Other Notable Characters That Did Not Fit Into Our Top 25

RUDY BAYLOR: The Rainmaker Matt Damon and Francis Ford Coppola deliver John Grisham’s most interesting lawyer as both naive and cynical. ANDREW BECKETT: Philadelphia Beckett’s struggles would have meant nothing to us if he weren’t so eloquent about what it means to be a lawyer. HARVEY BIRDMAN: Harvey Birdman, Attorney…

Aug 1, 2010 9:30 AM CDT

The 25 Greatest Fictional Lawyers (Who Are Not Atticus Finch)

See the Top 25 Greatest Fictional Lawyers (Who Are Not Atticus Finch).

Who is your favorite fictional lawyer? Vote here.

Other Notable Characters That Did Not Fit Into Our Top 25

The Jury. Meet the judges who selected the Top 25 Greatest Fictional Lawyers.

Farewell, Atticus. Writers and critics share their thoughts on the gift to lawyers that is Atticus Finch.

Jul 23, 2010 6:02 PM CDT

Naked Cowboy Sues Female Competitor, Says She Stole His Shtick

A New York man who has made a business out of playing a guitar in Times Square while seemingly wearing very little except a cowboy hat and his shoes has filed a federal lawsuit against a female competitor. Best known as the Naked Cowboy, Robert John Burck contends that comedian…

Jul 21, 2010 7:46 PM CDT

2 Name Partners at ‘Robot Robot & Hwang’ are Legal Machines

As litigation-mill law firms make news over their controversial high-volume filings in mortgage-foreclosure and debt-collection cases, some satirical observers are wondering whether a group led by robots couldn’t perform legal work even more efficiently than actual lawyers. At the apocryphal law firm of “Robot Robot & Hwang,” for instance, name…

Jul 20, 2010 6:50 PM CDT

Associate, a Pro Wrestling Fan, Sees Lessons for Lawyers

A senior litigation associate at Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell in Dallas has apparently spent way too much time watching professional wrestling. All that tube time has given associate Kip Mendrygal a chance to ruminate about the parallels between wrestling and law practice, and the lessons that can be learned.…

Jul 19, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

Judge Rules ‘People’s Court’ Testimony Isn’t the Real Thing

A woman’s statements made on The People’s Court can’t be used against her in a real legal proceeding, a Brooklyn judge has ruled. Judge Francois Rivera tossed findings by a hearing officer who had relied on the woman’s “testimony” from the TV program. The hearing officer found that the woman,…

Jul 16, 2010 2:07 PM CDT

Meet ‘Judge Judy’ Sheindlin, Accidental Celebrity Paid $45M to Work 52 Days a Year

When Judith Sheindlin agreed in 1993 to allow a reporter for the Los Angeles Times to sit quietly in the back of the New York courtroom in which she worked as a $120,000-a-year judge on family law matters, she thought he planned to report on a case. Instead, he profiled…

Jul 14, 2010 8:33 PM CDT

Gloria Allred: No How, No Way Would I Represent Mel Gibson

Under fire after his ex-girlfriend publicly released audio recordings in which Mel Gibson is accused of threatening her and uttering a number of racial slurs, the famous actor was also targeted by celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred today. Participating in a Q-and-A session in the Washington Post about the fallout for…

Jul 14, 2010 12:53 AM CDT

2nd Circuit Strikes FCC Expletive Rule, Says Blanket Ban on F-Word & Others Violates 1st Amendment

Saying that a blanket ban on all use of certain expletives on television is unconstitutionally vague and chills the right of free speech, a federal appeals court has struck down a Federal Communications Commission policy that any use of profanity referring to sex or excrement is inherently indecent and could…

Jul 13, 2010 6:01 PM CDT

Sotomayor Inks Book Deal Just 1 Year Into New Job on Top US Court

A year into her new job as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, Sonia Sotomayor has inked a book deal. Alfred A. Knopf is to publish a memoir focusing on her ascent from childhood the South Bronx as the daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants to the Ivy League, reports Reliable Source…

Jul 13, 2010 12:02 AM CDT

US Soldier Faces Military Charges Over Wikileaks Video of American Attack

Ratted out by a hacker to whom he allegedly admitted, in online chats, having provided classified Department of State cables to the Wikileaks whistle-blower website, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst is now facing charges under the Code of Military Justice. Pfc. Bradley Manning, 22, is also accused of being the…

Jul 6, 2010 9:31 PM CDT

There’s More Than Killing All the Lawyers

If the only Shakespeare line about lawyers you can quote is the one about killing all of them, then you might want to consider reading Shakespeare for Lawyers: A Practical Guide to Quoting the Bard.

Jul 1, 2010 9:10 AM CDT

Kagan Coverage Roundup: Day 3

Check back at ABAJournal.com throughout the day for news developments about Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. Today’s news highlights included: Hearings provide primer on Legalese 101; ‘stare decisis’ is word of the day. (Associated Press) But Kagan’s cultural knowledge may be lacking re vampires and werewolves. (New York Times Arts…

Jul 1, 2010 12:00 AM CDT

Citizen Takes a Bite Out of Crime, But Misses $5K Reward by Calling 911 Before Crimeline

Mike Schillmoeller thought he was doing the right thing by calling 911 when he spotted a suspect in a bomb hoax. But the 22-year-old lost a considerable amount of his civic spirit when he found out he isn’t going to get an advertised $5,000 reward. Because he called 911 before…

Jun 25, 2010 5:59 PM CDT

Blago Says His Law School Roomie Lied on Stand, But Judge Nixes Gag Order, For Now

The jury has been promised that Rod Blagojevich will testify in his own defense when the time comes in his public corruption trial. But meanwhile federal prosecutors are fuming about public comments the impeached former Illinois governor is making about the case. In a 16-page filing they made today seeking…

Jun 17, 2010 12:15 AM CDT