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Biglaw
*Harper's Bazaar Must-Read*
The Devil Wears Prada meets One L, BIGLAW provides an insider's view of the cut-throat world of big New York law firms.
Mackenzie Corbett has always dreamed of living in New York City. Now, almost two years into her job as an associate at a premier Manhattan law firm, she's living her fantasy--big salary, high profile deals, cute boyfriend, designer bag on her arm. The giant bags under her eyes from lack of sleep don't fit into the fantasy, though. To make matters worse, she's being tormented by a bitter, bitchy senior associate, her cute boyfriend is annoyed she never has time for him, and now she's stuck on the deal from hell with a partner whose biggest claim to fame is throwing a stapler at a cleaning lady because she touched his ficus plant.
With the opportunity to secure a prestigious secondment on line, the overachiever in her is determined to endure whatever it takes to close the biggest deal in the firm's history. But when Mackenzie finds herself the focus of a devastating investigation her dream job begins spiraling into a nightmare.
In this pitch perfect, frightening accurate novel, Lindsay Cameron throws back the curtain to this intriguing world exposing the truth about life in Biglaw.
The Devil Wears Prada meets One L, BIGLAW provides an insider's view of the cut-throat world of big New York law firms.
Mackenzie Corbett has always dreamed of living in New York City. Now, almost two years into her job as an associate at a premier Manhattan law firm, she's living her fantasy--big salary, high profile deals, cute boyfriend, designer bag on her arm. The giant bags under her eyes from lack of sleep don't fit into the fantasy, though. To make matters worse, she's being tormented by a bitter, bitchy senior associate, her cute boyfriend is annoyed she never has time for him, and now she's stuck on the deal from hell with a partner whose biggest claim to fame is throwing a stapler at a cleaning lady because she touched his ficus plant.
With the opportunity to secure a prestigious secondment on line, the overachiever in her is determined to endure whatever it takes to close the biggest deal in the firm's history. But when Mackenzie finds herself the focus of a devastating investigation her dream job begins spiraling into a nightmare.
In this pitch perfect, frightening accurate novel, Lindsay Cameron throws back the curtain to this intriguing world exposing the truth about life in Biglaw.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2015
87 people are currently reading
3074 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Cameron
4 books501 followersLindsay Cameron worked as a corporate lawyer for many years in Vancouver and New York City before leaving the law behind to write books. She is the author of Biglaw and Just One Look. She lives in New York City where she is currently at work on her next book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
September 21, 2025
Entertaining enough, but not very memorable
May 25, 2018
BigLaw is the story of Mackenzie Corbett, an associate in the corporate department of a large law firm, based in New York City. I’m not an attorney but work in the legal industry and some of the aspects of the professional life described are realistic.
The plot in BigLaw became pretty obvious and predictable early on, however, I still was enjoying the story, until it became extremely cheesy for a portion. The ending was fine but I didn’t think this was anything special or novel - a quick, fairly enjoyable story about working in an industry known for its grind, and questioning what you really want out of your career, regardless of what industry you’re in.
The plot in BigLaw became pretty obvious and predictable early on, however, I still was enjoying the story, until it became extremely cheesy for a portion. The ending was fine but I didn’t think this was anything special or novel - a quick, fairly enjoyable story about working in an industry known for its grind, and questioning what you really want out of your career, regardless of what industry you’re in.
August 30, 2015
As a corporate lawyer reading this book, I wonder why I didn't try harder to get over my aversion to blood and go to med school instead. For non-lawyers who read this book, you will feel validated for having done something else with your life.
"BigLaw" captures the essence of working in the corporate department of a large New York law firm and the 24/7 demands that permeate the culture thanks to modern technology. Proving that "truth is stranger than fiction", the plot points in the novel which seem the most ridiculous and exaggerated are, sadly, the ones which are the most real. Ask any lawyer who works or worked in the BigLaw trenches and s/he will have very similar tales to those in the novel.
Mackenzie is a relatable protagonist who makes the same excuses many lawyers use on their significant others, friends and family members when cutting short dinners, canceling plans at the last minute and bowing out of important events. Having done all of these things personally, I can say that her overwhelming feelings of both anxiety and guilt are perfectly reflected in the story.
