Just Mercy

by Bryan Stevenson

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Just Mercy Questions and Answers

In Just Mercy, Walter McMillian is a poorly educated Black man. According to the white people of Monroe County, what is the only explanation for Walter McMillian’s success?

What has Bryan Stevenson learned to accept about clients upon their first meeting in Just Mercy?

Explain the following quote from Mr. Stevenson's grandmother in Just Mercy: "Keep close. You can't understand most of the important things from a distance, Bryan. You have to get close."

Why does Stevenson include the stories of Trina, Ian, and Antonio in Just Mercy, chapter 8? Cite textual evidence in your paragraph response.

Who is Dorothea Dix and is she an important person in chapter ten of Just Mercy?

Consider the incident in Just Mercy where Stevenson's car was searched illegally by the police. Do you think the officers acted appropriately? Should Stevenson have been more assertive?

In chapter 3, the trial is moved to a different county. Why is this significant?

When did Stevenson and Eva Ansley discover an opportunity to get federal funding to create a legal center to represent people on death row in Alabama in Just Mercy?

Based on the evidence in Just Mercy, why are wrongful convictions and illegal trials involving young children very common?

What is the purpose of the introduction for Just Mercy?

In Just Mercy, how does getting close to Walter MacMillan affect Bryan Stevenson's life?

In what ways did Alabama’s economic policies disadvantage the state’s African American population?

What are some quotes from Charlie in Just Mercy?

In Just Mercy, Stevenson remarks on several physical actions he takes during the trial. What are they, and are they effective?

What famous novel was written in Monroe County, AL, and how is it relevant to Just Mercy?

In chapter one of Just Mercy, why does Bryan's first receptionist quit?

Who is Mrs. Williams in Just Mercy?

In Chapter 4 of Just Mercy, what are Bryan Stevenson's views regarding death penalty laws and the changes made by the supreme court in 1989?

In Just Mercy, why is Bryan Stevenson still nervous about Ralph Myers before the retrial of Walter McMillian?

How does Stevenson prove the justice system’s lack of mercy in chapters 7–8 of Just Mercy?

"I was developing a maturing recognition of the importance of hopefulness in creating justice." What does Brian Stevenson mean by this?

What are the issues Stevenson mentions about the place and way Walter was held in Just Mercy?

In Just Mercy, how does Walter take advantage of the trend of cotton farming moving toward timber farming and paper mills?

What is a summary of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson?

How could this paragraph about Just Mercy be rephrased? "Just Mercy is a memoir by Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer and activist whose experiences with the criminal justice system led him to launch an initiative to fight against the injustice and prejudice that undermines the system’s effectiveness. His memoir includes a number of personal stories from his work, but it focuses on the story of Walter McMillan, a young black man wrongly accused and convicted of murdering a white woman. The book chronicles McMillan’s trial and conviction, and it also recounts stories of other people of color who suffered injustice in a system fueled by institutionalized prejudice. Stevenson tells stories of injustices that involve police brutality and racial profiling, and he tells of cases that involved blatant discrimination against veterans, incarcerated children, the mentally ill, and impoverished woman, all of whom were victims of what Stevenson portrays as a sadly broken criminal justice system."