Lawyer for the Dog

Written by Lee Robinson

Narrated by Barbara McCulloh

One of the sharpest attorneys in Charleston, S.C., Sally Baynard isn't your typical southern belle. She's certainly not what her mother hoped she'd grow up to be, especially since she divorced her husband, Family Court Judge Joe Baynard, and his historic family with their historic wealth and historic houses. Maybe Sally was never going to be a proper society lady, but her success as a public defender and family lawyer have been enough for her. She's represented murderers, burglars, drug dealers and lately has taken on some of the thorniest divorces, all cases closed with her Sally Bright Baynard wit, charm and brains. Or have they? One case she's never successfully closed is her marriage. And when Judge Joe assigns her to one of his divorce cases by appointing her as the Lawyer for the Dog -- Sherman, a miniature schnauzer-- she's forced into close quarters with him again. Juggling the needs of the dog, the angry owners, her amorous but uncommunicative ex-husband, her aging, Alzheimer's-ridden mother, and the expectations of the court is more than Sally could have imagined. And as rascally Sherman digs his way into Sally's heart, he brings along his charming vet Tony, a man who makes Sally question her views on love and marriage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781501931499

Lee Robinson

LEE ROBINSON is the author of Lawyer for the Cat. She practiced law for over 20 years in Charleston, S.C., where she served as executive director of a legal services agency and later worked in private practice, concentrating on family law. She was elected the first female president of the Charleston Bar Association and received the Bar Association’s award for her work in public interest law. She lives on a small ranch in the Texas hill country.

Reviews for Lawyer for the Dog

[kmt01_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have not enjoyed a book as much as I did this one in a long time, and, if you have ever checked my reviews, you can see I have read and do read a lot of books. The story centers on a Charleston Lawyer, Sally Baynard, ex-wife of Family Court Judge Joe Baynard, who hails from a well-heeled, well-known Charleston family. Though divorced, both continue their respective careers in Charleston, maintaining a professional, though not close, relationship. Judge Joe assigns Sally to be lawyer for a miniature schnauzer, Sherman, whose custody remains the big bone of contention in a lengthy, contested divorce between two older Charleston citizens. In addition to this, Sally is grappling with an aging, Alzheimer's-ridden mother, a potential relationship with Sherman’s vet, her mother’s caretaker who is planning to move on to care for her cancerous significant other, and a plethora of friends and associates who think she and Joe should reconcile or that Sally should move on to another man. Some also think Joe, who has recently separated from his squeeze, is out to get Sally back in his life, using every trick he has to do this. The story is fun filled, but serious at the same time. The author addresses a myriad of issues that are current today: how two exes who work in the same profession manage to continue a professional relationship/association after their split, how a child handles and deals with an aging parent, how someone who has not had a dog since she was a child learns to care for one, how a single professional woman forages her life as time passes, etc. The author does a magnificent job in all this. I enjoyed Sherman, but I am an avowed dog person myself, so that part was easy for me. The author handed all the issues surrounding him and his situation very well. The author’s writing style is smooth and makes for pleasant reading. The story flows smoothly and easily. The characters, including Sherman, as well done and memorable. This is a book I will keep and re-read again when I have time and when I am looking for something fun to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story. There is some romance but not too much. The plot is interesting and intricate enough so that the ending is somewhat of a surprise (at east it was for me). If I could give it more than five stars, I would. I hope there will be more books in the series, and I eagerly look forward to reading them. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

[tehanu_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thoroughly enjoyable! The author seems to care about the characters and has given them a realistic depth; I particularly liked the very natural way the main character falls in love with the dog. I'm not particularly fond of lawyers but I did enjoy the way the main character talks to herself: it's as if she's writing a brief.