Law in Popular Culture

Charges dropped against disbarred ‘Erin Brockovich’ lawyer Tom Girardi in Illinois

A federal judge in Chicago has granted the government’s motion to dismiss pending client-theft charges against disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi in Illinois following his wire fraud conviction in California.

May 19, 2025 9:42 AM CDT

Accused killer Karen Read stars in Max docuseries—but why?

I haven’t followed the Karen Read trial. It’s rare for me to stay too engaged in a pending publicized trial, and like you will hear many professional athletes state that they don’t watch their sport during downtime, I imagine it’s true for my profession as well.

May 15, 2025 12:13 PM CDT

Book detailing 5 fights for democracy is among 2025 Silver Gavel Award winners

A new book about assaults on democracy by past American presidents is among the recipients of this year’s Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts. The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It, written by Brown University professor Corey Brettschneider, took home the top prize in the books category.

May 14, 2025 11:00 AM CDT

DA fires prosecutor for alleged racist social media posts under ‘Southern Appalacholic’ username

An assistant prosecutor in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been fired because of his alleged social media posts and reposts that praised Nazis and disparaged Black people and immigrants.

May 6, 2025 11:41 AM CDT

SCOTUSblog will expand offerings, keep ‘unbiased coverage’ after acquisition by Dispatch Media

Dispatch Media Inc. has acquired SCOTUSblog, the website with in-depth and breaking news coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court that was founded by Tom Goldstein and Amy Howe, a husband-and-wife legal team.

Apr 24, 2025 11:52 AM CDT

Drake alleges Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance defamed him in amended suit against music company

Rapper and singer Drake has alleged that the Universal Music Group “has tripled and quadrupled down on its defamation-for-profit strategy” in part by arranging for fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar to perform his 2024 song “Not Like Us” at the 2025 Super Bowl, according to an amended lawsuit that he filed April 16.

Apr 23, 2025 12:42 PM CDT

New Netflix docuseries examines the many issues with ‘kidfluencing’

Released in 2025, Netflix’s Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing follows Piper Rockelle, who started appearing on YouTube at the age of 8 with the help of her “momager,” Tiffany Smith.

Apr 22, 2025 8:54 AM CDT

‘Loving v. Virginia’ goes from the highest court to grand opera

This month, Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony will present the world premiere of composer Damien Geter and librettist Jessica Murphy Moo’s Loving v. Virginia, an operatic retelling of the events leading to the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision that declared laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional and set the stage for decades of subsequent advances in civil rights.

Apr 18, 2025 9:52 AM CDT

Check out the best swag from ABA Techshow 2025 (photo gallery)

ABA Techshow is celebrating 40 years of showcasing the newest and hottest in legal technology with its biggest blowout ever, a record-breaking show in its first year at the McCormick Place Convention Center on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago.

Apr 3, 2025 1:10 PM CDT

Legal tech conferences are loading up on celebrity speakers

While celebrities may add a hip factor, a dash of excitement and a story to tell post-conference, some attendees aren’t so sure it’s the best use of a legal conference.

Apr 1, 2025 2:20 AM CDT

Severed body parts, conspiracy theories and Elvis Presley impersonators featured in Netflix documentary

The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga explores an assassination attempt on former President Barack Obama and how it all tied back to an alleged discovery by an Elvis Presley “tribute artist” of severed body parts in a hospital refrigerator.

Mar 24, 2025 8:57 AM CDT

ABA announces finalists for 2025 Silver Gavel Awards

The ABA has selected 24 finalists from the 122 entries it received for this year’s Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts.

Mar 13, 2025 12:15 PM CDT

Judge reduces Adnan Syed’s sentence, allowing him to stay out of prison

Adnan Syed, the subject of the Serial podcast, will be allowed to remain free after a Baltimore judge on Thursday agreed to effectively reduce his sentence to the time he had already spent in prison.

Mar 7, 2025 10:45 AM CST

DNA evidence in open cases explored in ABC reality series

Last fall, I attended a continuing legal education conference focused on sex crime defense and an outstanding speaker—who discussed the emerging field of forensic genetic genealogy—mentioned The Genetic Detective, a six-episode reality TV series that aired on ABC in 2020. The reference came from a credible source, so I figured it was worth viewing.

Feb 27, 2025 1:28 PM CST

Which law-related films have won Oscars? You may be surprised (photo gallery)

While we wait for the winners of the 97th Academy Awards to be announced this Sunday, we thought we’d highlight some winning legal movies from the past.

Feb 27, 2025 1:17 PM CST