Only a few had heard of Geir Lippestad before 23 July 2011, when he accepted the charge to defend the worst mass murderer in Norwegian history.  

People were angry and frustrated, for who was this man who had the stomach to defend this horrendous killer who had hurt the Norwegian people so deeply.  

In this book, Lippestad narrates the values that have guided him in his work as a defence lawyer. Its foundation? an unshakable confidence in human dignity, democracy and the rule of law. These must not be compromised. A community governed by law includes everyone, no exceptions, even those who want to destroy it.  

Not only was defending Anders Breivik immensely challenging, but the defence team had also to cope with an unusually high pressure from both the Norwegian and global press.  

Lippestad interacted both with journalists and other interested on basis of what he calls value-based communication. This seemed natural to him, and in this book he discusses it in depth. Lippestad was chosen as name of the year by several newspapers throughout Norway, one proof of the success of his approach.