By midafternoon, a different atmosphere pervaded Morgan Siler. What had in the morning been a relatively homogeneous group of lawyers was now divided into two classes; those who were going home that evening and those that weren't.
He may not be bestselling legal author John Grisham just yet, but the Penn Law professor who wrote the paragraph above has taken his wealth of experience -- including working for Supreme Court Justice David Souter -- and published his first legal thriller.
Kermit Roosevelt authored the recently published book In the Shadow of the Law, which is a mix between a legal and a mystery thriller.
The book concerns the activity of a fictional prominent K Street law firm, Morgan Siler, in the heart of Washington.
The book begins with the first- and second-year law firm associates contemplating the doldrums of the law profession while a high-powered partner in their firm sits content with his practice of the law.
However, within a few hours, a deadly chemical spill that sparks a class-action lawsuit against a Texas chemical company and a pro-bono death-penalty case gone sour set the characters in the firm on a legal roller coaster.
The great-great-grandson of Theodore Roosevelt, the Law professor says that his diverse background gave him a broad range of legal experiences to draw from.
"My experiences as a law student, clerk for Supreme Court justice Souter and practicing lawyer gave me several different perspectives on the law," Roosevelt said. "These experiences allowed me to create realistic fiction."
And realistic fiction centered around his profession has been the result of his first venture outside of scholarly publications.
Roosevelt believes that it is his character development that separates him from other authors.
"This book is a little bit more character-driven then most other legal thrillers," Roosevelt said.
The book also strives to tell the reader something about the law. And although Roosevelt acknowledges in the book that he "kept the law accurate, though when it collided with the necessities of fiction, it gave way," he hopes that his readers will put some of the jokes aside and renew their faith in the law and lawyers.
"I would want [the readers] to understand that it's possible to do good within our legal system," Roosevelt said.
For his students and for others, Roosevelt hopes that the book provides a deeper understanding of what the law means.
"I hope that one of the things the book will do is tell my students some of the things that I can't teach in the context of constitutional law class," Roosevelt said.
Roosevelt is held in high esteem by fellow faculty members, including Law professor Seth Kreimer, who said that Roosevelt is "a person of tremendous wit and insight."
