Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

“It was a bright class in a strong public school. Justin was by far the best athlete, though he couldn’t swim as fast as Brian. Ricardo beat them all at golf and tennis. Edward played the cello, Woody the electric guitar, Darren the drums, Jarvis the trumpet. Joey had the highest IQ and made perfect grades. Chase was the mad scientist who was always a threat to blow up the lab. Aaron spoke Spanish, from his mother’s side, German from his father’s, and English, of course. Brandon had an early morning paper route, traded stocks online, and planned to be the first millionaire in the group.”

Theo’s education and his classmates are an important part of understanding how Theo is a “kid lawyer.” Education is also a motif in the novel, returning periodically as an idea because Theo views of most of his classes as a waste of time when he could instead be watching the Duffy trial. However, his school also provides many of his “clients,” and his legal skills provide his piece to the puzzle of the class.

“Theo was certain that he was the only eighth grader in Strattenburg with his own law office. It was a small boxlike closet that someone had added to the main house decades earlier, and before Theo took it over the firm had used it to store old law books that were out of date. His desk was a card table that was not quite as neat as his mother’s but much more organized than his father’s. His chair was a ragged swivel unit he’d saved from the junk pile when his parents had refurbished the library up front near Elsa’s station.”

Theo’s characterization of an independent, kid lawyer is illustrated in his working “office” in his parents’ own law firm. This passage confirms his autonomy as he navigates between school, home, the law firm, and the court house. His office is the springboard for many of the novel’s rising actions as his peers often drop in for their own legal advice while his parents practice law at the same time. Though Theo enters the realm of adulthood through law, his card table desk and junky chair represent his ties to childhood, as he still experiences growing pains, bemoaning school and wishing to practice law full-time.

“To his knowledge, he was the only Twins fan in town. Minnesota was a thousand miles away and Theo had never been there. He pulled for the team because no one else in Strattenburg did so. He felt it only fair that they have at least one fan in town. He’d chosen the Twins years earlier, and now clung to them with a fierce loyalty that was tested throughout the long season.”

Theo’s decision to be a Twins fan because no one else in the town is a fan is one example of his sense of fairness, a notion that is complicated for Theo in the novel. He believes that the law is divided into a dichotomy of fair and unfair. However, he sees how it can be dangerous for Julio’s cousin Bobby to come forward because the law may view him only as an undocumented immigrant even if he is trying to do what is right by testifying against Pete Duffy.

“Another satisfied client.”

Theo is the “kid lawyer” of the novel’s title, and he takes himself very seriously, having an office in Boone & Boone and working to help his “clients” (other kids). This sense of satisfaction is a theme in the novel because Theo enjoys the feeling that comes with helping others, often explaining legal proceedings to his classmates, and hoping to give them some advice to pass along to their parents. This satisfaction is illustrated in the instance of Sandy Coe and the threat of foreclosure on his parents’ home.

“Theo had been unable to eat breakfast, and he’d slept little. He’d read many stories of athletes who were so nervous they couldn’t eat or sleep before a big game. They were overcome with butterflies, queasy stomachs brought on by fear and pressure. Theo could certainly feel the pressure right now. The air in the courtroom was heavy and tense. Though he was only a spectator, he had the butterflies. This was the big game.”

Like John Grisham, whose background suggests the importance of trials to his writing, Theo is ecstatic to be witnessing his town’s first murder trial in many years. He has presented research on all the major figures, and, prior to sitting in on the trial, he discussed it with all his friends at the courthouse. He becomes increasingly intertwined with this trial and less of a spectator, growing more and more nervous about the goings-on because of his involvement with Julio’s cousin.

“‘He planned it very well,’ Mr. Hogan said, over and over.”

Jack Hogan’s opening statement during the Duffy trial is foreshadowing in that he provides a convincing case as to how and why Pete Duffy would kill his wife. Theo’s class is instantly convinced. However, the sureness of their decision is thrown off once Nance gives his statement, convincing them that there is no evidence. In showing these opening statements, Grisham also lays the foundation for why Bobby’s testimony is so important in proving that Duffy did indeed plot the murder “very well.”

“Mr. Mount sat in the second row in the balcony, behind his students. He chose his spot carefully so he could see all sixteen, if necessary. So far, they had been riveted by the opening statements. Not surprisingly, Theo was more engaged than the others. He was exactly where he wanted to be.”

Theo’s interest in the law gets him into trouble, despite his parents’ best intentions in trying to keep him away from the trial and at school. However, his desire to be a lawyer is what brings Julio to his door and what leads him to become more involved in the Duffy trial and its proceedings. This engagement ultimately leads to Theo learn more about the law and what “justice” really means in having to weigh whether he should say anything about Julio’s cousin’s testimony or not, despite being sworn to secrecy.

