Law in Popular Culture

Judge Order May Remove Acclaimed Film on Mexico’s Flawed Justice System from Mexican Theaters

A critically lauded documentary on Mexico’s corrupt justice system may be pulled from theaters after a federal judge received a complaint from a disgruntled witness who appears in the film. Presumed Guilty, which tells the story of an innocent man who is found guilty of murder twice, is facing legal…

Mar 8, 2011 7:21 PM CST

Lady Gaga Threatens Suit re ‘Baby Gaga’ Human Breast Milk Ice Cream Sold at UK Eatery

News reports that a London eatery was selling “Baby Gaga” ice cream made of human breast milk initially sparked health concerns and scrunched-up faces from those to whom the product seemed a bit disgusting. But now the nearly $23 dish sold briefly by the Icecreamists has another objector—Lady Gaga. Not…

Mar 7, 2011 11:36 PM CST

Editor of Black’s Law Dictionary Defines ‘To Pull a Sheen’

Move over, Robert Bork. “Getting borked”—the phrase coined to describe a takedown like Bork’s 1987 failed U.S. Supreme Court appointment—has lost its popularity. Now there’s a new verb entering the public lexicon: “Charlie Sheen-ing,” or more simply “sheening” or “sheened.” The Urban Dictionary website defined the terms last year, after…

Mar 7, 2011 12:21 PM CST

Charlie Sheen in New Legal Battle: Judge OKs TRO and His Sons Are Taken From His Home

Charlie Sheen was back in the news today after his ex-wife claimed he had threatened her and obtained a temporary restraining order and his two young sons were removed from his California home last night. “I do not know where my children are, but I am not panicking. This is…

Mar 2, 2011 7:19 PM CST

Midyear Attendees Get Special Showing of Robert Redford’s New Film ‘The Conspirator’

Robert Redford directs James McAvoy. An unusual must-do took midyear meeting attendees slightly off script, as they took in special viewings of The Conspirator, a soon-to-be-released film that tells the little-known story of Mary Surratt and the young lawyer who represented her on charges of conspiring to assassinate President Abraham…

Mar 1, 2011 8:20 AM CST

Jerry Seinfeld Wins Libel Suit Brought by Cookbook Author: Calling Her a ‘Wacko’ Wasn’t Defamatory

An author who previously lost a lawsuit alleging that Jerry Seinfeld’s wife copied her cookbook for kids has now lost a defamation suit against the famous television actor and comedian himself. Missy Chase Lapine had contended she was entitled to damages because Seinfeld implied she was off her rocker during…

Feb 25, 2011 7:54 PM CST

Reports: Convicted Judge Proclaims Victory, Turns His Back on Mom Blaming Him for Her Son’s Suicide

Convicted on only 12 of the 39 federal criminal counts he faced, a former Pennsylvania judge and his lawyers stepped outside a Scranton courthouse on Friday and proclaimed victory in the “kids for cash” case because he hadn’t been convicted of bribery. “He never took a kickback,” attorney Al Flora…

Feb 22, 2011 11:49 PM CST

US News Won’t Alter Old Surveys, But Foresees ‘Negative Impact’ re New Villanova LSAT, GPA Info

Admitted fudging of the LSAT and GPA data provided by Villanova University to U.S. News & World Report won’t change its place in the magazine’s prior law school rankings. That’s because U.S. News has decided to stick with its policy of making no after-the-fact changes, writes research director Robert Morse…

Feb 17, 2011 10:35 PM CST

Online ‘Jurors’ Settle Everyday Disputes on New JabberJury Website

Is your spouse hogging the new car? Or refusing to do the dishes? Now you can take your dispute to an online jury of your peers at a new website called JabberJury.com. Fast Company calls the website “The People’s Court for the Facebook generation,” while a press release dubs it…

Feb 17, 2011 4:10 PM CST

How Gal Pal’s Lawyer Got Mel Gibson Offer to $16M (Refused), Up From 1 Year Rent and Dodge Charger

When Oksana Grigorieva moved in with Mel Gibson, a 2009 cohabitation agreement provided that she would get one year’s free housing in a home he owned and a Dodge Charger if the couple split. But after she had the actor’s child, and especially after she taped him in an embarassing…

Feb 17, 2011 12:04 AM CST

‘SNL’ Touts a Law Firm Specializing in ‘Spider-Man’ Injuries, Including Plot Confusion

Sure, lots of cast members have been injured during the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, but what about the audience members? Saturday Night Live has a law firm for you. Gublin & Green specializes in claims for cast as well as audience members, according to the New York…

Feb 14, 2011 3:50 PM CST

Legal History and Popcorn Mix at Special Showings of Redford Film ‘The Conspirator’

Corrected: An unusual must-do has taken ABA Midyear Meeting attendees slightly off script, as they take in special viewings of The Conspirator, a soon-to-be-released film that tells the little-known story of Mary Surratt and the young lawyer who represented her on charges of conspiring to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. The…

Feb 13, 2011 1:30 AM CST

Stuff Abe Lincoln Says: Lawyer-President Gets a Twitter Feed

Just in time for what would have been his 202nd birthday, our 16th president is getting a dedicated Twitter feed. The tweets from @1865Lincoln, which started appearing today, will contain quotes from Abraham Lincoln as well as “an intriguing selection of little-known facts about the conspiracy that led to his…

Feb 11, 2011 8:50 PM CST

Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction Nominations Are Open

Nominations are now open for the inaugural Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The prize, announced in September and created in honor of the 50th anniversary of Harper Lee’s acclaimed classic To Kill a Mockingbird, is sponsored by the University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal. The…

Feb 9, 2011 8:04 PM CST

Eccentric Profs, Cheating Spouses Become Characters in Law Dean’s New Novel

Texas Wesleyan law dean Frederic White has written two books. The first is on Ohio landlord tenant law. The second, just released in December, tells of a suspicious death, law professors hiding shameful secrets, and raw ambition. “It is a work of fiction, you know,” White tells the ABA Journal.…

Feb 8, 2011 11:30 AM CST