Anyone who has wondered why a lawyer would leave a lucrative career at a law firm to do something else can find some of those answers in "BigLaw." Great read.
"BigLaw" captures the essence of working in the corporate department of a large New York law firm and the 24/7 demands that permeate the culture thanks to modern technology. Proving that "truth is stranger than fiction", the plot points in the novel which seem the most ridiculous and exaggerated are, sadly, the ones which are the most real. Ask any lawyer who works or worked in the BigLaw trenches and s/he will have very similar tales to those in the novel.
Mackenzie is a relatable protagonist who makes the same excuses many lawyers use on their significant others, friends and family members when cutting short dinners, canceling plans at the last minute and bowing out of important events. Having done all of these things personally, I can say that her overwhelming feelings of both anxiety and guilt are perfectly reflected in the story.
Anyone who has wondered why a lawyer would leave a lucrative career at a law firm to do something else can find some of those answers in "BigLaw." Great read.
October 16, 2015
As someone who worked in one of these "big law" soul-crushing New York firms, this was mandatory reading. Lindsay Cameron captured the frustration and absurdity of that time of my life perfectly, and it actually made my stomach churn reading certain parts that were too reminiscent.
September 30, 2015
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
BIGLAW is a hilarious book that will appeal to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. It reminded me a bit of Kate's Escape from the Billable Hour by Petula Parker, and I liked this book for the same reason's that I loved Kate's "Sanity Break"- it is freakin' hilarious. and BIGLAW plays off of enough truth to make it even funnier. I am not from the BIGLAW world (I am much happier at my smaller boutique firm), but I did spend a summer at BIGLAW so I certainly know a lot of the inns and outs, and some of my peers have filled in the rest of associate life for me. And Mackenzie works in a New York firm in the Corporate Law department, which can be extra demanding.
BIGLAW is told from female associate, Makenzie's point of view. Mackenzie is a super bright, super hard working attorney that is doing just about everything to impress the partners at her firm. She has to if she wants to move up in the ranks, after all. When she was describing all of the "perks" that the office has to make life comfortable I couldn't help but snicker. They all but stick a sign on your office door saying YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE. I think some of the details are exaggerated for the effect of the story, but many of the details ring true to some degree.
BIGLAW will have you cringing, laughing and sympathizing right along side with Mackenzie. I think as an attorney I got an extra kick out of this story, but Lindsay Cameron has a real gift for comedic writing. Readers, no matter their profession, will find BIGLAW enjoyable. I went through the gamut of emotions as I put myself in Mackenzie's shoes. I rejoiced when she got very rare "good job", I seethed whenever she has to deal with a few choice people, and I wanted her tell off a partner or two on more occasions than I care to count. While I do think that Attorney's will derive a little more humor and a little more sick satisfaction out of BIGLAW, this is a book that I would recommend to everyone looking to feel a little bit better about their job. Or looking for a good laugh in a book with smart and witty dialogue.
P.S. I thought it was hilarious that Mackenzie didn't think her boyfriend would understand the stress and pressures of her job as well as her, because even though he is an attorney at the same firm as her, he works in the Trust department which is not as high pressure as the corporate department. I guess that means I made a good choice as a Trust and Estate Planning attorney. ;)
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
BIGLAW is a hilarious book that will appeal to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. It reminded me a bit of Kate's Escape from the Billable Hour by Petula Parker, and I liked this book for the same reason's that I loved Kate's "Sanity Break"- it is freakin' hilarious. and BIGLAW plays off of enough truth to make it even funnier. I am not from the BIGLAW world (I am much happier at my smaller boutique firm), but I did spend a summer at BIGLAW so I certainly know a lot of the inns and outs, and some of my peers have filled in the rest of associate life for me. And Mackenzie works in a New York firm in the Corporate Law department, which can be extra demanding.
BIGLAW is told from female associate, Makenzie's point of view. Mackenzie is a super bright, super hard working attorney that is doing just about everything to impress the partners at her firm. She has to if she wants to move up in the ranks, after all. When she was describing all of the "perks" that the office has to make life comfortable I couldn't help but snicker. They all but stick a sign on your office door saying YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE. I think some of the details are exaggerated for the effect of the story, but many of the details ring true to some degree.