“Guilty, Theo said again, to himself. Why couldn’t he follow the law, give Mr. Duffy the benefit of innocence? Why couldn’t he do what good lawyers were supposed to do? This frustrated him as he followed along behind Mr. Duffy and his lawyers.”

The motif of innocence appears early in the novel. Theo is determined to believe that Pete Duffy may be innocence despite his instincts that he is guilty because of what the law tells him is fair. This sense of fairness and justice pervades the novel, as Theo must wrestle with what it means to be innocent. He encounters Bobby, an undocumented immigrant who technically broke the law in entering the United States, but he is torn in how to protect him from deportation while also trying to do what he believes in right in getting him to testify against Duffy.

“There was something missing in the case, and based on what had already been said in court, Theo suspected that the mystery might never be solved.”

The sense that something is missing from the story is an example of foreshadowing that Grisham uses to build suspense around the Duffy trial. Theo and several others believe that Duffy is guilty, but they also aren’t sure that the prosecutor will be able to prove it. Theo wonders early if there is something missing, and he doesn’t yet know that he will come into direct contact with this missing information: Bobby’s damning testimony and the gloves that Duffy was wearing when he killed his wife. Thanks to Bobby, Julio, and Theo, the mystery is ultimately solved.

“Theo’s credibility would be ruined. A family would be seriously harmed.

But, a guilty man would be convicted. Otherwise, Pete Duffy would probably walk out of court a free man. He would get away with murder.”

Theo takes his role as a “kid lawyer” seriously, and Julio swore him to secrecy in coming to him with his cousin’s experience on the golf course on the day of the murder. Here, he sums up the conflict succinctly: it appears to be a no-win situation, with neither option presenting a just ending for either Bobby, who Theo believes does not deserve to be deported, or Pete Duffy, who Theo now knows to be the murderer. This conflict drives Theo as he ultimately decides to rely on his family to help him decide what to do.

“I’ll go over to the courtroom and have a look. I’ll do some more research, maybe talk to a friend or two. I won’t use your name. Believe me, Theo, I’ll always protect you.”

Early in the novel, it is revealed that Uncle Ike and Woods are estranged and that this likely has something to do with Ike’s disbarment. However, while Theo dreads going to see his uncle on Mondays at the beginning of the novel, he comes to appreciate Ike and rely on him precisely because he is not an officer of the court. It is also clear that despite anything that may have happened between Ike and Woods, that Ike cares deeply for Theo in that he is so willing to help Theo and give him advice.

“Leave it alone, Theo. Don’t stick your nose into this mess. It’s no place for a kid. It’s no place for an adult. The jury is about to make the wrong decision, but based on the evidence, you can’t blame them. The system doesn’t always work, you know. Look at all the innocent people who’ve been sent to death row. Look at the guilty people who get off. Mistakes happen, Theo. Leave it alone.”

Having been distanced from the legal profession, Ike is not as naïve about the true nature of the system. Rather, he sees it from the outside and wishes that Theo would pursue another profession. He is the first to say that the system doesn’t always work, trying to show Theo that the legal system and what “justice” looks like is much more complicated than a simple guilty or not guilty verdict.

“Theo’s heart was racing again. He threw the covers back and sat on the edge of his bed. Mrs. Duffy was only a few years younger than his mother. How would he feel if his mom were attached in some savage manner?”

Theo’s connection to his family is key to this novel. He relies on his uncle Ike from almost the moment that Julio’s cousin confides in him, and ultimately, he allows his uncle to bring his family in on what is happening. When Theo relates what happened to Mrs. Duffy to what it would be like if the same were to happen to his mother, his love for his family comes through. It also spurs him to stand up and make decisions so that justice can be served.

“If the jury found Mr. Duffy not guilty, he would literally get away with murder. And, he could never again be brought to trial for the same crime. Theo knew all about double jeopardy—the State can’t try you a second time if the jury finds you not guilty the first time. Since there were no more suspects, the murder would remain unsolved.”

This quote provides an example of how Theo explains legal proceedings to readers who may not be as familiar with them. It also demonstrates the authorial context and the ways in which Grisham addresses the challenge of writing for a young audience in his novel. Theo, in both his narration when he’s alone and in his conversations with other students, is explaining to those the same age as those in the audience targeted for this book.

“But couldn’t he, the cousin, make a deal with the police and prosecutors? Wouldn’t they cut him some slack because they needed him? Theo didn’t know. Maybe, maybe not, but it was too risky.”

Theo may have more legal experience than the average teenager, but he still finds himself at a loss on what to do about Julio’s cousin for much of the novel. His sense of justice is made complicated by the no-win situation he is in, and he ultimately must rely on his family to help him conclude that they should speak to Judge Gantry. At this point in the novel, he believes that this is too risky of a move and is afraid of betraying Julio and Bobby’s trust, but he later not only concludes that it’s a risk he needs to take but also comes to understand how justice is complicated.

