

An expert assures Mark that his case is sound, and he refers it to another lawyer, Jeffrey Corbett, who informs Mark that he's been deceived: the statute of limitations on the case ran out while he was preparing it, meaning he and UPL could now be sued for legal malpractice by their client. Seeking a quick payday, Mark agrees to file a lawsuit on behalf of Ramon Taper, a man whose infant son died due to negligence at the hospital where he was born. The firm is initially a success, with Mark and Todd winning several victories and collecting payouts while Zola attempts to expand their practice into personal injury, an area that none of them have any real expertise in. Uncertain, but aware that she also has nothing better to look forward to, Zola agrees to join them.

courts for clients, arguing to Zola that they can get rich while avoiding FBLS and their creditors, so long as no one discovers that they are engaged in a criminal enterprise. Inspired by Crowley, Mark and Todd decide to pose as lawyers under assumed identities and work the D.C.

Mark persuades him to lease the two some office space, and they, together with Zola, set up an unlicensed firm called Upshaw, Parker, and Lane (UPL). The two get jobs at The Rooster Bar, a pub owned by Todd's boss Maynard. firm is withdrawn, and both he and Todd drop out. Before he can, however, Gordon escapes again and commits suicide by jumping off a bridge.ĭistraught, and blamed for Gordon's death by his family and friends, Mark and Todd realize that they have no future at FBLS Mark's promised job at a D.C. The trio bail him out with the help of Darrell Crowley, a professional street lawyer, and Mark tries to find Gordon's doctor. Later that night, Gordon gets drunk and flees the apartment, getting arrested for DUI. Although this practice isn't illegal, Gordon is convinced that there's enough for a class-action lawsuit that would, at the very least, expose Rackley's fraud. They discover that Gordon, in his mania, has been collecting evidence that Hinds Rackley, the investor who owns FBLS, runs a network of schools, law firms and banks which ensures that FBLS' students are stuck in a cycle of debt while Rackley makes millions in the process. Zola contacts Mark and Todd when her boyfriend, Gordon Tanner, stops taking medication for his worsening bipolar disorder. establishment with a reputation as a diploma mill. Three third-year law students – Mark Frazier, Todd Lucero, and Zola Maal – all attend Foggy Bottom Law School (FBLS), a third-tier D.C. Grisham was inspired to create the story after reading an article titled "The Law-School Scam" that appeared in The Atlantic magazine in 2014.

The Rooster Bar is the 25th legal thriller novel by John Grisham.
