Law in Popular Culture

My Night With Norm: Lessons on the law with George Wendt

In the early 1990s, I was a young attorney in Chicago fresh out of law school, still learning how to balance the weight of a big-firm briefcase with my own naive ambitions.

Sep 16, 2025 3:11 PM CDT

Blogging law professors consider their options after web host shutdown; at least one is calling it quits

The end-of-the-month shutdown of web hosting platform Typepad has blogging law professors scrambling to find a replacement or considering whether to shut down.

Sep 10, 2025 2:11 PM CDT

Disconnect from facts may explain public’s outrage around Bryan Kohberger plea deal

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." That quote, often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, kept running through my head as I read social media reactions related to the plea deal of Bryan Kohberger, who was charged with the 2022 murders of multiple students at the University of Idaho.

Sep 9, 2025 8:48 AM CDT

How Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement is a lesson in prenups

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are officially engaged. While fans (and Swifties like me) are singing “Love Story” and imagining the fairy‑tale wedding, lawyers and law students probably can’t help but think of something a little less romantic: The prenup.

Aug 28, 2025 12:42 PM CDT

Frank Caprio, judge whose kindness led to online fame, dies at 88

Frank Caprio, the Rhode Island jurist whose compassion in the courtroom found him fame on TV and online, earning him the nickname “the nicest judge in the world,” has died. He was 88.

Aug 21, 2025 10:00 AM CDT

Coldplay concert scandal reveals potential troubles with technology

Technology can get people into trouble, as evidenced by last month’s sticky situation at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts. When considering the legal implications of these situations, developments in technology “can be good or bad depending on the situation and perspective.”

Aug 14, 2025 11:52 AM CDT

SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein had motive for money offers to firm manager, prosecutors allege

A superseding indictment in a tax fraud case against SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein includes new allegations about attempts to influence his law firm manager and misuse of a firm trust account.

Aug 11, 2025 1:36 PM CDT

The mysterious case of Amy Bradley and open water investigations

“If you ever wanted to kill somebody, just take 'em on a cruise … because you’ll never get caught.” I disagree with the blanket truth of this statement made by “cruise safety advocate” Jamie Barnett during the new Netflix true crime documentary, Amy Bradley Is Missing, so I’ll modify it to fit the reality of actual practice: There’s potentially a smaller chance that you’ll get caught.

Aug 11, 2025 9:26 AM CDT

Supreme Court approval rating reaches low point, while local courts get average grades

Neither the U.S. Supreme Court nor state and local courts are faring well in two recent polls.

Aug 8, 2025 9:51 AM CDT

Intellectual property and pop culture collide over the Labubu, this summer’s hottest collectible

The Labubus are so popular that the elflike plush dolls produced by Chinese toy company Pop Mart have inspired a surge in knockoffs. While the intellectual property issues involving the Labubus aren’t exactly novel, the increasing acceptance of “dupes” is a new trend.

Aug 4, 2025 9:16 AM CDT

This 30-year-old film explains wiretap rules well

Columnist Adam Banner is a sucker for a Martin Scorsese crime film. While he was on vacation and looking for something to watch, he noticed the 1995 classic Casino streaming. He is a fan of the film and thought it was ripe for another viewing.

Jul 28, 2025 9:15 AM CDT

Can you hear me out there? Jane’s Addiction lawsuits allege erratic behavior and loud instruments

Sex. Drugs. Rock ‘n’ roll. Litigation. All pretty run-of-the-mill with some bands. But what’s less common, entertainment lawyers say, is a rock band dispute spiraling into an onstage physical altercation that is captured on camera and circulated on social media. That’s what happened last year, when Jane’s Addiction lead singer Perry Farrell punched guitarist Dave Navarro during a concert at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion. The fight ended the band’s reunion tour and ultimately resulted in a litigation scuffle.

Jul 24, 2025 9:56 AM CDT

Defense attorney accused of helping smuggle drugs to client in gang RICO case involving rapper

A criminal indictment was filed Monday against a Georgia attorney who represented a defendant in a RICO case involving the Young Slime Life gang and Atlanta rapper Young Thug.

Jul 22, 2025 11:40 AM CDT

Pitt Law grad credits creative writing class for her winning story in ABA Journal’s 2025 Ross Writing Contest

A creative writing class at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law awakened a love for writing and led to a $5,000 prize for the winner of the 2025 ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction.

Jul 10, 2025 12:13 PM CDT

Racketeering was a ‘reach’ in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial, legal experts say

A federal court jury in the Sean “Diddy” Combs case rejected the government’s theory that he ran a criminal enterprise that helped him carry out serious crimes including sex trafficking and drug distribution. “Even reading the indictment, it did seem like a stretch to charge Combs with the RICO statute,” said Anna Cominsky, who heads New York Law School’s Criminal Defense Clinic.

Jul 3, 2025 9:10 AM CDT