Rating: 
Summary: Not so good
Review: Turow seems a bit, how shall I say, overwrought. Like when he messes up a meaningless, ungraded assignment and claims to feel "corrosively ashamed." And what's with him writing like some English wig-wearer, circa the twelfth century: "I have finished my first term at the law." Yeah, I hear you. The guy's popping Valium and getting all weepy whenever a teacher says a sharp word or two. Chill out, dude, it's only school. Harvard at that. You come to me and say "Harvard" and I figure you for a genius, not some nervous little priss. Why blow it by publishing your tear-stained diary?
Rating: 
Summary: grim reality
Review: I have always heard that the first year of law school is an intense experience. One L made this abundantly clear. It also made it clear that even the school of all schools, Harvard, employs law professors who put their students to sleep. In fact, some professors are so poor that students stop going to class at all. The book confirms my own conclusion that some professors have their jobs because they are good teachers while others are kept on staff due to their publishing prowess.
Rating: 
Summary: Gripping, then it turns painful
Review: I really liked the first half of the book. Mr. Turrow successfully pulls us into his story; his emotions the relationships he has with his wife and the friends he makes are all very clear and exciting. After he took his first term tests, it was like running the middle 10 miles of a marathon to finish up the rest (although i have never ran a marathon, im sure the middle is very tedious, but it had to be done if you want to finish, gnome sayin). It was mildly excited to learn of his first term grades because the reader wants to know how he did. After that we dont really see much of the emotion (and im sure there wasnt a lot of emotion going on, considering he was probably exhausted most of the time) but still, we could have cut down some of it. Well, Im just glad to be done with it so i can move on. Im glad i read it though.
Rating:
Summary: Still the best account of law school.
Review: Even though this memoir was first published almost 25 years ago, it is still the best depiction of what law school is *really* like. When I went to Harvard Law School (starting in 1995, exactly 20 years after Turow), everyone told me "It's not like One-L anymore." That's only half true -- One-L is overly dramatic, but the basic events and emotions he depicts rang true again and again. Of course, as the other reviews show, some law students are able to blow off the intensity, others (like Turow) become consumed by it, and the rest (like me) swing back and forth between panic and enjoyment. All in all, this is an excellent peek at the law school experience. Just don't use this as your only basis for deciding whether to go to law school and/or to Harvard.
Rating:
Summary: bringer of nightmares
Review: I am about to go to law school, and I read this book to get an idea about what I'm in for. It gave me nightmares. Wonderfully written, and you really feel the horror and psychosis that the author went through. Therefore, I would only recommend this book to people who are not irrevocably committed to going to law school, as I did not need to have my worst fears realized!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but ......
Review: The book is a fascinating look at life for a 1st year student at what is, arguably, the best law school in the United States. And, the look is interesting and eye-opening.The but part is that it drags and gets repetative. It was about 1/2 way through when I started thinking...all right, let's get to the end of the year. It's a book worth reading, but don't expect it to keep you glued to your seat.
Rating: 
Summary: Telling it How it Is
Review: I read this when my wife was about to go to law school in the UK. It's a terrific read and I just wanted people to know that what Harvard is like is pretty much true of law school over here. Have no interest or connection in/with the book--it just came up in conversation with a friend recently.
