Rating: 
Summary: SERIOUSLY, HOW CAN YOU GIVE MORE THAN 1 STAR?
Review: I just finished 3 years at a reputable 3rd tier.
For those of you thinking of purchasing this book, let me just tell you something quickly:
Mr. Wellen uses names for his Mommy and his Daddy in his autobiography. He calls his Mommy "the Oracle" and his Daddy "the Optimist." These names occur in his book about as often as the words 'the' 'and' i.e. alot. Now imagine switching these names back to their original meaning i.e. 'Mommy' and 'Daddy'
Now further imagine, someone complaining, whining and crying that they came in 2nd place instead of 1st (out of a rat race of hundreds of thousands).
What you are left with: Alex Wellen complaining to mommy and daddy that he isn't at harvard. (If a 3rd tier wrote a book, it would be more compelling and accurate of law school.)
Sorry Alex, better luck next lifetime, for now you will have to just settle for $300,000 a year instead of $310,000. And read a real story like 1L
Rating: 
Summary: Buy it if you are going or went to law school
Review: I read this as I was waiting for the results of the Connecticut bar exam to come out. And it was great sitting there reading about someone who went through the same thing that I am going through. Odd, but it made me feel better.Ironically, the author is not one of those cynical Gen-Xers that writes in the same sarcastic, hopeless tone. Rather, he writes glowingly of his parents and younger brother, his close friends and his professional relationships. He is striking because he is what many other authors in their 20s and 30s are not. He is confident, somewhat content and want to succeed. With that said, there are some dull spots in the book. It slows down with about 100 pages left, only to pick up speed once the bar exam results come out. Maybe it was my own insecure feelings about the exam, but those parts really held my attention. In all, I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who has gone to law school, awaited the interminable time for bar results to come out and then had their life finally get underway. The suspended animation your life is in when those results are in some computer somewhere is terrible. Reading this book and having it all end at once was great.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book for lawyers and non-lawyers as well
Review: I went to the bookstore looking for a trial advocacy skills book and I noticed Barman on the shelf. I picked it up, thought it sounded interesting, and decided to give it a chance. I'm really glad I did. The best way to describe this book is to say it is a cross between 1L by Scott Turow, the Paper Chase, the Catcher in the Rye and Seinfeld. For those either thinking about law school or about to enter law school, the book serves as a very human look at what the process is actually like. For those who are already attorneys, it is a hilarious look back at life as a law student and of course the chase for the dream legal job. As someone who is a newly admitted attorney in New York City and looking for employment at the moment myself, this book rings very true. Finally, for those who just want a funny look at the process people have to go through in order to become attorneys, then this book defintely serves that purpose. All in all, it's a very funny, informative look at the legal profession.
Rating:
Summary: A Humorous and Heartfelt Take on Life and Practicing Law
Review: I've read basically every major law school book (1L, Anarchy and Elegance, Planet Law School etc.) and this is my favorite. It's the most real. Alex Wellen has a refreshing and inspiring take on law school and life as a new associate. It's also pretty damn funny (I actually read some parts out loud to my mother and girlfriend and they were really cracking up). It's easy to get jaded vert quickly by law school and the early stages of the job process and this book is a must read for anyone in need of a good laugh about the lunacy of the whole experience.
Rating:
Summary: The Joy of Victory, The Agony of Defeat
Review: In a matter of a few hundred pages, Wellen takes the reader through the turbulent experience that is the decision to apply to law school, the intense preparation required for the bar exam, and finally, the practice of law. But what I enjoyed most, was that the perspective does not remain focused on our sarcastic, frustrated protagonist, but shifts to reveal the complex reactions of those non-lawyers supporting him along the way. You don't have to be an attorney to love this book. But if you are, you will absolutely find a piece of yourself inside, most likely viewed from a more uplifting, albeit bittersweet, point of view.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book for Anyone; Not Just Law Students and Lawyers
Review: My father heard the author, Alex Wellen, on the radio promoting Barman - the book about his experiences at the end of law school and the beginning of his law career. My Dad bought a copy for my brother, who loved it and passed it to me.
This should be read by all third year law students. Any lawyer will certainly be able to relate. Everyone considering law school should be forced to read this book. In fact, everyone can enjoy this book.
The story traces Mr. Wellen's real life experience at the end of law school He is searching for a job, juggling relationships, looking for a place to live, and most of all - studying for the bar exam. The characters are brought to life and the author does a great job of introducing the reader to his life, and bringing it to a fascinating conclusion.
This book is better law school resource than Turow's 1L or The Paper Chase. Thos are about the beginning of law school, but written by (about) a elite students at an elite university. Barman is written by one of us, the other 97%. More than that, the characters are deeper and more developed, it concentrates more on the journey, and it's far funnier.
As a law student, an English Literature major, and an avid reader, this is the book to read about law school, the legal profession, or just for fun.
Rating:
Summary: Barman/Everyman
Review: picked up 'Barman' looking for information, any information, on what law school, post law school experiences were like for someone not coming from Yale or Harvard. What I learned from Alex Wellen's book was not just what the process of becoming a lawyer was like, because during the process--with he relates with wit and honesty--Wellen seemed to discover for himself that passing the bar, and becoming a lawyer didn't necessarily define who he was or his worth. It didn't change who he was. I think it's worth remembering for anyone considering law school. What I got out of reading 'Barman' was that if I try, whether I fail or succeed, I will come out a different person on the other side of the experience, but still a person; one with value and who deserves happiness. It's a healthy way to approach law school, life or any other challenge, and maintain a sense of self without getting swallowed up by the process. I'm sure it's a book I'll refer to again as I continue my own process of getting into law school, and beyond.
Rating:
Summary: Paper Chase meets 1L meets Cad
Review: There comes a time in the education of all law school students when they ask themselves: is it too late to fake my death, change names and become a janitor? Alex Wellen's BARMAN perfectly captures the soul-sucking process that precipitates this question. In his very funny memoir, Wellen recounts dealing with the quiet humiliations of attending a second tier law school, scoring a demeaning summer internship, cramming for the New York bar exam and landing his First Big Job-- sorting through documents in a stuffy room without windows. A dash of "Sex in the City" is woven throughout as well, as Wellen grapples with the challenges of building relationships and a professional identity at the same time. Most of all, this is an awfully well-rounded coming of age tale that will appeal to everyone, but particularly to anyone mulling a legal career. Proceed not lest ye read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Trust me.
Review: This book is positively mesmerizing. I think that you will find it to be quite difficult to put down once you begin to read it. Alex Wellen has a very down-to-earth writing style and his words have the effect of drawing you seemlessly into his story. Anyone who has ever struggled through the challenges and self-doubt that are the stepping stones to achieving a hard-earned goal will find common ground with this story -- and that accounts for most of us. Wellen has blended passion, humor, and angst into his story, and I suspect that the harmony which he achieves in this ecletic mixture of emotions is no less the product of his skillful writing as it is a reflection of his own true self. This is one of those rare books which finds you rushing to get to the conclusion but a little sad when you finally reach it because you find that you have become attached to the characters. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Believable
Review: This is a great choice for anyone considering law school, or perhaps just looking for a good right. Wellen is a personable and friendly writer, and you find yourself rooting for him as he begins his life after law school. Most of the book, in fact, doesn't cover the actual school, but the results of attending a Tier II school, and the career that comes afterwards. Most who read it really enjoy it, and for further accolades, please visit the authors blog at http://alexwellen.typepad.com/barman/
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