BIGLAW will have you cringing, laughing and sympathizing right along side with Mackenzie. I think as an attorney I got an extra kick out of this story, but Lindsay Cameron has a real gift for comedic writing. Readers, no matter their profession, will find BIGLAW enjoyable. I went through the gamut of emotions as I put myself in Mackenzie's shoes. I rejoiced when she got very rare "good job", I seethed whenever she has to deal with a few choice people, and I wanted her tell off a partner or two on more occasions than I care to count. While I do think that Attorney's will derive a little more humor and a little more sick satisfaction out of BIGLAW, this is a book that I would recommend to everyone looking to feel a little bit better about their job. Or looking for a good laugh in a book with smart and witty dialogue.
P.S. I thought it was hilarious that Mackenzie didn't think her boyfriend would understand the stress and pressures of her job as well as her, because even though he is an attorney at the same firm as her, he works in the Trust department which is not as high pressure as the corporate department. I guess that means I made a good choice as a Trust and Estate Planning attorney. ;)
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
March 8, 2024
Painful read but I did like this even with the cartoony villain Sarah character but like ya like realistic to my life rn lmao I’m going through it
September 24, 2015
No big surprise to those who know me personally - I work for lawyers. I've worked for lawyers for about 30 years now. I've worked for sole practitioners in the suburbs and I've worked for larger firms "downtown" in big cities, but I've never worked for a law firm quite like the one portrayed in Lindsay Cameron's new book, BIGLAW!
I will say though that I could relate - I can relate to the stress, the feeling of being overworked but not wanting to let anyone down, of being replaced overnight. Most of all I can relate to the atmosphere of a law firm like the one in this book - people's quirks, the unbelieveable personalities, the passive/aggressive behaviors, the office gossip and romance... I've seen it all and I can honestly say BIGLAW touched on most of those crazy situations.
BIGLAW is a great book - fast paced with a very likable main character who suffers the wrath of the not-so-likeable people that touch her life. I commend Ms. Cameron on her writing skills because I really breezed right thought the book and enjoyed the story as if I were watching a movie instead. I read the book in two days - two weekdays after putting in over 8 hours a day at the law firm too!
I watched law clerks "grow up", finish school and become associates only to be drained of their every waking moment to meet the needs of the partners they were assigned to at the firm. Being taken advantage of until the day they might get an office of their own. I loved how Ms. Cameron's book shared the inner workings of this chain of events in the larger firms.
You can honestly tell she lived the experience of which she writes. In fact, I learned Lindsay Cameron worked at a big law firm, Schulte Roth & Zabel, in Manhattan. Within a year, she quit her job and began working on this book. Rumor has it that the story has been optioned for a TV show or film by Paramount Pictures.
“The book is definitely fiction, it’s not a memoir, but there are characters and circumstances that are based on my own experience with some poetic license thrown in,” Cameron said.
I can tell you this - anyone who has wondered why a lawyer would leave a lucrative career at a law firm to do something else can find some of those answers in BIGLAW. The main character, Mackenzie Corbett, clearly worked very to get where she's at. She's an associate at a high-profile law firm, but the demands of being an associate wreak havoc with her social life. She's having boyfriend issues, she can barely catch face time with her friends and her family is worried that she's in trouble just because she dashes out on Christmas Day to fax a document to a partner of the firm. When Mackenzie realizes how much she is sacrificing, she starts realizing the stresses of the boys club at the office and the double standards she continues to face, even when her mentor is another woman!
Mackenzie's life continues to get more and more stressed, her life starts to fall apart and to ice her cake, she gets called into a meeting with federal investigators. She finally stands up for herself, calls out her enemies, receives her reward for plowing through, and decides to walk away instead. The plot is hilarious, the dialogue is great and the pace of the story is lightning quick with lots of twists. Overall BIGLAW is a great read that I really enjoyed. There weren't any slow spots in the story, it just kept going from cover to cover. I could not put the book down and read through the night --- and really paid the price the next day at work!
I will say though that I could relate - I can relate to the stress, the feeling of being overworked but not wanting to let anyone down, of being replaced overnight. Most of all I can relate to the atmosphere of a law firm like the one in this book - people's quirks, the unbelieveable personalities, the passive/aggressive behaviors, the office gossip and romance... I've seen it all and I can honestly say BIGLAW touched on most of those crazy situations.
