Sarah Langford

Sarah Langford is a barrister. Her job is to stand in court representing the bad, the vulnerable, the heart-broken and the hopeful. She must become their voice: weave their story around the black and white of the law and tell it to the court-room. These stories may not make headlines but they will change the lives of ordinary people in extraordinary ways. They are stories which, but for a twist of luck, might have been yours. 

With remarkable candour, Sarah describes eleven cases which reveal what goes on in our criminal and family courts. She examines how she feels as she defends the person standing in the dock. She tells compelling stories – of domestic fall out, everyday burglary, sexual indiscretion, and children caught up in the law – that are sometimes shocking and often heart-stopping. She shows us how our attitudes and actions can shape not only the outcome of a case, but the legal system itself.  Compassionate, sympathetic and emotionally powerful, Sarah shows how the law is at its best when it is at its most humane.

‘The wig comes off. More than just a cracking collection of courtroom short-stories – Langford bares her soul,’ (Matthew Parris).

‘A wonderful book from a vivid new talent. Revealing, moving, funny, sad, uplifting and beautifully written, with the observational skills of Alan Bennett and the heart of Charles Dickens. Every  chapter is an elegantly constructed short story complete with plot twists that alternately deliver a knife to the guts or a glimmer of hope that makes you think humanity has a chance.’ (Tim Shipman – political editor of the Sunday Times and author of Fall Out).