzed resulted in a study that has been cited by many scholars over the years as the ultimate account of the inner workings of a corporate law firm, including its relations with clients, employees, and the broader profession. Further, using four detailed case studies, he showed how the construction of legal information and problems depended heavily on the role and specialization of the lawyer and the power of the client.

Now in its Second Edition, with updated references and account of the radical shifts in legal practice over the past few years in the U.S. and U.K., Flood's pathbreaking book continues to be a fascinating resource for scholars of the legal profession, as well as interested readers who want to see exposed the inner sanctum of private, big-money law practice. The new edition also adds a new, reflective introduction by Lynn Mather, the SUNY Distinguished Service Professor at the University at Buffalo.

A classic resource from Quid Pro Books is now readily available worldwide, in print and ebook formats, for scholars, researchers, lawyers, and other interested readers.

About the author

 JOHN FLOOD is Professor of Law and Sociology at the University of Westminster in London. He is also Visiting Professor of Law at University College London where he is responsible for Law Without Walls, a global legal education program. He is presently a Leverhulme Research Fellow researching the new legal services market in its global context. Flood has focused his research on the legal profession, globalization of law, and the regulation of the legal services market.