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Summary: Me too!
Review: Alex Wellen wrote an inspirational, educational and very funny book. I'm glad I bought it. More? I laughed out loud (rare) and cried (not quite as rare since starting law school). I found validation (everyone is afraid of the Bar) and community (Alex lived through Madison's beating and so will I, dammit!). With a family as supportive/beautiful as his we would all come to the understanding that becoming an attorney CANNOT dictate our "place in the universe".
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Summary: I laughed, I Cried
Review: Alex,I loved your book!!!! I am a mother of a 2nd year law student at NYU (Yale Grad) all first tiers and can relate so well to your angst. I cried - I laughed out loud and have been touting your book as a must read. I am going to buy a 2nd copy and send it to my son - no sense in his reinventing the wheel. I am glad everything worked out for the best and thanks for sharing your story. Joyce
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Summary: Excellent Roller Coaster Ride
Review: An excellent ride through Alex's last year of law school, the prep and dread of the bar exam, and his first year out of law school. Alex lays it all out there in a humorous, comical, and self effacing manner.
What an enjoyable book, and a must read for all law students or those thinking of law as a career.
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Summary: Honest, Entertaining and Inspiring
Review: An inspiring, and at times comical tale of a young man's journey through law school, the bar exam and the attorney lifestyle. It is a candid story that tells it how it is in the cut-throat, competetive arena of New York City. It is both educational and entertaining. A must read for those interested in the legal field, and highly recommended for those with a sense of humor and an interest in a personal story that does not cease to entertain.
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Summary: BARMAN is a must read ...
Review: FIVE (5) TYPES of people should absolutely purchase BARMAN: 1) ASPIRING law school students; 2) CURRENT law school students; 3) ANYONE who has ever taken a bar exam and enjoys a good laugh, or cry; 4) ATTORNEYS who would enjoy reminiscing about the beginnings of their legal careers; 5) LAW PROFESSORS so that they may reaquaint themselves with this painful and at times absurd process. If you don't fall into any one of the FIVE TYPES above but know someone who does buy it for them- it's a great primer for the legal wannabe. BARMAN is funny, honest, and best of all accurate in its portrayal of typical law school life and the birthing process of "baby" lawyers via the bar exam. The best part of the story is that the author's experiences are "par for the course" when it comes to the majority of law school students. Wellen attended a good but not "great" law school. Readers will relate to Wellen's story because most of us did not get into our "dream" school. What unfolds in BARMAN is a story that 98% of law school types will immediately recognize as true. That is why BARMAN will endure as recommended reading for those who think that they want to become a lawyer.
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Summary: The Barman
Review: I bought Barman after Alex came and spoke at my lawschool. Barman, like his speech, really hit home. Any law student can relate to what Alex talks about in this book, especially those of us outside of the elite Tier 1. Barman shows you what awaits after law school- the bar, job-hunting, and hopefully success. Hopefully we can all be as successful in our law careers as Alex was in his!
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Summary: Riotously Funny and Oh, SO True!
Review: I finished this hysterical offering from Alex Wellen in one splendid, heartwarming, cringe-inducing, riotously funny afternoon that left my sides hurting from all the laughter. What makes this book so wonderful is that the humor is so organic to the story; as probably any lawyer could tell you, it is representative of a seemingly universal experience for all members of the bar - the initiation ritual known as the Bar Exam. Wellen's recounting of his early experiences preparing for that endurance test, nervously awaiting the results, and anxiously attempting to please his new bosses in private practice is told with an easy, graceful familiarity that doesn't presume too much, and an achingly honest tone that makes you cringe right along with him, even as you realize you're laughing aloud (but *with* him, not *at* him!). Simply a fantastic read. Well done.
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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
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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.
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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.
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