Rating:
Summary: Takes a look at the good and bad of Harvard Law School
Review: To the outside observer, law school is extremely difficult, and Harvard Law School is the epitome of the educational experience. However, Turow breaks down law school as well as the stigma of HLS. In "One L," a superbly written account of his first year in law school, Turow gives us a behind-the-scenes account of what it means to be in law school at HLS. To be perfectly honest with you, the alarmingly real account will serve to scare some readers, as it did to me. I am preparing to enter law school at a smaller, more student-focused school, but his book had me second-guessing whether or not I was capable of the law school experience. Yet I found myself engrossed and eager to experience the instances about which Turow wrote. The transformation that he endures throughout law school is something I cannot honestly picture within myself. Then again, neither could Turow. Dedicating yourself so deeply to the study and comprehension of law is unreal, and he says you are almost unrecognizable to yourself when you look back. When he was awaiting his grades, I felt the same nervous anticipation that he described. He talks of the faults of Harvard Law and law school in general, and he is in no way idealistic or presents an image of grandeur when it comes to the practice. He makes his own suggestions for the improvement of educating lawyers, but unfortunately recognizes the static aspects of the profession. He does not address the issue of whether an individual should attend law school or not, so if you're looking to "One L" for answers to that question, you will just have to read the book, consider his experience, and decide for yourself. Nor does he assist you in making the crucial decision of where to go to law school, for which I was hoping he'd offer a small tidbit of advice. I guess when you are accepted at Harvard, the choice isn't a very hard one. Toward the end, in the "reflection" of the book and the experiences it describes, Turow doesn't paint law as a particularly rewarding profession, but more as a struggle with doing well and doing good. Although I found the book leaning toward the pessimistic side, I think that is to be expected. Turow will make you understand it. For anyone who has considered going into law, this book is essential.
Rating:
Summary: Partially accurate, partially fiction
Review: Turow's book is the generally accepted bible of law school life and it lives up to that reputation in part. His depictions of the pressures of the first year of law school are by-and-large accurate, for law schools throughout the U.S., not merely at Harvard. First and foremost, the amount of work required to succeed at law school is at least double or triple the amount of work that a law student expended in college. I attended one of the five most difficult, academically competitive and intensive universities in the country as an undergraduate, studied twice as much as the average college student and was completely unprepared for the workload required at law school. There is some competition between students, but the most extreme cases of this usually involve students whose ambitions outstrip their abilities. Some discussions that Turow left out: 1. Should the student even be in law school? Most law school graduates, upon obtaining some experience after graduation, realize that they made a mistake and should have done something else with their lives. There are reasons for attorneys' dissatisfactions with the law, including excessive pressure, workload and stress from dealing with unreasonable clients, counsel and judges. 2. What should be the goals of the law student or law student-to-be? Turlow relates the pressures of competition for a high class rank and membership on law review, but does not even hint that within five years of graduation, those factors become minor and have nothing to do with job satisfaction post-law school. However, Turow's failure to discuss these issues is consistent with the naive notions of most first year law students. The majority of 1L's believe that success and happiness in life are guaranteed by obtaining a job with a large, prestigious law firm and most rate each other not just as potential lawyers, but as persons, based on whether or not the law student has suceeded in obtaining that six figure salary with the ten office firm. Most (but certainly not all) lawyers do not like working in large firms or even smaller private firms. It is unfortunate for most law students that they do not understand themselves well enough at the time they enter law school or even by graduation, to figure out what will make them happiest for the long run. Turow's book will not provide that information. So, what Turow does provide is a reasonable accurate account of life as a laws student, interspersed with fiction. This year- long tale is not purely a work of historical accuracy, as Turow does add some additional elements to keep it interesting. Chief among these fictional interludes is the storyline of the death of Turow's fellow student who could not handle the pressure at school. One of my professors was in Turow's class at Harvard and categorically denied that any student in their first year committed suicide or died. Overall, a decent, if somewhat sensationalized account of law school from a student's perspective. If you are contemplating attending law school, though, you should first determine from reading books on the actual practice of law and from talking to practicing lawyers, whether the profession is right for you. Pick up One-L only after you have made a conscious and well-reasoned decision to go to law school or are intending to read the book purely for pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: Law school in excruciating detail
Review: While Turow is a skilled writer, he appears to be a less skilled editor. This book expounded upon every last conceivable detail of the first year of law school, and, in my view, would have benefitted from more brevity and less exhaustive detail. I read this book after having completed my second year of law school, and found it to be a slow and painful recap of every moment of my first year. It is accurate, but to one who has experienced it, it contains no fresh insight on the experience. Good for those contemplating law school, ho-hum for those who have already gone.
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