Presumed Innocent

Each lawyer in Presumed Innocent has a distinct style in the courtroom. Choose two of the lawyers in the novel, Sandy, Jamie, Nico, or Tommy, and analyze their particular courtroom styles in contrast to each other. Consider Rusty’s assessment of the lawyer along with your own.

Rusty’s relationship with his father delves into the ongoing trauma of childhood abuse. How does Rusty’s history affect his present relationships, view of himself, and even his choice of profession?

Presumed Innocent is set in the time period in which it was published, circa 1987. How might this story be different if it was set in the present time? Consider the cultural and technological implications of this change.

Discuss courtroom performance as illustrated by Turow throughout the novel. What are the principles that he outlines as essential for a successful courtroom performance?

Rusty has been in the prosecutor’s office for 12 years and, over that time, has developed theories about the justice system’s function and his place in it. How has Rusty come to understand, and even rationalize, his role and attitude toward the legal system?

Analyze one of the female characters in the novel. What is her purpose in the narrative? What role does she play in Rusty’s life, and how does she affect his perspective on life, marriage, and women?

Several features of Presumed Innocent have since become classic conventions of the legal thriller trope. Research legal thriller conventions, and then discuss how these conventions manifest in the novel.

Rusty informs the reader early in Presumed Innocent that he is from a working-class neighborhood. What role does class play in the novel? Why is Rusty’s class important enough to establish early in the narrative?