Barman: Ping-Pong, Pathos, and Passing the Bar

By Alex Wellen

Book Overview

Alex Wellen is an excited, ambitious, and overwhelmed twenty-something law student trying to integrate into one of the most powerful and promise-filled cities in the world--New York. As he moves from... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400048923
• ISBN13: 9781400048922
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.6" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

A Humorous and Heartfelt Take on Life and Practicing Law

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.

BARMAN is a must read ...

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.

Barman Nails It !

Alex Wellen has captured the American Law School Experience. More than that - Alex has written a compelling modern coming-of-age tale. This is a must read for anyone in law school, considering lawschool, and anyone who just wants to enjoy themselves immersed in a good book! Laugh endlessly while reflecting on the greater meaning of life. Discover that the end is worth the journey, and the journey doesn't always end where you think it will.

Barman/Everyman

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.

Paper Chase meets 1L meets Cad

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!