THOMAS A. KENNELLY takes you into the heart of the American legal system with this first-hand and often amusing recount of a professional life in the courtroom on both sides of the aisle. Some of the best-known names of the 20th century show up in his life experience, from Jimmy Hoffa to G. Gordon Liddy, Robert Kennedy to Ronald Reagan.
In the tradition of Irish story-tellers, Kennelly weaves his tales with humor and faith and offers penetrating insights into the moral complexities facing a trial lawyer.
With warm memories of his Midwestern roots and strong family ties, Kennelly traces his life as a Marine JAG officer, American abroad in France, and federal prosecutor in San Francisco. Coming to Washington with John Kennedy's New Frontier, he was part of the 'Hoffa Squad," helped initiate the Department of Justice Strike Forces against organized crime, and created the first federal Witness Protection Program. In his varied private practice, Kennelly represented Watergate figures, high-ranking Government officials, and the leader of a D.C. jail-break.
His vivid account of the FBI's search for the Weathermen Underground fugitive bombers, and its aftermath, cogently foreshadows the current tension between national security and civil liberties in the war against terrorism.
Culminating his legal career, Kennelly joined an international investigating firm and provides a fascinating account of international financial intrigue, the underside of Las Vegas, and the tragedy at Bhopal.
Never short of family adventure, from investing in a Broadway show to white water rafting the Grand Canyon, Kennelly's wife Susan and children Patrick, Tim, and Katy all play an integral part in this lively memoir.