“Well, Dad woke me up at ten, and you woke me up at eleven. But Theo couldn’t blame his parents. He was losing sleep for other reasons. ‘A big test today,’ he said, and it was sort of true. Miss Garman had threatened them with a quiz in Geometry.”

Even when telling a fib to his parents, Theo tries to finagle it much like a lawyer would in skirting around the exact truth. He feels guilty for lying to his parents and knows that, even though they consistently woke him by coming into his room so late, he would have been tired anyway. This closeness drives a wedge between Theo and his parents at this point, one that is resolved when Theo realizes that he can rely on all members of his family when he finally joins Ike in telling them exactly what has been going on with Julio’s cousin and his activities on the day of Mrs. Duffy’s murder.

“Theo took his seat, opened his backpack, and realized he had not done his homework. At that moment, he really didn’t care. At that moment, he was thankful he lived in a quiet and cozy home with great parents who seldom raised their voices. Poor Woody.”

Theo knows that his parents love him, and Woody and Theo’s friend April are just two examples of those who have complicated family situations. For Theo, this is especially highlighted in the way that he comes to rely on his parents and uncle in deciding how to best address Bobby’s situation. In this moment, he knows that this is worth more than day-to-day priorities of things like homework.

“Theo was hoping the adults would know what to do. He squirmed a little, then said, ‘It seems to be that the best thing to do is to tell Judge Gantry the whole story.’”

When he and Ike finally loop his parents in, Theo hopes that they will then remove the problem from his plate, knowing that it has caused him so much stress. However, they use this moment as a teachable one, hoping to reinforce for Theo the reality of what it means to practice law and how justice is not as black and white as he might think. By pushing him to think this way, Theo concludes that they must speak with Judge Gantry, despite his promise to Julio to keep Bobby’s testimony a secret.

“It occurred to Theo, as he walked behind his parents and Ike, that this was perhaps the first time he’d entered the courthouse with some reluctance. He was always excited to be there, to see the clerks and lawyers hustle about with their important matters, to take in the large open marble foyer with an old chandelier hanging from above and massive portraits of dead judges on the walls. He’d always loved the courthouse, but such feelings of fondness were absent now. Theo was afraid of what was about to happen, though he had no idea what it might be.”

Theo’s reluctance in entering the courthouse comes as he learns more about what it means to be an officer of the court rather than solely watching trial attorneys give convincing opening and closing statements. Instead, he is caught in the middle of the case and must make a tough decision about what he should do regarding what he has been told by Julio’s cousin Bobby. This is a stark difference from his excitement at being in the courthouse watching the trial that we see at the beginning of the book, showing that Theo is much more deeply mired in the case.

“With that, he slowly got to his feet and walked to the window behind his massive desk at the other end of the room. He stood there for a moment, looking out, though there wasn’t much of a view. He seemed to forget that just down the hall there was a courtroom full of people and they were all anxiously waiting on him.”

Judge Gantry appears at the beginning of the novel, and he continues to be a forceful presence. Grisham takes time to explain how intimidating the judge can be, but his character is later shown to be much more complex in trying how to preside over the case, especially once he receives the news from Theo and his family that there is a mysterious witness who could hold a key to Peter Duffy’s guilt. At this moment in the plot, he is torn knowing that the case, as it has been presented so far, will likely lead to a not guilty verdict but with the information he has just been given, it could change the tide of the trial.

“These words echoed around the room and fell heavily onto the table. All Theo could think about was Mr. Duffy sitting with all his lawyers, smug and confident that he was about to get away with murder.”

This moment comes right after Judge Gantry says “I can’t stop the trial” after Theo explains everything that is happening with Julio’s cousin (199). Theo’s understanding of justice becomes more and more complicated as he learns more about it what it means to practice law and to be involved in the legal system. He knows how the system works and knows that a mistrial would need to be declared for Bobby to testify because the witness list has already been set. Theo hates knowing that Duffy might get declared “not guilty,” even though he is guilty, just because of this legal technicality.

“From time to time Marcella and Woods Boone peeked in. They were amused to hear Theo plow ahead with his Spanish, always a beat or two behind Julio and Bobby, but determined to catch up.”

Theo is persistent, and this moment harkens back to his note that Government and Spanish are his only two useful classes. He relies on Julio to translate for Bobby, but he still tries to understand what’s going on and to use his own Spanish-speaking skills. It speaks to Theo’s desire to face challenges head-on, which is a skill that he focuses on in this novel as he decides what to do about Bobby’s testimony.

“Woods, Marcella, and Ike sat back and watched with enormous pride, but all three were ready to catch any mistake.”

Having grown up with his parents in the legal profession, it is no surprise that Theo is so interested in the law. He has worked hard to hone his skills and to learn from the trials that he watches, and all of this comes in handy when he must show Judge Gantry how important of a witness Bobby is. Theo does this because he relied on his family to guide him on what to do about Bobby, and they are likewise proud of him and his maturity in handling this case.