Synopsis

“Award-Winning Finalist in the Humor/Comedy/Satire category of the 2022 American Fiction Awards”

Inspired by real-life class-action lawyers, The Education of Ryan Coleman begins in a Texas courtroom, where an ambitious attorney from Philadelphia chases his share of a lawsuit and gets his ass reamed by the judge. During this “trial-by-fire,” Coleman meets Eugenia Cauley, a female legal shark whose life ends tragically, and Robert Smalley, a brilliant attorney and borderline criminal who boasts that “I have the greatest practice of law in the world. I have no clients.” Coleman enters a hedonistic world of wealth and power, and becomes an errand boy and fixer for Randy Hollis, an insanely successful lawyer who is trying to buy a professional football team. Patrick Coyle, a prosecutor with an old grudge, and Dick Dickey, former Secretary of Defense and CEO of a military contractor, try to ruin Hollis and Coleman. When an escort mysteriously dies in Hollis’ penthouse, Coleman must choose between telling the truth or going to jail. This satirical thriller reveals how our legal system enables lawyers to get filthy rich. As Mortimer Zuckerman, real estate magnate and media billionaire, once said, “Practicing law is the exact opposite of sex. Even when it’s good, it’s bad.”

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Praise

I laughed out loud at the salty wise cracks on most every page. But the lightning paced humor provides a serious message about corruption in class action litigation. This is a hilarious satire about a very real problem. —Matt Flynn, author, Milwaukee Jihad

Felgoise and Tabatsky take us on a wild ride into the intense and lucrative world of class action litigation. Sex, money and drugs are only part of the reward available for lawyers who are tough and crafty enough to play in a league where shameless greed is sometimes rewarded, but where the personal and professional risks are as big as the dollar signs. —James V. Irving, Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C., author, of Friends Like These and the Joth Proctor Fixer novels

Filthy Rich Lawyers is expertly crafted and witty, which helps ‘the medicine go down’ as we follow Ryan Coleman, a naïve stooge, as he navigates his way through a craven, soulless world.—Rick Parks Professor, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, co-writer, Ever After and The Secret: Dare to Dream

Review

If you always thought most lawyers were the bottom of a scummy barrel, well this book will just verify those beliefs. Ryan Coleman is trying to break into the world of class action lawsuits. It starts with a small interest in one case, but by the end, it has blown up into something much more. It also proves that some lawyers are only in it for the money, which is the direction Ryan seems to be headed.

I imagine most people have been part of some class action lawsuit. We have all gotten the cards in the mail for things like data breaches and the like. But when it comes down to it, because there are so many people involved, you are lucky to get $20. Yet, when you read the settlement and see how much the lawyers receive, it just doesn’t seem right. I learned a few facts in this book about how those expenses and such are inflated, which means even more money in the lawyer’s pockets when all is said and done. While the book made me squirm at times with the details, it was also an eye-opening read.

I can’t imagine being a part of this world, and Ryan is dazzled by the money and the opportunity to receive a lot of it. Any sort of morals he had went out the window once he began hanging out with two other class action lawyers, Robert Smalley and Eugenia (Gene) Cauley. I felt like Ryan was being sucked into a world that kept him blind to the truth, and perhaps those things he was asked to do weren’t totally on the up and up. The book also describes the excesses that these high-powered attorneys obtained from exotic cars, yachts, large homes, and even security teams to protect them. And the connections they made to get what they wanted in life or a case.

This was quite a fascinating read, and I am glad I am not a lawyer, especially one of this ilk. I think this would be an interesting read for anyone thinking about going into the law profession.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws.

About the Authors

Brian M. Felgoise, Esq., is a graduate of Temple University Law School and has been practicing class-action law for more than 25 years, including cases where billions of dollars have been recovered for class members who lost a significant amount of money.

David Tabatsky has authored, co-authored, and edited many novels, including The Boy Behind the Door, Friends Like These, The Marijuana Project, The Battle of Zig Zag Pass, and Drunk Log. His memoir, American Misfit, was published in 2017. Tabatsky was consulting editor for Marlo Thomas and her New York Times bestseller, The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2.