The Color Of Law

Clark McCall, ne’er-do-well son of Texas millionaire senator and presidential hopeful Mack McCall, puts a major crimp in his father’s election plans when he winds up murdered–apparently by Shawanda Jones, a heroin-addicted hooker–after a tawdry night of booze, drugs, and rough sex.Scott Fenney, a poor boy turned college football hero turned elite law firm partner, is assigned to provide Shawanda’s pro bono defense after the federal judge on the case hears him deliver an inspiring, altruistic–and completely insincere–speech to the Dallas bar association.

Scott plans to farm the case out to an old law school buddy, do-good attorney Bobby Herrin. But his plans go awry when Shawanda puts her foot down in court and refuses to be passed off to the lawyer she considers the lesser attorney.As the case unfolds, the murder victim’s powerful father applies pressure to deter Scott from being too aggressive in his defense of Shawanda. In the space of a few days, Scott is booted from his golf club and upscale gym; the loan for his mortgage is called in; his biggest client fires him; and he’s let go from the firm. Drowning in debt and with no job prospects, Scott receives a final coup de grace: his embittered wife ditches him for the local golf pro. But McCall’s machinations only serve to fuel Scott’s determination to expose Clark’s shady past in court and save Shawanda from the death penalty–even though the evidence against her seems insurmountable.At its heart, THE COLOR OF LAW is the story of a good guy who’s gone down the wrong path only to be confronted by a new crossroads–one that offers him a final chance at redemption, but at a terrible cost. With echoes ofTo Kill a Mockingbird as well as early John Grisham, THE COLOR OF LAW is a provocative page-turner and marks the stunning debut of a major new talent.