Law in Popular Culture

Former adult film actress passes February bar exam in Texas

A former adult film actress has passed the February bar exam in Texas after graduating from the St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio.

Apr 17, 2026 11:16 AM CDT

Magicians Penn & Teller file Supreme Court brief questioning use of ‘investigative hypnosis’

Two of the world’s most famous magicians have filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that using "investigative hypnosis" to help a witness identify a man convicted of murder is nothing but an illusion.

Apr 17, 2026 9:59 AM CDT

Legal tech company Legora announces global ad campaign featuring actor Jude Law

Perhaps it's appropriate that Jude Law, an actor who once starred in a film in 2001 called A.I. Artificial Intelligence, as well as Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, a movie from 2004 that utilized extensive computer-generated imagery and manipulated audio and video footage to "resurrect" the long-deceased Laurence Olivier, is signing up to be the face of a legal artificial intelligence platform.

Apr 15, 2026 11:20 AM CDT

Kennedy Center general counsel denies allegations he tried to book his band at site

Elliot Berke is the general counsel for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, but he also gigs with the DePlorables, a cover band whose repertoire includes songs from Motörhead, Thin Lizzy and the Clash.

Apr 14, 2026 1:55 PM CDT

Shakespeare and the 7 stages of my retirement

On my first day of practice, I bought a leather armchair that I fully intended to use forever. Retirement was something that happened to senior partners, disgruntled lawyers or cranky old judges. Years later, I realized Shakespeare had already mapped it out.

Apr 8, 2026 3:01 PM CDT

Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni face legal setback

Actress Blake Lively cannot move forward with the sexual harassment claims part of her lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

Apr 3, 2026 11:38 AM CDT

Taylor Swift in legal showdown over ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ album title use

A Las Vegas showgirl is suing Taylor Swift over the pop singer’s use of a phrase for her newest album title, which is similar to a trademarked term, according to a claim in California federal court.

Mar 31, 2026 2:46 PM CDT

Law students can get a clue to close reading in fantasy card game-inspired class

Playing the fantasy card game Magic: The Gathering has many parallels to practicing law, says Mihailis Diamantis, a constitutional professor at the University of Iowa College of Law and a lifelong enthusiast of the game.

Mar 31, 2026 12:25 PM CDT

Supreme Court won’t reconsider ‘Tiger King’ murder-for-hire conviction

The Supreme Court has pulled the plug on a season finale of Tiger King—at least when it comes to his bid to appeal his 21-year sentence for plotting to kill a rival.

Mar 30, 2026 12:18 PM CDT

Billboards and the Billable Hour: A lawyer’s take on a Netflix series about Las Vegas litigation

Every so often, a legal show comes along that makes me ask one important question: WTF am I watching? That’s roughly the experience of viewing Strip Law, the latest legal comedy on Netflix.

Mar 30, 2026 8:41 AM CDT

Check out the best swag from ABA Techshow 2026 (photo gallery)

ABA Techshow returned this year to the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago, showcasing the newest and hottest in legal technology for another record crowd at the McCormick Place Convention Center. The event featured a packed exhibit hall with vendors from across the legal tech sector. That allowed attendees to once again go home with some cool swag, which we’re highlighting here with this photo gallery.

Mar 26, 2026 2:15 PM CDT

Jury rules for Afroman in case over ‘Lemon Pound Cake’ video that used home raid surveillance footage

A jury found Wednesday that Grammy-nominated rapper Joseph Foreman, better known as Afroman, should not be held liable for a song that he wrote and a video that he made after several local sheriff's deputies raided his home in Adams County, Ohio.

Mar 19, 2026 1:49 PM CDT

Plessy, Brown and the first Jackie Robinson

This year’s Major League Baseball opener is an upcoming Wednesday night game between the New York Yankees and the Giants in San Francisco. That game marks 150 years since the first official opening day, when the Boston Red Stockings defeated the Philadelphia Athletics on April 22, 1876. A great deal of major league history followed, both on and off the field.

Mar 19, 2026 10:01 AM CDT

How can creators protect themselves in the AI era?

Identity protection has become a huge issue for creators, many of whom may be losing control of their names, images and likenesses in business disputes, brand deals and even divorce, according to a Texas attorney who spoke Sunday at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

Mar 17, 2026 9:09 AM CDT

Barbecue term catches fire on social media; who will get smoked on trademark rights?

If you like barbecue and use social media, you may have heard of Walter Johnson, a senior citizen social media influencer who goes by “Mr. Tendernism.” It references a term that he uses to describe smoked meat so tender that it falls right off the bone. In November, a North Carolina civil litigator who didn’t know Johnson filed two trademark applications for “Tendernism” for restaurant services and clothing.

Mar 12, 2026 8:55 AM CDT