A few months ago, a friend of mine—a first-year corporate lawyer—was sharing some of the more extreme aspects of life at the firm, like the 12-hour Sundays and the fact that some first-years stop billing hours when they take a three-minute trip to the bathroom. In Unbillable Hours, Ian Graham presents his own account of life as a freshman law associate: the tedious work, the lengthy days, the discontent—all for a fat paycheck. But when he takes a pro bono case, working to free a wrongly convicted prisoner sentenced to life without parole, Graham starts to re-evaluate his priorities. Would-be lawyers, take note.

GRAHAM SPEAKS AT 6:30 P.M. AT BARNES & NOBLE DOWNTOWN, 555 12TH ST. NW. FREE. (202) 347-0176.