Counsel, the Courtroom is Open: Lessons from More Than a Half-Century in Law and Life

A leading New York lawyer reveals his journey to professional success.

Mark C. Zauderer gave up a budding career as a rock and roll disc jockey and became a high-profile lawyer. Fifty years later, he has represented clients in some of the most contentious litigations in US history and has become a recognized media guest, appearing on MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, NBC, PBS, and Fox Business and providing legal commentary in major print media.

In Counsel, the Courtroom Is Open, Mark takes the reader behind the scenes of high-profile lawsuits and reveals the strategies that won him tough cases at trials and on appeals. He shares the wit, wisdom, and wonder of his unexpected path into the legal profession and the creativity that fueled his ascent. To aspiring entrepreneurs, whether they’re lawyers or inventors or just kids with a dream, Mark says: With a little confidence, you can do this, too.

Long before he became a go-to source for media commentary on high profile trials, ranging from Donald Trump to Sean Combs—including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Reuters, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and The Los Angeles Times – Zauderer started out working through the Vietnam War era, three high profile assassinations, the Kent State shootings, and the Cambodia invasion. Beginning his legal career as a law clerk to a federal judge and then as a junior attorney at a major law firm, he later joined several other lawyers willing to take a chance and founded a highly successful, entrepreneurial law firm. Over fifty years, the author has represented well-known individuals and businesses in some of the most significant litigations in the United States. Over the span of a decade, he was also the subject of nine half-hour interviews on PBS television. His path to success is a guide for all professionals with aspirations of “doing it on your own.”