BIGLAW is a great book - fast paced with a very likable main character who suffers the wrath of the not-so-likeable people that touch her life. I commend Ms. Cameron on her writing skills because I really breezed right thought the book and enjoyed the story as if I were watching a movie instead. I read the book in two days - two weekdays after putting in over 8 hours a day at the law firm too!
I watched law clerks "grow up", finish school and become associates only to be drained of their every waking moment to meet the needs of the partners they were assigned to at the firm. Being taken advantage of until the day they might get an office of their own. I loved how Ms. Cameron's book shared the inner workings of this chain of events in the larger firms.
You can honestly tell she lived the experience of which she writes. In fact, I learned Lindsay Cameron worked at a big law firm, Schulte Roth & Zabel, in Manhattan. Within a year, she quit her job and began working on this book. Rumor has it that the story has been optioned for a TV show or film by Paramount Pictures.
“The book is definitely fiction, it’s not a memoir, but there are characters and circumstances that are based on my own experience with some poetic license thrown in,” Cameron said.
I can tell you this - anyone who has wondered why a lawyer would leave a lucrative career at a law firm to do something else can find some of those answers in BIGLAW. The main character, Mackenzie Corbett, clearly worked very to get where she's at. She's an associate at a high-profile law firm, but the demands of being an associate wreak havoc with her social life. She's having boyfriend issues, she can barely catch face time with her friends and her family is worried that she's in trouble just because she dashes out on Christmas Day to fax a document to a partner of the firm. When Mackenzie realizes how much she is sacrificing, she starts realizing the stresses of the boys club at the office and the double standards she continues to face, even when her mentor is another woman!
Mackenzie's life continues to get more and more stressed, her life starts to fall apart and to ice her cake, she gets called into a meeting with federal investigators. She finally stands up for herself, calls out her enemies, receives her reward for plowing through, and decides to walk away instead. The plot is hilarious, the dialogue is great and the pace of the story is lightning quick with lots of twists. Overall BIGLAW is a great read that I really enjoyed. There weren't any slow spots in the story, it just kept going from cover to cover. I could not put the book down and read through the night --- and really paid the price the next day at work!
December 17, 2015
Although I never worked at a large law firm, I worked at a mid-size firm with a Napoleon complex, so I got treated as though I worked in Big Law but without the pay to salve my wounds. So, all the outlandish things Mackenzie experiences were not all that outlandish to me. In fact, at one point I started to get PTSD as flashbacks of getting yelled at ran through my head. So on the one hand, this was a hard book to enjoy, but on the other, in case you were wondering, it's pretty true to life.
This book falls into my personal category of "sure you can write a book about what you've lived through, but do you have another book in you", which is maybe unfair at this point since this is Lindsay Cameron's only book. But there's a lot of these roman a clefs where the protag has an insane job that no one would believe, does something to get herself fired, and then ends up sitting in the sunshine, a happier, more calm, zen version of themselves. Inevitably, the second book, if there even is a second book, is a snore. So I guess what I'm saying is, I liked this, and I'd be interested in seeing what else Cameron has in her, but I'm also going to manage my expectations.
This book falls into my personal category of "sure you can write a book about what you've lived through, but do you have another book in you", which is maybe unfair at this point since this is Lindsay Cameron's only book. But there's a lot of these roman a clefs where the protag has an insane job that no one would believe, does something to get herself fired, and then ends up sitting in the sunshine, a happier, more calm, zen version of themselves. Inevitably, the second book, if there even is a second book, is a snore. So I guess what I'm saying is, I liked this, and I'd be interested in seeing what else Cameron has in her, but I'm also going to manage my expectations.
October 4, 2024
Back when I was a law librarian people would ask me for a book about being a lawyer. I’d steer them to One L, the now-classic on Harvard Law School. Today I have a new go-to-book: Biglaw. Hopefully, by giving this book as a gift I can save the person years of debt, stomach ulcers, marital discord, and occasional suicidal thoughts. This book is so accurate it should have a trigger warning on the front cover. Written by a former associate at a large New York law firm, this story shows the blatant treachery, the fraternity boy shenanigans, the mean-girls crappola and the just plain awfulness that too often characterizes working as a young lawyer in a law firm.
