Law in Popular Culture

Safe-Driving Ad Campaign Helps Clarify: Drunken Horse Riders Comply with DUI Statute

Drunken motorists can, at least in theory, be charged with illegally driving under the influence when at the helm of a motorized wheelchair or even a recliner. But under Montana law they are in the clear when they rely on a trusted equine to take them home after they’ve had…

Jan 18, 2011 9:40 PM CST

Miss America, 17, Maps Out Career Plan: Law School First, Then SCOTUS and US Presidency

The newly crowned Miss America, at 17, hasn’t yet graduated from college. But Teresa Scanlan’s got big career plans above and beyond the beauty pageant world, reports People. After college, she wants to go to law school. Then she hopes to make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. After that,…

Jan 18, 2011 7:14 PM CST

Yale Law Grad Credits ‘Stolen’ Law School Chair for Literary Success

Looking at the chairs in the Yale Law School dining hall, Brandt Goldstein had to admit that the banged-up wood-and-leather chair left in the apartment he rented during his second year there was stolen property. But it became an old friend as he realized, even before he earned his juris…

Jan 18, 2011 5:06 PM CST

Fake Law Firm Memo Offers Tax Tip to Troops: The Less You Bill, the Less We Owe

Apparently inspired by year-end revenue collection efforts and the upcoming tax season, a fake law firm memo offers, at considerable length, the suggestion that attorneys shouldn’t stress too much about bringing in the bucks. Tax planning is a critical aspect of law firm success, writes a fictitious tax chairman in…

Jan 14, 2011 1:02 AM CST

Glock Sales Double for Ariz. Gun Dealer in Aftermath of Congresswoman’s Shooting

In the aftermath of a massacre at an Tucson shopping center on Saturday by a Glock-wielding gunman that left a Congresswoman critically wounded and six others dead, including the chief federal judge in Arizona, there have been calls for lawmakers to tighten restrictions on firearms. Meanwhile, sales of the pistol…

Jan 11, 2011 11:48 PM CST

Ex-Con Allegedly Worked as Bogus Lawyer for 5 Years, May Have Watched TV Legal Dramas to Hone Skills

A convicted burglar allegedly passed himself off as an Illinois lawyer and represented paying clients for at least five years before finally being caught when a court clerk in suburban Chicago recognized him and blew the whistle. Held in contempt last month and jailed after being accused of representing clients…

Jan 10, 2011 10:51 PM CST

After Lawyer Loses Libel Suit re Prosecutor’s Twitter Posts, Each Vows to Ignore the Other

Apparently irked by a prosecutor’s critical posts on Facebook and Twitter, a Kentucky lawyer known for suing police officers filed a libel suit against Kenton Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders. But after Kenton Circuit Court Judge Martin Sheehan ruled last week that Sanders’ statements were simply statements of opinion and hence…

Jan 10, 2011 5:37 PM CST

Kathy Bates Stars in New NBC Legal Drama About a Fired Lawyer

Kathy Bates stars as a patent lawyer fired from her blue-chip law firm in a new TV series by the creator of Ally McBeal, Boston Legal and The Practice. Bates’ role in Harry’s Law was originally written for a man, according to Reuters and John Kiesewetter’s TV & Media Blog…

Jan 7, 2011 12:00 PM CST

Filmed at Money Machine, Inserting Quarters, Man Is Simultaneously Issued a Parking Ticket

Scott Larsen was already unhappy about the city of Chicago’s hefty parking fees, he told an NBC Chicago news crew as he was feeding money into a central machine that issues a receipt that the motorist must then walk back and put on the dashboard inside his or her vehicle.…

Jan 6, 2011 11:14 PM CST

Citizen Superhero Crime-Fighter Changes Into Costume in Secret Comic Store Room

When a man who wishes to be known only as “Dan” returned to his parked car in a Seattle suburb one recent night, he caught a would-be thief in the act of trying to break in. But as Dan was dialing 911 for help, a masked man in a skintight…

Jan 5, 2011 6:27 PM CST

New Stamp Will Honor Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch

The late actor who portrayed Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird will be portrayed on a postage stamp being issued April 29. The stamp will feature a still photograph of Gregory Peck from the 1962 film, based on the novel by Harper Lee, according to the New York Times…

Jan 3, 2011 3:32 PM CST

Fordham Law’s Unique Film Forum Boasts a Cast of Stars—and Faces an Uncertain Future

On a Sunday afternoon in October in New York City, a crowd is filing into the McNally Amphitheatre at Fordham University’s law school. There’s the expected assortment of law students and attorneys in attendance. But the 500 or so people in line also include media executives, retirees, 20-something computer programmers…

Jan 1, 2011 10:40 AM CST

Many Law Firms Offer New Year’s Eve ‘Safe Ride,’ But Some Fine Print Restricts Excessive Use

With a new year about to begin, law firms throughout the country are participating in “safe ride” programs intended to help protect not only those who have celebrated a little too much but potential victims of drunk-driving accidents. Dozens are apparently doing so, including J. Colbert Injury Lawyers, in Oklahoma…

Dec 30, 2010 5:23 PM CST

Creative Legal Minds May Be Able to Protect a Cocktail, IP Law Profs Say

You can’t copyright a drink recipe. But some aspects of a creative cocktail might be protected under other legal theories, according to two law professors writing a guest column in the Freakonomics blog of the New York Times. Trademark is one, say Kal Raustiala, UC-Los Angeles and Chris Sprigman of…

Dec 23, 2010 10:52 PM CST

Tweeting from Jury Duty, Steve Martin Judges Defense Lawyer Guilty

At the beginning of jury selection, it looked as if comedian Steve Martin had prejudged the case. “REPORT FROM JURY DUTY: defendant looks like a murderer,” he tweeted on Monday. “GUILTY. Waiting for opening remarks.” It turned out Martin had prejudged the wrong person. Later he tweeted, “REPORT FROM JURY…

Dec 23, 2010 1:29 PM CST