Law in Popular Culture

Landmark NYC courthouse opens doors for free exhibit after 40 years of being closed

Closed in 1977, the former Bronx Borough Courthouse will open its doors again on Thursday for a free art exhibit. Meanwhile, Gothamist toured the landmarked building and has posted dozens of photos online. A statue of Lady Justice remains outside, but much of the interior is now a shell, the…

Apr 22, 2015 12:15 PM CDT

Weaver inspires layout and art for domestic violence feature

When we began thinking about how to present the story of a pilot project in which Indian tribes are finally able to prosecute non-Native perpetrators of domestic violence, we first looked for images depicting abuse and the solitary landscapes common to many tribal regions. Then something unique caught our eye;…

Apr 22, 2015 10:38 AM CDT

Ginsburg makes Time’s list of most influential people; Scalia explains why

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has made Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people, and she deserves to be there for two of her career paths, according to the Time summary by her friend and colleague Justice Antonin Scalia. “Ruth Bader Ginsburg has had two distinguished legal careers, either…

Apr 16, 2015 10:55 AM CDT

Polluted town championed by Erin Brockovich is largely gone despite $333M settlement

Fifteen years after a movie helped make legal assistant Erin Brockovich famous for her role in helping win a $333 million settlement over environmental pollution in Hinkley, California, the small farming community town is largely gone. Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which agreed to the settlement concerning elevated levels of…

Apr 14, 2015 11:10 AM CDT

Defense lawyers follow popular Serial podcast’s lead, are publishing sequel to client’s online story

Defense lawyers representing Adnan Syed in the appeal of his murder conviction are following the lead of a journalist who produced the wildly popular Serial podcast about his case. Their new podcast, Undisclosed: The State v. Adnan Syed, will debut Monday. “The remarkable success of the podcast Serial, which brought…

Apr 10, 2015 3:35 PM CDT

Should female justices be recognized with an ice cream flavor by Ben & Jerry’s?

A petition at change.org is urging Ben & Jerry’s to recognize more women by naming a flavor after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The flavor would be called “Ruth Bader Ginger,” the Blog of Legal Times reports. The ice cream would consist of brown sugar cinnamon ice cream mixed with gingersnap…

Apr 10, 2015 7:06 AM CDT

See the top 3 ‘Game of Peeps’ dioramas for 2015

Congratulations to the creative minds and get-out-the-vote spirit behind the sugary Peeps dioramas that drew the most votes in our 7th annual Peeps in Law diorama contest! We saw fewer entries this year, but the off-beat, lighthearted take on the law, legal history and legal news more than met our…

Apr 7, 2015 8:30 AM CDT

Harper Lee probe is closed with no finding of abuse

Alabama’s probe of Harper Lee’s ability to make decisions has closed with a finding of no abuse or neglect. Lawyers for Lee, 88, said they were notified of the finding by the primary investigating agency, the Alabama Department of Human Resources, report the New York Times and the Wall Street…

Apr 6, 2015 7:05 AM CDT

Need a lawyer but can’t afford one? ‘Intangible Lawyer’ could help

Pricey lawyers may be out of reach for many people, but the illusion may be affordable. Robert Ambrogi’s LawSites has this April 1 news of a new legal spinoff: “Building on the viral success of his startups Invisible Girlfriend and Invisible Boyfriend services that make it look like you are…

Apr 1, 2015 9:31 AM CDT

Judge Judy creates new show to teach viewers about ‘crapshoot’ justice system

A new television show created by Judge Judy called Hot Bench uses three judges instead of one to decide small claims cases. The concept is apparently working. According to the New York Times, Hot Bench is “a surprise syndication hit, proving that sometimes all it takes to revive a tired…

Mar 31, 2015 8:58 AM CDT

Vote for your favorite Peeps in Law 2015 diorama!

The entries are in, and it is time for you to decide which of the Peeps in Law 2015: Game of Peeps entries is worthy of the Sugar Throne! This year, instead of picking finalists, we’ve decided to open the field and let our readers vote for any of the…

Mar 25, 2015 8:30 AM CDT

‘Serial’ subject Syed appeals, says lawyer never interviewed alibi and didn’t seek plea deal

Beset by health problems that led to her consent disbarment the following year, a Maryland criminal defense attorney never interviewed an alibi witness or sought a plea bargain during his 2000 trial. At least, that’s what her former client, Adnan Syed, says. He is now serving a life sentence for…

Mar 23, 2015 3:15 PM CDT

Rapper Tiny Doo wins dismissal of charges tied to his lyrics

A judge in San Diego has dismissed gang conspiracy charges against a rapper accused of promoting violence through his lyrics. Judge Louis Hanoian dismissed charges on Monday against rapper Brandon Duncan, known as Tiny Doo, report U-T San Diego, NBC San Diego and the Los Angeles Times. Prosecutors had contended…

Mar 17, 2015 11:48 AM CDT

Student winners of ABA’s Magna Carta video competition are named

Four Arizona high school students have won first place in an ABA video competition with the theme “Magna Carta: What’s So Great about the ‘Great Charter’?” The students will get a free three-day trip to Washington, D.C., for winning the competition commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. They…

Mar 16, 2015 2:11 PM CDT

Real-estate mogul’s son is arrested before his ‘killed them all’ comment airs on documentary

Robert Durst, the wealthy son of a real-estate mogul, was arrested on a murder charge on Saturday, a day before the final installment of an HBO documentary broadcast what appeared to be an inculpatory comment. In the sixth episode of the documentary The Jinx, a microphone captures Durst talking to…

Mar 16, 2015 8:21 AM CDT