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Leaning on the Arc: A Personal History of Criminal Defense is a memoir by renowned trial lawyer M. Gerald Schwartzbach, who is perhaps best known for successfully defending actor Robert Blake against charges he had murdered his wife. Each chapter details a different trial in the author's illustrious career that run the gamut from murder to malpractice, sexual assault to domestic abuse, from protecting the right of dissent to advocating expanded rights for defendants. Schwartzbach stands at the intersection of some of the key issues of our time and demonstrates how true justice can only happen when we refuse to objectify the defendant, whoever he or she may be, whatever his or her alleged crime.Finally, Leaning on the Arc is a firsthand, material, and applicable account of what it takes to practice criminal defense law at a high level, how it really works, what to watch out for, and how it all feels.