Robert Collins is a high-powered and successful Defence Attorney, who is building an expanding law firm in San Francisco. His vision for justice is summed up by the last sentence of his mission statement – “Believe in the truth”. His unique business proposition is to offer a 24/7 service to his clients and he has handpicked his associates accordingly. They have a wide range of skills, from legal research through forensic investigation to high-tech information-gathering. His reputation is growing and he is seeking to expand into the arena of professional sports. He has a passion for basketball and owns a collection of classic V8 automobiles. Author Richard L Collins follows the hectic schedule of Robert Collins through a series of court cases, packed with incidents, deception, and death threats. The situations he encounters involve a gallery of crooked politicians, egotistical sports stars, celebrities, low-life criminals, the Police Department, and city officials. Uptown Lawyer: Deuce is the second in a series of books on the same topic and provides courtroom drama aplenty.

From the outset, Richard L Collins leaves the reader in no doubt as to where his political affiliations lie. The subtitle of the book - “A growth study of Criminal Law in an advancing socialist USA” - reflects this and Collins makes a strong case for his viewpoint. While the book is written as fiction, many of the scenarios will be familiar to readers. Political interference, bureaucracy, and inefficiency in government and policing, plus dealing with the shady side of society. Unscrupulous and inept lawyers are not spared the Collins treatment. Richard Collins's writing style matches the no-nonsense, hard-hitting, and in-your-face approach of Robert Collins, the central character. The cases used to illustrate Collins's crusade for justice are credible and provide entertaining reading. I particularly liked the tough courtroom dialogue, which drives home his arguments in no uncertain manner. Uptown Lawyer highlights the litigious nature of American society, as well as personal greed and ego. This book will certainly appeal to readers who enjoy courtroom action and the ethics involved.

Uptown Lawyer: Deuce by Richard Collins is a continuation of the story of an up-market criminal defense attorney based out of San Francisco. Richard Collins founded his criminal defense law firm some ten-odd years ago with a mission statement that will surprise many. For Collins, truth is everything. He and his people are dedicated to providing the best possible defense available and will do everything in their powers to mitigate any possible sentence but paramount is the truth. If he discovers a client has lied to him about anything, he will drop the client on the spot, no matter who they are, even if it occurs in the middle of a high-profile trial. Along with his uncompromising attitude to the truth, Collins carefully handpicks all of his staff and they must undergo rigorous testing and background checks as well as satisfying him that they agree completely with his mission statement and vision for his firm. Along with the mission statement, he has a clear vision of how he would like to grow his lucrative practice and is constantly on the lookout for new products that could enhance their services to their customers as well as help the firm expand. He has a 24/7 program that allows high-profile clients to contact him at any time of the day or night and receive immediate assistance. He is currently looking at expanding his client base in this area to include professional sports teams and other organizations that might benefit from such a dedicated service. Most of all though, Collins is committed to his principles of truth, fairness, and justice.

Uptown Lawyer: Deuce by Richard Collins is certainly a different kind of crime/fiction book. Despite it being nominally fictional, it is clear from the stories within that it is a thinly disguised recounting of the author’s actual clients and high-profile cases as a criminal defense attorney himself. The author pulls no punches in criticizing those in power, be it national government, local government, or the judicial system, who he lumps together and castigates as “liberal socialists” although to be fair, his descriptions tend to be a little saltier than that. The stories themselves are a collection of high-profile criminal defense and civil liability actions that cover a wide range of activities, from DUI charges for an inveterate, yet highly successful alcoholic, to 24/7 representation for an extremely high-profile reality TV family, who despite the slight name change are instantly recognizable, right through to prosecuting civil actions against local police departments and city councils.

Whilst the stories are inherently interesting and make for fascinating reading, it is always against a background of bitter partisanship, which does give the reader an inkling of the intense split occurring in American society today. Initially, I did view the read, especially the arch-conservative stance and seeming arrogance of the lead character, as satirical but the more I read, the more I realized these were indeed strongly-held views and beliefs. If you like a no-nonsense, shoot from the hip style of writing with opinions that may well challenge your own, then you’ll absolutely enjoy this read. Approach this book with an open mind and you can enjoy the collection of fascinating tales of the “rich and the famous”. I can recommend this read for anyone, especially those who are genuinely interested in the “other side’s” opinions.

Uptown Lawyer: Deuce by Richard Collins is the second book in his series about a criminal defense attorney. This time, the attorney is expanding his practice, taking on more staff and a whole load of new clients. The fun, fashion family, the Cardissians are in need of his services, as are corrupt government fall guys and professional sports teams. As always, Collins follows his Mission Statement and also refuses to take on any clients he feels are lying to him, regardless of how much he would get paid for defending them. Follow Collins on a legal and personal journey through the courts as he defends his famous and not-so-famous clients in his pursuit of justice.

Uptown Lawyer: Deuce by Richard Collins is the second book in the Uptown Lawyer series and I have to say it is a great improvement on the first one. This doesn’t have a plot as such as it follows the fortunes of a defense lawyer in some of his cases but it reads well and has a whole slew of diverse, interesting characters. The legal stories are intertwined with personal life and each chapter leads neatly onto the next. The dialog, especially the courtroom dialog, is nicely written, easy to follow and understand, and provides a good insight into the workings of a criminal court and a defense lawyer’s office and life. All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and if you enjoy legal stories that are steady but to the point, you will enjoy reading it.

Criminal defense attorney Robert B. Collins is back to bring more of his high-profile cases in Uptown Lawyer, Deuce: A Growth Study of Criminal Law in an Advancing Socialist U.S.A. In this sequel, you will encounter the same characters, as well as interesting new ones as the law office continues to grow, while the mission statement remains the same. New stories of high-profile cases include the Cardison family involving a lawsuit claiming assault and battery against paparazzi, the Sears Point drag racing operations requesting for the defense of a wrongful death lawsuit, a twenty-four-seven service to Facebook in light of its CEO’s appearance before the Senate to answer privacy issues, and then there is also what the author considers as the trial of his life.

A commitment to truth is a worthy goal, one that I admire Robert B. Collins for using as a guiding principle to become the best at what he does. Does it misapprehend how standards in the practice are applied? While many running jokes refer to lawyers as having a special place in hell for being liars, these stories attest to Collins’ devotion to the truth, and it’s up to you to decide if you and Collins see eye to eye in reference to what is truth. The only thing that gets me is the way Collins changes the names of real-life persons—perhaps to protect their identity and to create a more fiction-like atmosphere? It does work, but not for famous personalities such as Facebook’s founder who is named here as Mark Ruckerburn. It’s just too obvious. Still, Uptown Lawyer, Deuce makes for an absorbing book about a lawyer whose honesty is a governing virtue in all forms of his representation.