It’s no accident that so many lawyers come from the hallowed Greek Letter Associations, Secret Societies and Dining Clubs of undergraduate life. Back in the day before online research was the norm, these wanna-be-partners would tear cases out of books, articles out of journals, hide volumes of Shepard’s and do other dastardly tricks to get ahead–and that was just in the first year of law school. Still today, hazing rituals abound in law firms. Secret and not-so-secret drinking flourishes. Coke-a-cola gets drunk and coke gets snorted. Red Bull flows like a river. Sex is used to advantage and refused to disadvantage.
Life as an associate in a law firm is like the old joke about a recruiter showing a prospect a job in heaven, where all is dull, and then in hell where all is exciting. When the fool says he’ll take the job in hell, he goes to work his first day to find folks eating out of garbage cans (true), working with no sleep for days (true) and backstabbing anyone for face time with the biggest gun of the place (true). When he questions the recruiter she tells him “Yesterday we were recruiting you, today you work here.” Law firms employ that recruiting strategy all the time.
But people want the dream–the supposedly sky-high income (not very much at all when you divide it by the number of hours worked), the “prestige” of working at XYZ Law LLp and, of course, the elusive goal of Partner status, a corner office, name on the door and, in really old world firms, a name high up the letterhead.
Not being a lawyer, I put up with it because my pay WAS great, I got bonuses I couldn’t believe and as I always said, mostly the men are good looking, well dressed and good smelling. Not bad.
Of course those are generalizations. Not every law firm eats its young. Not every “four corner partner” (love that phrase) demands lunches with privileges. Not all fraternities sexually harass pledges or force them to drink to the edge of death. But it’s so common the stereotype came about.
In Biglaw, Mackenzie gets the big prize dangled before her eyes and reaches for it. The rest is classic law firm. Be careful what you wish for on steroids. And remember, be nice to your secretary. She can make or break your career.
Biglaw by Lindsay Cameron–this one is Not To Be Missed. A Must Read.
Nails it. Like One L, the classic on surviving Harvard Law School, this is the to-become-classic on life in a big law firm. Pitch perfect. So true to life that, after nearly 20 years in law school and law firm libraries, I am having bad dreams! This book probably needs trigger warnings. It's that accurate.
It’s no accident that so many lawyers come from the hallowed Greek Letter Associations, Secret Societies and Dining Clubs of undergraduate life. Back in the day before online research was the norm, these wanna-be-partners would tear cases out of books, articles out of journals, hide volumes of Shepard’s and do other dastardly tricks to get ahead–and that was just in the first year of law school. Still today, hazing rituals abound in law firms. Secret and not-so-secret drinking flourishes. Coke-a-cola gets drunk and coke gets snorted. Red Bull flows like a river. Sex is used to advantage and refused to disadvantage.
Life as an associate in a law firm is like the old joke about a recruiter showing a prospect a job in heaven, where all is dull, and then in hell where all is exciting. When the fool says he’ll take the job in hell, he goes to work his first day to find folks eating out of garbage cans (true), working with no sleep for days (true) and backstabbing anyone for face time with the biggest gun of the place (true). When he questions the recruiter she tells him “Yesterday we were recruiting you, today you work here.” Law firms employ that recruiting strategy all the time.
But people want the dream–the supposedly sky-high income (not very much at all when you divide it by the number of hours worked), the “prestige” of working at XYZ Law LLp and, of course, the elusive goal of Partner status, a corner office, name on the door and, in really old world firms, a name high up the letterhead.
Not being a lawyer, I put up with it because my pay WAS great, I got bonuses I couldn’t believe and as I always said, mostly the men are good looking, well dressed and good smelling. Not bad.
Of course those are generalizations. Not every law firm eats its young. Not every “four corner partner” (love that phrase) demands lunches with privileges. Not all fraternities sexually harass pledges or force them to drink to the edge of death. But it’s so common the stereotype came about.
In Biglaw, Mackenzie gets the big prize dangled before her eyes and reaches for it. The rest is classic law firm. Be careful what you wish for on steroids. And remember, be nice to your secretary. She can make or break your career.
