Chambermaid

by Saira Rao

The devil holds a gavel in this wickedly entertaining debut novel about a young attorney’s eventful year clerking for a federal judge. Sheila Raj is a recent graduate of a top-ten law school with dreams of working for the ACLU but law school did not prepare her for the power-hungry sociopath, Judge Helga Friedman. While her beleaguered colleagues begin quitting their jobs, Sheila is assigned to a high-profile death penalty case and suddenly realizes that she has to survive the year as Friedman’s chambermaid--not just her sanity, but actual lives hang in the balance. With Chambermaid , debut novelist Saira Rao breaks the code of silence surrounding the clerkship and boldly takes us into the mysterious world of the third branch of the U.S. government, where the leaders are not elected and can never be fired. With its biting wit and laugh-out-loud humor, this novel will change everything you think you know about how great lawyers, and great judges, are made.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Chick Lit

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only the second book I've ever seen written about my job, the lowly law clerk, so I thought it was a must read. But, like the first (the Tenth Justice), it was terrible. It's the ubiquitous story of the crazy, bitchy, mean boss. Written by a former appellate clerk, the author brings the Nanny Diaries and Devil Wears Prada to the judiciary. Not that this genre is a great vein of American literature, but this book is particularly bad. Everything is so exaggerated and predictable. It's not at all funny or witty, and the protagonist isn't even likable -- she's an insecure snob. Thumbs down on all accounts.

And for all you law geeks, the author, who's an NYU law grad, doesn't even know what hearsay is. An admission by a party opponent, (e.g. a defendant), is not hearsay. They say, "anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law" for a reason. Plus hurricane season is long over in December.

[Isabel Luna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hacía rato que un libro no me llevaba tanto tiempo y es q ha costado lo suyo terminarlo xq la verdad es malísimo. Una verdadera decepción, tal vez xq tenía muchas expectativas. La protagonista, Sheila es una chica normalita, graduada en leyes que está decidiendo su futuro profesional. Al empezar a leer pensé q iba a ser un personaje fantástico, xq la niña es Indú y me pareció q el tema cultura iba a enriquecer la trama...pero no. Particularmente no me ha transmitido nada trascendental y en mi opinión pasó x el libro con más pena q gloria xq simplemente esta chica se ha dejado llevar y traer sin ton ni son. Q si la tratan mal, q si se aprovechan de ella, estaba cantado lo del novio y ni siquiera el enamoramiento posterior ha resultado algo memorable. Tampoco me ha resultado convincente el papel de la jueza Feldman. Salvo como vieja histérica q nos deja en mal lugar a todas las mujeres xq cumple definitivamente todos los malos estereotipos de las mujeres profesionales. Aunq creo q pudo haber resultado como antagonista si se hubiera desarrollado más el personaje de Linda Adams pero realmente es que todo en esta novela pasa de refilón. No ahonda en nada, de repente te encuentras leyendo sobre un tema o un personaje y no tienes ni pálida idea de lo q pasa, pero es q la autora asume q te contó la versión completa pero no lo hizo.
Muy de vez en cuando, y ya para el final me ha sacado alguna q otra risita pero lastimosamente no alcanza para más estrellas.
En lo personal, si cae en sus manos, pasen de largo. No vale la pena.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted to reach because it's written by a lawyer and I saw an article about in the Texas Lawyer. We'll see if it's any good.

It was pretty darn funny. Although I caution anyone who's going to read this book. If you aren't in the legal business, you might not enjoy this book. It's about the legal biz and there are so many references that the lay person probably wouldn't get. There were lots of funny parts though.

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather funny but detailed novel about law students and first jobs. Too much knowledge required about legal stuff, but otherwise a good first novel.

[Krystn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for all lawyers who have had impossibly tough bosses with ridiculous expectations when they first leave law school!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a South Indian girl (same) whose family language is Konkani (same) and went to Columbia Law School (same) and was on Columbia Law Review (same) and then clerked for the Third Circuit (same, soon) and then got her dream job at the ACLU (plz!!!!). Wow. If only it were less problematic and trashy, but worth the read if you happen to share the exact same traits as the main character and want to see a wildly fictionalized version of your life!!

[Marina Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow to start but definitely picks up. However, as a former federal law clerk, the only reality I saw was in the interactions between the clerks. Everything else was pretty grossly exaggerated. Or I was just lucky. Definitely don’t think this should be treated as a pre-clerkship hornbook.

[Kelly O'Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting details but eh

[Cece · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was cute and funny. It is a good read to pass the time and put you in a better mood. I definitely learned a thing or two about federal clerkship. This is essentially a story about hard work and taking on whatever life throws at you.

[Ninadiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice read. Comedy is unique to each individual. Most novels are too plain vanilla in their attempts at humor, and leave you disappointed. My own humor leans more towards either dark humor or outrageous. This book falls in the latter category. The main character is a female lawyer clerking for a federal judge in Philadelphia. There is some humorous bits with the cast of characters but most of the real laughs are with the antics of the totally non-PC female judge, who is totally narcissistic. An extra star to the writer for adding some bits at the end that gave hints to why the judge was the was she was, giving her a greater depth. Most writers wouldn't have bothered. Of course if you humor leans in another direction, this may not be for you. If you don't like the judge early on, you probably should move on to another book.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this book is basically The Devil Wears Prada with "3rd Circuit Appeals Court" thrown in everyone "Runway" should be and the names of judges and cases substituted in for designers. It's not particularly original, right down to the fledgling romance with the co-clerk (it's also similarly auto-biographical, despite its "novel" designation). On the other hand, it's funny and definitely a good, fast light read. Also, somewhat of an interesting anomoly in the legal world, where saying anything negative about clerkships is anathema - in short, if you're in law school, you'll read it and you'll laugh.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another one of those books that I'd recommend for law students; it's frightening how much you'll recognize the characters in this book as your own classmates. I am a big fan of books which mix chick lit with a believably intellectual setting, and this is one of those books. If you've got brains, it can be hard to relate to shopaholics and Vogue editors in most chick lit I can think of. I couldn't put it down and read it quickly; another book for law students on vacation or who need something to read at the gym.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was mostly fluff – perfect for a few pages a night before bed, but nothing earth-shattering. I read it because I wanted to learn about what its like to clerk for a Federal Appellate Judge (my husband was in the process of interviewing for a clerkship at the time). The book was very funny and entertaining but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who isnt familiar with the clerkship process.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great book for anyone who hates their job or thinks they have a tyrannical boss. The author, who in real life went to law school and clerked for a federal judge, has written a funny and sometimes cringe-inducing depiction of a young woman's year of clerking for a federal judge. I grabbed it almost at random from the new books shelf at the public library, and it was a great surprise.

[Rachel Schoenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I don't know if people who have no interest in law would like it as much as I did, but Rao is a good writer and kept me interested. The main character basically describes her trials and tribulations clerking for a US Appeals Court judge who is truly kooky. Some parts are laugh out loud funny while you commiserate with the character in other chapters.

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was pretty hilarious at times. The story was entertaining, though there were things that were hard to buy as a lawyer (some of the legal issues in the death penalty case) and a person (a tiny 70+ yr old woman heaving a 10 lb book at her law clerk's head and hitting her in the face). But there were also some things that rang true as a law clerk. Definitely decent brain candy.

[Seema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it was disappointingly anticlimactic I loved the intelligent sense of humor of Rao. It helped that many of the jokes were about Indians or Indian culture...those are always a good time. It's basically The Devil Wears Prada in the judicial world, without the personal journey to the realization that there's more to life than fashion and work.

[Mickey Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nanny Diaries meets a Federal Appeals Court law clerk. The constant one liners were tedious, as was the repetition in dialogue and action. The author, a lawyer and former law clerk for a judge in the third circuit must be certain of her writing career as she makes no attempt to disquise the identity of the judge for whom she clerked. Seems like career suicide to me.

[Terrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I agree with reviewers who said this was reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada in a federal court. Only it was a lot less entertaining.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable book.... slightly strange but worth reading, especially if you are at all interested in the legal world and very silly judicial stuff! I would give it as 3.5 but as far as I know 1/2 stars are not an option.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the story is not particularly original, I thought it was a good, entertaining, and sometimes quite true picture of any type of boss. It also has moments where I laughed out loud. If you are looking an entertaining, funny quick read, I would recommend it.

[Ruby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Who thought someone could make chick-lit out of a federal clerkship experience? I really thought a trained lawyer could write much better than this, but hey, who am I to judge (ha ha!) Overall, cutesy, short, and only mildly annoying at times. Great book to read on a long and boring bus ride.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever story, playing on the desire of all law students and young lawyers to experience a "clerkship." My only criticism is that the story's "volume" was stuck on high. There were no dynamics to the story. To paraphrase a famous cartoon villain, "when everything is over the top, nothing is."

[Elizabeth Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thinly disguised as fiction, this is really a caustic and often hilarious memoir of a brand new law school grad's first year out, spent clerking for a Federal judge who's vicious, single-minded when she's not absent-minded, slave driving, and amazingly, a brilliant defender of human rights.

[Cat]

Strictly limited in its (moderate) appeal to law students. I admit, I did enjoy hearing about a clerk with a tyrannical judge for a boss. The obvious conventions of chick lit apply, in a geeked-up lawyer setting.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not fabulous literature, but many funny episodes from the perspective of a federal judicial clerk.
And the conclusion that Duke law grads are arrogant + dumb = intolerable made the whole book worthwhile.

[Adam]

coming out in june '07 - already making waves

[sima · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly but brainless quick read that no one but a law student should both with.

[Dee Philo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book but found the tone patronizing.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Click here for my review in Time Out New York: [http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articl...]