Survivor At Law: A Lawyer’s Memoir Of Trauma, Narcissistic Abuse, And Weaponized Divorce

What happens when the legal system becomes the next abuser? In this bold and unflinching memoir, Dovie King—an Ivy League-educated attorney and former law student advisor at Harvard Law—pulls back the curtain on a disturbing reality: sometimes, the people who know the law best are the ones most harmed by it. Survivor at Law is the story of a woman who wore two titles—lawyer and survivor—and discovered just how incompatible those roles can be in a system that punishes vulnerability and protects power. A proud Latina, daughter of immigrants, and longtime advocate for immigrants, workers, and marginalized communities, King found herself trapped in a psychologically abusive relationship and a post-divorce legal battle that defied logic, ethics, and basic human decency. The courtroom was supposed to be a place of protection. Instead, it became a battleground—one where trauma was ignored, legal rules were twisted into weapons, and those tasked with delivering justice turned away. This is not a redemption narrative wrapped in tidy resolutions. It is a detailed, cutting, and at times darkly funny case study of how coercive control hides in plain sight—and how the family court system can become a stage for abuse to play out all over again, this time with official letterhead. Survivor at Law offers: A vivid portrait of complex PTSD, dissociation, and the toll of long-term legal trauma A behind-the-scenes view of the legal profession's blind spots, silences, and complicity How professional status and credentials can act as a shield, allowing abusers to manipulate the system and evade accountability while their victims are dismissed or disbelieved Insight into how abuse hides within progressive and left-leaning circles, where power dynamics and ideological loyalty often shield perpetrators And an insider's critique of how bar associations, judges, and attorneys often fail their own At its core, this memoir confronts a simple but devastating question: what happens when the person who knows the law is the one being destroyed by it? Told with precision, quiet rage, and moments of deadpan humor, Survivor at Law is not only a memoir—it's a warning, a reckoning, and a call to action. It speaks to survivors who've been gaslit by professionals, to legal insiders who recognize the rot behind the robes, and to anyone who understands that silence is rarely a neutral act. Dovie King has served as a legal aid attorney, public interest advisor, legal studies educator, and a board member of La Raza Lawyers, the ABA Immigration Justice Project, and the American Constitution Society. She is a graduate of Brown University and Northeastern University School of Law. Her work centers on the intersection of trauma, justice, and institutional reform—with a particular focus on breaking the silence within elite professional circles. Survivor at Law is the version of the story that rarely gets told—especially by someone who can read a court order without flinching and still find the humor buried under the footnotes.