Biglaw by Lindsay Cameron–this one is Not To Be Missed. A Must Read.
Nails it. Like One L, the classic on surviving Harvard Law School, this is the to-become-classic on life in a big law firm. Pitch perfect. So true to life that, after nearly 20 years in law school and law firm libraries, I am having bad dreams! This book probably needs trigger warnings. It's that accurate.
November 26, 2015
As a Biglaw survivor myself (barely), I really enjoyed this novel, which is part of a new trend in sophisticated chick-lit: the law firm experience. A similar novel is "The Partner Track", which I also enjoyed. I think I mostly enjoyed this novel and "The Partner Track" because it reassured me in my decision not to be in Biglaw! One forgets how ridiculous the requirements, politics, and hours are, and these novels are great reminders! This one went into even more detail, describing days without showers or even going home, hoarding of snacks in one's office, the abusive use of Seamless/take out ordering to increase one's stockpile of snacks, days without a proper meal, ignoring family and friends to do this one last really critical work thing, trying to fax a 100 page document out on Christmas Eve...I also enjoyed reading about life in New York City; however, there isn't much, but it's still fun to read about cabs, doormen, and the subway. I think a non-Biglaw survivor could also still enjoy this novel just because they would be shocked at how ridiculous the lifestyle is. Although there is a plot, and it is a good one, and, to some degree, it's easy to identify the villains (no major surprises), the real joy of this novel is to read of the horrific life of Biglaw associates. In a way, the book depressed me a little bit because I wondered if I had read this novel before if I would have done things differently. When I joined Biglaw, I didn't know what I was getting into, and I think this novel would have prepared me a lot better! I am glad to see that stories are being written about this so the word gets out. There has been shroud of secrecy around these things, and I'm glad it's ending.
June 7, 2015
An engrossing insider’s peek into the life behind the closed doors of an elite Manhattan law firm! I just finished my advance review copy of Lindsay Cameron’s debut novel BIGLAW and I loved it! Cameron has written a fast paced, laugh out loud novel that will be enjoyable not only to lawyers (and people who love/tolerate them), but to anyone who just enjoys a great story and funny, well-developed characters. Cameron has a great ability to capture life in New York with fast paced and witty conversation and banter. It left me in stiches as I raced through the pages. The pacing in this book is excellent, I was gripped by her plot and loved the main character who I found relatable and endearing. While I would suggest this is required reading for anyone in, or considering, a career as a lawyer or working in a big law firm – you certainly don’t have to be a lawyer to enjoy this book. Overall, I highly recommended BIGLAW: hilarious dialogue and lightning quick plot twists, great stuff!
December 30, 2015
Really a 3.5 stars-- because there is some fun writing, sharp observations and a couple of dead-on secondary characters who get all the good lines. If you are a lawyer or wanna be lawyer, this book is probably a 5 star for you. And if you are fascinated by the inside workings of a big city corporate law department, you'll give it a 4. But for me, the 'world' of BigLaw got a little tedious. I have no doubt that the writer nailed life in a big NYC law firm- from the long hours to the sexist language to the awful bosses to the wild mini bar expenditures. But by page 200, I wanted to scream, "We get it already. You haven't showered in 4 days. Just quit and put us out of our misery!" The big difference between BigLaw and Prada, is that lawyers make a boatload of money while billing clients for every second they spend in the shower thinking about the case, while the young women at magazines will never make a lot of money. So my sympathy for our hero, Junior Associate Lawyer Mac, wore thin. The plot was telegraphed pretty early on and the boyfriend character was one dimensional. But I hope the writer has another book in her where she can get away from writing just about a place and dig into her characters a bit more.
February 10, 2016
Loved this sharp and witty women's fiction expose of life as an associate in a big corporate NYC law firm. Reminiscent of the Devil Wear's Prada (and in some ways, I Don't Know How She Does It) Cameron pulls back the curtain on BigLaw in a highly readable novel with plenty of laughs, cringes, and relatable characters. Painfully true in its rendition, as unbelievable as it seems, I think lawyers (and friends and relatives of them) will enjoy it and law students should take notes! (I'm a lawyer myself and spent a few years in the big firm grind.) But I think this book also has broader applicability and appeal, with its sharp observations on women working in male dominated fields and starting out in any demanding profession. The ending is tied up a little quickly, I wish it had been longer, and fairly predictable - but still satisfying and feel-good. Cameron's voice and writing bring the perfect tone and hook, such that I eagerly sped through this. Fun and impressive debut!
