The author, a colorful trial lawyer, was once described by Alexander Woollcott as the "Knight with the rueful countenance." This book is based on lectures Mr. Stryker gave at Yale Law School in the 1950s. Stryker's uniformly delightful anecdotes afford unusual insight into how lawyers approach their work, try cases, cross-examine, and argue appeals - and, repeatedly, how they comes to terms with lawyer's common duty to serve both his client and the ethics of his profession.