Law in Popular Culture

Helmet Cam Was Legal, Ditto Taping Arresting Officer, Judge Rules

A motorcyclist who was jailed and charged with violating Maryland’s wiretap law after he used a helmet cam to film the state trooper who had pulled him over for speeding is off the hook. Hartford County Circuit Judge Emory Pitt Jr. ruled that a uniformed police officer doing his job…

Sep 28, 2010 12:02 AM CDT

Comedy Central Star Colbert Testifies Before Congress—In Character

In an unusual appearance today before a House Judiciary subcommittee, a well-known television satirist testified on immigration reform–in character. The “bloviating right-wing talk show host” persona that Stephen Colbert has honed on Comedy Central “resembled a surreal version of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, if Mr. Smith were a comedian…

Sep 25, 2010 12:04 AM CDT

New ‘Wall Street’ Movie May Do More to Help Wardrobes than Harm Reputations

The new Wall Street movie might not do much to harm the already battered reputation of today’s financial movers and shakers, but it may have an impact on their wardrobe. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps opens worldwide today, but some observers say it likely won’t have the same punch as…

Sep 24, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

50 Years Later, Harper Lee’s ‘Mockingbird’ Still a Cautionary Tale for Our Times, AG Holder Says

It’s been 50 years since Harper Lee published her now-famous book To Kill a Mockingbird. But her fictional tale of racial injustice, focused on a Southern lawyer’s efforts to defend an unpopular client at trial in a rape case, is still a cautionary story for our times, said U.S. Attorney…

Sep 21, 2010 11:44 PM CDT

Law Grad Asks President Obama, Is the American Dream Dead?

A town hall meeting with President Barack Obama yesterday in Washington, D.C., was supposed to be a chance for him to respond to what concerns about what some see as his war on Wall Street, big business and investors. But instead the event, which was hosted by CNBC, drew stories…

Sep 21, 2010 4:22 PM CDT

Lawyer Seeks SEC Snitches in Movie Theater Ads Running with New ‘Wall Street’ Film

You don’t have to commit a crime to make major money, a New York lawyer will soon be reminding those who watch the new Wall Street film in some movie theaters. Snitching to the feds about a securities fraud at your own company can bring in the big bucks, too,…

Sep 20, 2010 5:55 PM CDT

New Show Features Hulk Hogan as Judge Settling Sibling Disputes

A new show called “Hogan’s Court” will feature pro wrestler Hulk Hogan as a judge settling sibling disputes. THR Int’l describes the show as a “Court TV-for-kids” concept. Hogan will preside in a “hyper-colored courtroom” with special effects, according to Worldscreen.com. Punishments will include picking up dog poop and being…

Sep 17, 2010 3:23 PM CDT

Judge Says He’s ‘Not Davy Crockett’ After Wikipedia Hoax Snares Rush Limbaugh

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson is setting the record straight: He is not an avid hunter and taxidermist who once killed three brown bears and mounted their heads over his courtroom door. “I’ve never killed a bear,” the Pensacola federal judge told the New York Times, “and I’m not Davy…

Sep 16, 2010 11:50 AM CDT

Specter Not Impressed By Fed’l District Court Camera Plan, Will Push for Pix in US Supreme Court

Sen. Arlen Specter (D.-Pa.) isn’t favorably impressed with a plan announced yesterday to allow cameras in federal district court civil matters on a limited trial basis. And he plans to push forward with legislation to require the U.S. Supreme Court to allow photographs of its proceedings in the final months…

Sep 15, 2010 11:34 PM CDT

11th Circuit Must Decide: Did Lawyer with TB Plead a Sufficient Case Against CDC?

A lawyer who found himself at the center of an international furor after traveling with what was originally publicly proclaimed to be a highly contagious form of tuberculosis is fighting to revive a lawsuit against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alleging that the CDC violated his privacy by…

Sep 15, 2010 7:07 PM CDT

Judicial Conference OKs Limited Experiment with Cameras in District Courts

In what was described as an “overwhelming” vote, the Judicial Conference of the United States announced today that it has agreed to allow cameras in civil matters in the federal district courts on a limited experimental basis. Any party will be able to veto photography, and taking pictures of jurors…

Sep 14, 2010 10:18 PM CDT

Extras Wanted for New PBS Human Rights Trial Program Pilot Starring Ogletree & Cherie Blair

Law and international affairs leaders will be among a number of well-known attorneys showcased in an upcoming PBS series on human rights trials that is being produced by Penn State Public Broadcasting. And for those who expect to be in central Pennsylvania within the next week there’s even a chance…

Sep 14, 2010 9:51 PM CDT

Planned Law Firm Office Building Sparks Architectural Debate

A plan to demolish a historic building in Kansas City, Mo., in order to build an eight-story glass office building anchored by the Polsinelli Shughart law firm has sparked an ongoing architectural debate. Even after the initial plans announced were modified to preserve the facade of the original Spanish-style balcony…

Sep 13, 2010 9:00 PM CDT

Perkins Coie Launches New Blog, IP Litigation Update

Perkins Coie has launched a new blog, IP Litigation Update. It will help readers keep up with rapidly changing IP law and showcase the more than 700-lawyer firm’s practice in the area, Perkins Coie explains in a press release. “We are excited to launch this blog focusing on current and…

Sep 9, 2010 8:53 PM CDT

Holy Smokes, Batman! Law in Comics Featured in New Exhibit

Lawyers often identify with superheroes, but sometimes don’t get much validation for it. However the library at Yale Law School offers a bit of that, with the new exhibition “Superheroes in Court: Lawyers, Law and Comic Books.” Mark S. Zaid, a Washington, D.C., lawyer and comic book collector, organized the…

Sep 3, 2010 5:20 PM CDT