A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time
Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.
Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.
Published: October 21, 2014
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My Review:
Anyone who believes justice is truly blind – or fair – needs to read this book. Bryan Stevenson takes us deep into the criminal justice system, sharing details of his cases and experiences as a defense attorney working for a nonprofit organization. At its very core, our legal system is skewed in favor of the wealthy and the white. Biases and outright racism are justice’s dirty little secret.
The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.
I read a lot of law-based nonfiction and true crime, and I was already aware of the deep cracks in our criminal justice system. Even so, the blatant racism that still exists within the deep south took my breath away. I found myself at equal turns angry and disheartened. I wondered how anyone could do what this man does each day and not give in to the depths of despair.
Stevenson walks us through his work with inmates on death row. Some are guilty, some are not. The people sentenced to death vary in intelligence, mental health and, to some degree, race. One thing that does not change is that they are all poor. They did not have access to good legal aid. Often they did not even receive competent representation.
In debates about the death penalty, I had started arguing that we would never think it was humane to pay someone to rape people convicted of rape or assault and abuse someone guilty of assault or abuse. Yet we were comfortable killing people who kill, in part because we think we can do it in a manner that doesn’t reflect anything onto us, the way that raping or abusing someone would. I couldn’t stop thinking that we don’t spend much time contemplating the details of what killing someone actually involves.
While these stories are disturbing, what I found most appalling was the section dealing with children. Here in the U.S., we are making it our mission to try children in adult courts. We hand life sentences without the possibility of parole to prepubescent children, for non-homicide crimes. We’re putting 12- and 13-year-old kids in adult prisons, with violent criminals who are very much adults. We treat them like trash, locking them away to keep the prison wheels turning. Part of Bryan Stevenson’s work is to help these kids, to commute their sentences to something a bit more rational and humane, and to often be the only caring adult these kids have in their lives.
Ian’s appointed lawyer encouraged him to plead guilty, assuring him that he would be sentenced to fifteen years in prison. The lawyer didn’t realize that two of the charges against Ian were punishable with sentences of life imprisonment without parole. The judge accepted Ian’s plea and then sentenced him to life with no parole. Even though he was thirteen, the judge condemned Ian for living in the streets, for not having good parental supervision, and for his multiple prior arrests for shoplifting and minor property crimes.
While nothing about the content is light, Stevenson’s writing style is conversational and easy to read. He doesn’t use a lot of technical jargon. He doesn’t reach for flowery prose or obscure words. This book is designed to be read by the masses, whether you have a simple high school education or a law degree.
Bryan Stevenson’s work is commendable. This man is one of those unsung heroes in life. We hold athletes up on pedestals because they can throw a ball, while people like Stevenson make the world a better place without a bit of recognition. We can’t all be lawyers. We can’t all dedicate our lives the way he does. But we can all pull our heads out of the sand and demand change.
Thanks for reading. 
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