Law in Popular Culture

1623 ABA Journal Law in Popular Culture articles.

Judge Dismisses Last of ‘Filegate’ Suits Against Clinton White House

A federal district judge ruled today that there was no intentional misconduct on the Clinton administration’s part in its acqusition of hundreds of FBI background files on former White House staffers and dismissed the last two “Filegate” cases. Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District…

Mar 10, 2010 12:26 AM CST

ATL Says Law Prof May Have Sparked False Rumor of Chief Justice’s Retirement

An exclusive “news” report briefly posted on the Radar Online gossip blog this morning—that U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is about to announce his retirement—was soon followed by another “exclusive” report a short time later that Roberts is going to stay on the bench. But what’s…

Mar 5, 2010 12:48 AM CST

Judge OKs Gift of O.J. Simpson ‘Lucky Suit,’ But Smithsonian Turns Down Donation

Any relief that a California judge may have felt over an agreement to settle a 13-year litigation battle by donating O.J. Simpson’s lucky suit to the Smithsonian Institution was short-lived. Hard on the heels of the agreement that the donation would settle a dispute over the ownership of the tan…

Mar 2, 2010 11:30 PM CST

Batter Up

At his senate confirmation hearing five years ago, chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. compared a Supreme Court justice’s role to that of a baseball umpire.

Mar 1, 2010 10:50 AM CST

Craigslist Ad: I’ll Sell Law Degree That Cost Over $100K for $59K Student Loan Balance

A law diploma from an unidentified “elitist” institution is being offered for sale on Craigslist, seemingly by a disgruntled San Francisco practitioner unhappy with the legal profession. Although he or she paid more than $100,000 for the juris doctor degree, the “priceless collectible” is now for sale for the $59,250…

Feb 26, 2010 4:17 PM CST

John Grisham to Write Book for Tweens Featuring ‘Kid Lawyer’

Legal thriller author John Grisham will be writing a series for younger readers featuring the fictional 13-year-old son of two lawyers in a Southern town. The first book in the series is called Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, the New York Times reports. The targeted readers will be 8 to 12…

Feb 26, 2010 4:08 PM CST

Peeps in Law Part Deux

Updated: Spring is still three weeks away, but one need only stroll down the candy aisle to see signs of its imminent arrival. Shelves are fully stocked with Peeps, those food-coloring infused marshmallowy treats. And that means it’s time for Peeps in Law Part Deux. Just like last year, we’re…

Feb 25, 2010 7:47 PM CST

Notorious Serial Killer Ted Bundy’s VW Goes on Display at ‘Murderabilia’ Museum

Perhaps there are legitimate reasons for displaying iconic items used in horrific crimes, such as the tan Volkswagen Beetle in which notorious serial killer Ted Bundy reportedly abducted a number of his actual and alleged victims. According to a National Museum of Crime & Punishment press release announcing the addition…

Feb 19, 2010 11:18 PM CST

Attorney John O’Quinn’s Museum-Quality Cars to Be Auctioned to Pay Some $50M in Debts

The 1911 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost used in the filming of the Titanic is being held back. But a 1966 replica of the Batmobile made famous by the Batman television series and a 1938 armor-plated Cadillac used as a parade limousine by three presidents are among the museum-quality vehicles that…

Feb 19, 2010 7:26 PM CST

Can Plagiarism Be the New Authenticity? Best-Selling Author, 17, Seems to Think So

Once upon a time, authors were expected to craft their own fiction, word-for-word. But a best-sellling German novel is casting doubt on that standard, winning selection as a finalist for a $20,000 Leipzig Book Fair prize even though the judges reportedly were aware of a charge of plagiarism against the…

Feb 11, 2010 11:59 PM CST

1 State Dominates National Education About Bill of Rights & Constitution

As lawyers argue about the intent of the drafters of the Constitution and judges mull the issue before deciding civil rights cases, a little-noticed phenomenon also has significant influence on the nation’s understanding of the fundamental principles underlying American law. That is the influence of the Texas State Board of…

Feb 11, 2010 8:49 PM CST

Frank Sinatra Song Blamed for Lethal Karaoke Bar Violence

Booze and karaoke has proven to be a lethal combination, in the United States and elsewhere, when a singer belts out an unpopular tune. But one Frank Sinatra song is viewed as so dangerous in karaoke bars in the Philippines that the rules of etiquette prohibit its performance, for fear…

Feb 10, 2010 11:51 PM CST

Panel OKs Total Attorneys Web Ads With ‘Very Little Margin for Error’

Updated: An Internet advertising scheme in which lawyers pay $65 per referral for names of potential clients passes ethical muster with “very little margin for error,” an attorney discipline panel says in an opinion today. Explaining its ruling (PDF) last month that the Total Attorneys Inc. advertising does not violate…

Feb 8, 2010 8:45 PM CST

3L Job App Sparks E-Mail War With ‘Patronizing & Condescending’ IT Ace

A third-year law student clearly wasn’t at the top of his job-seeking game when he e-mailed an information technology consultant seeking legal work. Apparently mistaking the Webster & Associates site for a similarly named law firm, the unidentified 3L sent an unsolicited job application. Then he responded with a threat…

Feb 6, 2010 2:13 AM CST

Is Artist’s Suit Over Photo of His Bronze-Feet Sculpture Standing on Solid Legal Ground?

A photographer in Washington state seemingly has an interesting fair-use argument to make concerning his photograph which, as he describes it, depicted “a woman dancing” on a public artwork in Seattle that features bronze footprints inlaid in concrete. His photograph, Mike Hipple says in a Mike Hipple Legal Defense Fund…

Feb 5, 2010 7:54 PM CST

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