Official Website of Dovie King, JD

dovie king,jd

Circus of Injustice

A Lawyer's Memoir of Trauma, Trials, and Trapeze Acts

This book delivers:

Legal insight only an insider could provide

Gut-wrenching (and often jaw-droppingly absurd) courtroom moments drawn from first-hand experience

INSIGHT INTO Coercive Control AND how IT destroys ONE'S autonomy without leaving physical evidence

A raw account of trauma, PTSD, psych wards, and the long road to healing

Enough dark humor, grit, and sarcasm to keep readers laughing—because otherwise, they’d scream

WARNING

Reading This Book May Cause Sudden Bursts of Truth.

She’s a survivor of domestic violence with a JD.

She's a lawyer with PTSD.

She's a seasoned social justice warrior who’s worked in the trenches of the Legal Aid Society as well as the halls of Harvard Law School.

And now she's pulling back the curtain on a legal system that often feels more like a circus than a court of law.

Circus of Injustice isn’t just another memoir about surviving a high conflict divorce. It’s a bold, unflinching exposé about legal chaos written by someone who knows exactly how the system works—and exactly how it fails. Dovie King spent her career fighting for workers’ rights, immigrant justice, and survivors of abuse. But when she found herself in a toxic marriage to a fellow attorney, the very system she once believed in was transformed into a freak show complete with clowns, flying monkeys, and trapeze artists.

This isn’t a story told from the outside. It’s an indictment of a broken system from the inside. Drawing on her dual perspective as both a lawyer and survivor, Circus of Injustice is a rallying cry for change, a guide for those trapped in the system, and a must-read for anyone who thinks they already understand how justice works. Spoiler alert: they don’t.

Whether you're a survivor, a lawyer, a judge, a legislator, a psychologist, a social worker, a student, an academic, or just someone trying to make sense of a broken family court system, buckle up. The circus tent is up, the spotlight is on, and the show has already started.

AUTHOR

Dovie King,jd

Dovie King is a mother, recovering lawyer, professional survivor of domestic violence, and (reluctantly) an expert in the absurdity of the family court system. A proud Latina and daughter of immigrants from Mexico and Costa Rica, she grew up in San Diego and holds dual degrees in Political Science and Latin American Studies from Brown University, and a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. Over the years, she's worked at the intersection of legal advocacy and higher education, publishing accessible articles on legal issues and mentoring future lawyers at Harvard Law School and Tufts University, among other institutions. Her lived experience combined with her legal expertise gives her a rare, inside view of how the justice system too often betrays the people it claims to protect. Circus of Injustice is her debut book, a bold blend of personal narrative and sharp critique, exposing systemic failures with honesty, heart, and a demand for change.

Dovie King

what people are saying

This is not just a book. It is a psychological reckoning—and a call for collective moral courage. With its piercing insight, legal acumen, and blistering authenticity, Circus of Injustice is guaranteed to be one of the most important reads of the year. Unflinching, unforgettable, and infused with razor-sharp wit, it will undoubtedly be snapped up by readers, advocates, and institutions alike. Because once you open this book, you’ll never look at “justice” the same way again.

dr. ricky greenwald

executive director

trauma institute and child trauma institute

northampton, ma