Author Description

<b><b>#1 <i>NEW YORK TIMES </i>BESTSELLER • <b>NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND JAMIE FOXX • A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time.<br><br>“[Bryan Stevenson’s] dedication to fighting for justice and equality has inspired me and many others and made a lasting impact on our country.”<b>—John Legend</b><br><br><b>NAMED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY CNN</b> • A <i>KIRKUS REVIEWS </i>BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE CENTURY<br><br>A Best Book of the Year: <i>The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Seattle Times, Esquire, Time</i></b><br></b></b><br>Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.<br><br><i>Just Mercy </i>is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.<br><br><b>Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction • Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction • Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award • Finalist for the <i>Los Angeles Times</i> Book Prize • Finalist for the <i>Kirkus Reviews </i>Prize • An American Library Association Notable Book</b><br><br>“Every bit as moving as <i>To Kill a Mockingbird, </i>and in some ways more so . . . a sear