BOOKS NOVEMBER 2022
Fighting for Justice
Written by Sohail “Ali” Hasanali
COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOPF
Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial (Knopf, June
2022),
by Corban Addison, is a surprisingly engaging behind-the-scenes look
into the legal process that led to the largest jury verdict in North
Carolina. The true story begins with the rise of big agriculture, the
myth of the family farmer, and how a billion-dollar industry became bad
neighbors and proceeds to follow the battles of a legal team and the
suffering families and communities whose last hope was the court.
Addison is masterful is his narration. The book starts like a trial
opening, with the author setting the scene in rural North Carolina and
introducing us to the people—the neighbors—at the heart of conflict.
Quickly, we learn about the great power imbalance, the historical racial
bias, and the utter, terrible nuisance that living next to a hog farm
actually is. For a lawsuit about smell, it is impressive how well the
sheer scale of the harm is described in the pages. The reader is with
the underdog from the very beginning.
The last third of the book, which focuses on the trials and the appeal,
is absolutely riveting—even more impressive considering how in-depth
Addison delves into the facts, arguments, legal strategies, and
witnesses that the litigation encompasses. In less capable hands, the
story could easily have dragged, but instead, the tale crescendos as the
reader is enthralled by how exactly the plaintiff lawyers will
prevail.
Moreover, it is easy to imagine the unspoken parallels between the rural
North Carolinian legal landscape and other states, including the effect
of multinational corporations, massive government lobbying efforts of
industries, the legal framework that favors business over individuals,
and the suffering of families that may only find justice through the
courts.
This book refreshingly articulates what it takes to be a great trial
attorney. Following Mona Lisa Wallace (North Carolina), Mike Kaeske
(Texas), and their team is a case study in preparation, teamwork,
strategy, and perseverance. Addison adeptly highlights what makes each
attorney great in a way that only the eye of a fellow practitioner could
articulate. This account does the attorneys and the profession justice
by highlighting the actual time, expense, and detail great lawyers spend
in achieving their desired outcome.
Wastelands is an absolute delight and a reminder for why so
many of us became lawyers. That we can do good and bring about
meaningful change—that we can be the slingshot that enables David to
finally slay Goliath.TBJ
SOHAIL “ALI” HASANALI
is a felony prosecutor in Fort Bend County. He is a member of the Texas
Bar Journal Board of Editors, a graduate of the State Bar of Texas 2020
LeadershipSBOT class, and previously had a general private legal
practice with an emphasis in criminal defense.
