Law in Popular Culture

‘Danny Boy’ and its Lyrics, Written by a Lawyer, Banned at One Pub

A New York pub owner has declared his bar a “Danny Boy”-free zone. Sorry about that, Frederick Edward Weatherly. He’s the lawyer who wrote the lyrics to the song in 1913, words so sad that bar owner Shaun Clancy says they are downright depressing, the Associated Press reports. Clancy, who…

Mar 7, 2008 3:33 PM CST

The Shame! Law Blogger David Lat Was Facebook Outcast

It’s all been resolved now. But law blogger David Lat described the week he spent as a “online outcast” after his Facebook account as one of the worst of his life. The Above the Law editor recounts the shame and horror of the experience in an article posted on the…

Mar 6, 2008 8:34 PM CST

Lawyer Mines Court Records to Pen ‘Naked Quaker’

Contrary to what we now tend to think, bad behavior was common among the Puritans during the 1660s, according to Diane Rapaport. And she should know: Long-ago court records have proven a treasure trove for the Massachusetts lawyer, who has used them to pen not only a more traditional historic…

Mar 6, 2008 4:14 PM CST

Hollywood Zingers

Movies and TV portray lawyers without apology

Mar 1, 2008 6:10 PM CST

What Are the Oscar Odds for Legal Thriller ‘Michael Clayton’?

The legal thriller Michael Clayton has seven Oscar nominations, but its chances of a win may not be all that good, if history is any judge. In 80 years, there have been only 10 wins for legal movies or actors who play lawyers, law professors, judges or legal assistants, reports…

Feb 22, 2008 4:04 PM CST

Susman & Godfrey Gets Starring Role in Documentary

A Sundance Film Festival documentary that chronicles the fight against coal-fired power plants in Texas is boosting the image of Houston law firm Susman & Godfrey. The film, Fighting Goliath: The Texas Coal Wars, touts Susman & Godfrey “in herolike fashion,” the Houston Chronicle reports. The documentary shows the battle…

Feb 19, 2008 3:45 PM CST

Lawyer-Actor Writes Gitmo Script

An actor-turned-lawyer has written a 30-minute screenplay that imagines the deliberations of three military judges deciding whether to hold a Guantanamo detainee as an enemy combatant. Sig Libowitz played a Jewish man with mob ties on The Sopranos and a public defender on Law & Order before he attended the…

Feb 4, 2008 5:00 PM CST

Attorney Avatars Create Virtual Bar, Virtual Law & Virtual CLE Courses

In many ways, it looked like a standard bar association meeting. But the woman clad in an orange tutu and thigh-high black stockings offered one clue that the attorneys attending the Oct. 20, 2007 meeting in the Second Life Bar Association’s conference room were actually avatars—animated characters created to represent…

Jan 8, 2008 8:29 PM CST

Md. 3L Produces Net Hit: ‘Law School Musical’ (Video)

Now a third-year law student at the University of Maryland, Owen Jarvis faced a “drastic” shift in expectations when he first entered law school. But instead of dropping out, Jarvis channeled his frustrations into his computer, writing a song and producing an illustrated YouTube video titled “Law School Musical,” the…

Jan 3, 2008 12:01 AM CST

Full Court Coverage

What happens when defense counsel and ordinary citizens blog about high-profile trials?

Jan 1, 2008 8:04 PM CST

Newsmakers of the Year 2007 and 2008

Editor’s Note: When this article was posted online on December 12, 2007, it was titled “Lawyers of the Year 2007 and 2008.” The article defined that term as the year’s biggest legal newsmaker, identifying former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as the major newsmaker of 2007. The Journal regrets that…

Jan 1, 2008 3:49 PM CST

Julia Roberts Character Doesn’t Cuss So Much, Thanks to Houston Lawyer

Houston lawyer Dick DeGuerin had a hand in making some script changes in the movie Charlie Wilson’s War—and was a guest at the premiere. The movie (video), which opens in theaters Dec. 21, is based on the true story of a Texas congressman who helped secure funds for the mujahedeen…

Dec 18, 2007 7:07 PM CST

Law Firm Plans Real-Life Practice at Virtual ‘Second Life’ Office

Bridging the gap between a fictional 3D world on the Internet known as “Second Life” and real life, a United Kingdom law firm reportedly has opened an office there not simply to play at law practice or recruit clients but to perform real-life legal functions. “Many of our clients have…

Nov 6, 2007 11:37 PM CST

It’s Game On For Family Lawyers

Web Extra: Clips from Earthquake in Zipland

Nov 1, 2007 8:08 PM CDT

Real-Life Prosecutor Comments on Movie Portrayal

A film to be released this Friday called American Gangster features Denzel Washington as a drug kingpin and Russell Crowe as the prosecutor who put him behind bars. In real life, the people they portray are convicted drug dealer Frank Lucas and former Essex County, N.Y., prosecutor Richard Roberts, the…

Nov 1, 2007 3:45 PM CDT