September 11, 2015
Actually I give it 4 and half star ;-)
The novel is an insider to law offices in New York.
After I finished it I am realizing how much I don't want to work for huge corporations and I promised myself I will never become a robot who work her ass of no matter what and let others to treat me like sh*t...(- sorry for small digression.
Because this is what a main character went through while working for a big law company. Giving up her life Mackenzie tried to work hard to success. At the end she asked the question: Are those sacrifices really worth it?
I love the writing style of the author. The novel is written well and it is reads fast.
The novel is an insider to law offices in New York.
After I finished it I am realizing how much I don't want to work for huge corporations and I promised myself I will never become a robot who work her ass of no matter what and let others to treat me like sh*t...(- sorry for small digression.
Because this is what a main character went through while working for a big law company. Giving up her life Mackenzie tried to work hard to success. At the end she asked the question: Are those sacrifices really worth it?
I love the writing style of the author. The novel is written well and it is reads fast.
August 26, 2015
I read the advance copy of the book and enjoyed it immensely. Having worked in 2 big law firms, I can relate to the main character and have experienced first hand how bizarre it can be. Being an attorney in NYC is not like Ally Mcbeals and Miranda from SATC. It is competitive and requires thick skin. This book is right on point under this respect. It also has a very empowering message because there is no knight in the shining armor and the main character needs to figure out a way out of a really complicated situation on her own.
September 10, 2015
Written in the first person, author Lindsay Cameron shoehorns the reader smack-dab into the stylish—if uncomfortable—footwear of a young, female attorney climbing the corporate ladder in a cutthroat firm where verbal disembowelments and weekly bloodbaths from senior partners are the norm.
So well written, you feel sweat dripping from your brow and ulcers forming in your gut as you race hell-bent for leather against the clock with unreasonable—everything is due NOW!—deadlines. A debut novel with white-knuckled plot twists, Lindsay Cameron is an author to keep your eye on!
So well written, you feel sweat dripping from your brow and ulcers forming in your gut as you race hell-bent for leather against the clock with unreasonable—everything is due NOW!—deadlines. A debut novel with white-knuckled plot twists, Lindsay Cameron is an author to keep your eye on!
September 30, 2015
As a former BigLaw-er with many friends who are still in BigLaw, I really wanted to like this book, but very little of this rang true (and I'm not saying that because life in BigLaw was not as just as bad as she makes it sound at times...). The characters were basically all stock characters with no nuance and the "twists" were telegraphed from the beginning of the book. The plot was also very rushed and underdeveloped. The author was clearly trying too hard to fit her story into the standard rom-com template. Overall, disappointing and not really worth the time.
September 8, 2015
This novel hits all the emotions for me. I was laughing, I was angry, and I was worried for the main character, Mackenzie.
Ms. Cameron has a flair for writing. I truly felt like I was in the middle of a Biglaw tsunami. The characters hit their marks with their quirks. Mackenzie loses her way only to find it again, with battle wounds along the way.
I received this book from BookSparks as part of their Fall University challenge.
Ms. Cameron has a flair for writing. I truly felt like I was in the middle of a Biglaw tsunami. The characters hit their marks with their quirks. Mackenzie loses her way only to find it again, with battle wounds along the way.
I received this book from BookSparks as part of their Fall University challenge.
April 15, 2016
The world of "biglaw" is always fascinating to me. This story was filled with the usual fictional law firm trials and tribulations--overworked associates, demanding partners, big deals, trashy secretaries that save the day...I can't say that it wasn't entertaining. Good, though? That's debatable. I knew what was going to happen really early on and felt no vindication when all was revealed. Ending was dumb. Most characters weren't people with whom you'd want to spend any time.
May 2, 2016
Loved this behind the scenes look at the grueling life of a law associate at a large firm in New York City. Cameron does a great job of describing the machinations of tenured attorneys who are determined to make their underlings go through hoops as they did as young associates. Witty and observant, this book was a page turner and was hard to put down.
