Law in Popular Culture

Lights, Camera, New Business: Video Shows Human Side of Practice

Attorney Mitch Jackson has been creating short, informational videos about personal injury and wrongful death suits for several years as part of an online campaign to boost his profile and put potential clients at ease. “It’s the best relationship tool we’ve incorporated into our practice,” says Jackson, who partners with…

Dec 1, 2011 8:50 AM CST

2011 Holiday Gifts for Lawyers: Harvey Birdman, Red-Tape Cuff Links, Bobbleheads and Tech Toys

Some law-related gifts might be poorly thought out: A crystal gavel is just asking to be shattered. For people who want to get a jump on their Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping, here is a small selection of gifts for the lawyers in your life. As one of America’s…

Nov 22, 2011 6:11 PM CST

A Book for Those Who Wonder About the Origins of Legal Words Like ‘White-Shoe’ and ‘Boilerplate’

If you have ever wondered about the origins of legal-related terms and phrases, a new book may have an answer. Lawtalk: The Unknown Stories Behind Familiar Legal Expressions is available at Amazon.com. Legal Blog Watch checked out the book after seeing a post at The Faculty Lounge. Lawtalk answers these…

Nov 14, 2011 11:29 AM CST

Around the Blawgosphere: New Bitter Lawyer Web Series About Document Reviewers

The Gunners, the Dreamers and Me Those who mourned the end of Living the Dream—a 12-episode Web series created by lawyer-turned-TV writer Rick Eid that focused on newbie associate Nick Conley that appeared in Bitter Lawyer’s first incarnation—have something to look forward to: Bitter Lawyer’s premiere of The Bottom Rung,…

Nov 11, 2011 2:30 PM CST

What Judge Would You Like to Watch on TV, And Why?

This week, we noted that the husband of Judith Sheindlin, better known as TV’s Judge Judy, has landed a role on a pilot for a scripted series. Gerald Sheindlin is a retired Bronx judge who also appeared on television as a judge on The People’s Court from 1999 to 2001.…

Nov 2, 2011 4:00 PM CDT

Can Citizens Use Cellphones to Record Cops? Joining 1st Circuit, Oregon Appeals Court Says Yes

Arrests of individuals who record police as they are being questioned have been much in the news lately. Among the latest to be criminally charged is a Florida man is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of $4,500 bail for allegedly recording officers on his iPhone…

Nov 2, 2011 1:24 AM CDT

Judge Judy’s Husband Steps Up to the Bench in TV Pilot

Judge Judy’s husband, retired Bronx judge Gerald Sheindlin, is shooting a pilot episode for a proposed TV show called Erroneous Convictions. The New York Daily News describes the show as a “dramedy” that includes the humor of the courtroom and the twists and turns of trials. Sheindlin, 77, plays a…

Nov 1, 2011 2:15 PM CDT

Zoinks! There’s a Lawyer Wearing Spandex!

Most comic superheroes are both loved and despised for operating outside of the law. Yet over the last 80 years there has been a seemingly endless array of spandex-clad characters who are—or used to be—lawyers. We’ve asked pop culture writer and comic book aficionado Jesse Thompson for his picks of…

Nov 1, 2011 9:30 AM CDT

No Debating It: Northwestern Debate Team Featured in Documentary

Many of this country’s most prominent litigators, and especially the appellate specialists, appear to share a common experience of their youth. No, we’re not talking about working at a fast-food restaurant or sneaking into buildings late at night. They participated in debate competitions, of course. In September, Arnold & Porter—along…

Nov 1, 2011 8:47 AM CDT

Indiana Lawyer Who Started His Legal Career as a 17-Year-Old Judge Gets the World Record

Indiana lawyer Marc Griffin has claimed the title once held by a Texas man: Guinness World Records has declared that Griffin holds the record for being the world’s youngest judge. Griffin was an enterprising 17-year-old high school graduate in 1974 when he persuaded county commissioners to appoint him to fill…

Oct 31, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

If You Could Create a Lawyer Superhero, What Would Be His / Her Name? Powers?

For our November issue, we asked pop culture writer and comic book aficionado Jesse Thompson for his picks of the top 10 lawyers in comics. Picks include She-Hulk, Batman’s Two-Face and some lesser-known illustrated lawyers. So this week, we’d like to ask you: If you could create a lawyer superhero,…

Oct 26, 2011 8:18 PM CDT

‘Divorce Hotel’ to Offer 5-Star Weekend Law-and-Mediation Stay to Help Couples Prepare for Split

A Dutch entrepreneur with a cutting-edge divorce mediation concept says he is ready to launch it in the United States. Divorce Hotel—which is currently only available in the Netherlands but will begin offering its services at U.S. resorts this spring—offers couples a chance to meet with professionals in a five-star…

Oct 20, 2011 9:00 PM CDT

Actor Who Played Arnie Becker on ‘L.A. Law’ Sues Legal Marketing Group

Corbin Bernsen, an actor who played divorce lawyer Arnie Becker on LA Law, last week sued Innovative Legal Marketing in a breach of contract case, the Associated Press reports. The Norfolk, Va., federal court action seeks more than $660,000 in damages. Bernsen was hired to do promotional work for the…

Oct 12, 2011 5:41 PM CDT

The Confession: Excerpt from John Grisham’s Winning Entry for Harper Lee Prize

John Grisham’s novel The Confession, chronicling the gut-wrenching politics of a last-ditch death penalty appeal in Texas, is the winner of the inaugural Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. Robbie Flak’s father purchased the old train station in downtown Slone in 1972, while Robbie was still in high school and…

Oct 7, 2011 9:00 PM CDT

Former Justice John Paul Stevens Dishes, Just a Bit, in ‘Very Appealing’ New Memoir

With unfailing courtesy, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, 91, writes, in “informative and very appealing” fashion about his 34 years on the nation’s top court in Five Chiefs. Nonetheless, he dishes just enough to spice up his new memoir about life under five successive chief justices over…

Oct 3, 2011 10:45 PM CDT