January 22, 2016
In the end, the fact that this is about law did not compensate for the fact this is chick lit. I started this knowing I am the wrong audience for this book. Still: adolescent writing, cardboard characters, unnatural asides about clothes and shoes at awkward junctures. The main details of a corporate associate's work life in a big firm sound generally accurate, however. One star for that.
July 8, 2015
*Received via Goodreads giveaway*
I pretty much devoured this book over a long weekend, fast paced and fun to read, snappy dialogue (love Rita's lines). I felt I could relate to the main character main character and the pressures of work/life balance. Thoroughly enjoyable and recommended.
I pretty much devoured this book over a long weekend, fast paced and fun to read, snappy dialogue (love Rita's lines). I felt I could relate to the main character main character and the pressures of work/life balance. Thoroughly enjoyable and recommended.
September 10, 2015
I worked in BIGLAW for 12 years and this book is directly on point. To the uninitiated, the crap that Mac has to endure will seem ludicrous, but for anyone who has been there, it's soul crushingly real. Recommended!
April 4, 2017
A huge disappointment. Predictable and not clever in the least. I expected more intelligent prose from an author with a law degree but this is just a boring/basic/fluffy beach read.
Lamenting the lack of books starring women that can be classified as something more than chick lit.
Lamenting the lack of books starring women that can be classified as something more than chick lit.
November 13, 2024
A fun, easy read that gives you a peek into the life of a young associate at a major law firm. Insane demands, cutthroat office politics, and personal drama – all the classic corporate law stuff. It’s fast-paced, and if you’re in the mood for something light, you’ll breeze through it in no time.
That said, while it’s an entertaining read, it’s also super predictable. Honestly, there wasn’t a single plot twist I didn’t see coming from a mile away. The author leaves these giant breadcrumbs that you can’t help but follow, so much so that you’d have to try NOT to guess what’s coming next.
Mac, the main character, is kind of a letdown. There are moments where you’ll catch yourself thinking, “Wait, how is she this naïve?” Like, someone uses your phone without permission to send an email, and you don’t even think to check what was sent? You’re told to work a weekend on something that turns out to be irrelevant, and you just roll with it? You log into your computer, and someone’s already logged in—and you don’t immediately change the password or report it? When you work with sensitive information? Yeah, okay…
So, Biglaw is a breezy read for anyone looking for an office drama fix, but don’t expect it to blow your mind or leave you thinking long after. It’s fun, but more fluff than substance.
That said, while it’s an entertaining read, it’s also super predictable. Honestly, there wasn’t a single plot twist I didn’t see coming from a mile away. The author leaves these giant breadcrumbs that you can’t help but follow, so much so that you’d have to try NOT to guess what’s coming next.
Mac, the main character, is kind of a letdown. There are moments where you’ll catch yourself thinking, “Wait, how is she this naïve?” Like, someone uses your phone without permission to send an email, and you don’t even think to check what was sent? You’re told to work a weekend on something that turns out to be irrelevant, and you just roll with it? You log into your computer, and someone’s already logged in—and you don’t immediately change the password or report it? When you work with sensitive information? Yeah, okay…
So, Biglaw is a breezy read for anyone looking for an office drama fix, but don’t expect it to blow your mind or leave you thinking long after. It’s fun, but more fluff than substance.
November 27, 2024
3.5 stars. I was close to rating this book a 4, but it was predictable and corny at times. Overall, it was enjoyable to read. It was a like a shorter, more simplified John Grisham type plot. Lots of funny characters. Strong overall theme and message.
December 22, 2018
Loved it! Gotta love corporate America but thankfully I’m no lawyer.
August 18, 2025
4.5 stars
August 1, 2017
Fun summer read!
June 21, 2024
I will never not be fascinated by books relating to the world of M&A. Maybe I’m just obsessed with my job, given that I’m reading fiction about it, but it never disappoints. The characters themselves were over-stereotyped which made it relatively cheesy. The “work-obsessed” woman who cares about nobody and the super intense male colleagues. The character arcs were predictable and took a long time to play out.
Would give 3 stars but 4 stars for the plot of the merger.
Would give 3 stars but 4 stars for the plot of the merger.
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