Law in Popular Culture

Harper Lee’s estate settles litigation over Broadway adaptation of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

The estate of Harper Lee has reached a settlement in litigation over its objections to a Broadway adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. The estate and the production company Rudinplay announced the settlement Thursday, but provided few details. The New York Times and Law360 have coverage. The estate had claimed…

May 11, 2018 11:47 AM CDT

Does Stanley have a mustache? ‘The Office’ illustrates issues with cross-racial identification

As I’ve been writing this column on law and pop culture over the past year or so, I’ve started to realize that my wife has a helluva legal mind. She just gets it. She’s not educated in the law (she has a masters in nonprofit management), but she’s pretty spot-on.…

May 7, 2018 8:00 AM CDT

'Just Mercy' author Bryan Stevenson tells stories to change the world

Civil rights attorney, writer and law professor Bryan Stevenson, author of the best-selling Just Mercy, employs well-told stories to reveal the plight of people trapped in the criminal justice system.

May 1, 2018 1:30 AM CDT

‘Mindhunter’ takes us into the world of serial killers

The nature of their chosen career path puts criminal defense attorneys in almost daily contact with people who violate the norms of society and the laws contained in state and federal criminal codes.

Apr 18, 2018 8:30 AM CDT

Comey book draws on his mob prosecution experience to make loyalty pledge parallels

A memoir by fired FBI director James Comey draws on his experience as a mob prosecutor in making parallels between crime family loyalty oaths and the expectations of President Donald Trump.

Apr 13, 2018 9:17 AM CDT

Peeps out! See the best of 10 years as we retire annual diorama contest

Love 'em or hate 'em, say goodbye to them.

Apr 12, 2018 10:00 AM CDT

TMZ encounters RBG at the airport and asks if she would change careers with ‘Judge Judy’

Judith Sheindlin of Judge Judy makes $47 million a year, a fact recently established in a talent agency’s failed legal claim that it wasn’t getting its fair share of the profits from her syndicated television show. But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wouldn’t trade places with Sheindlin, according to TMZ, which…

Apr 11, 2018 1:25 PM CDT

Absurdity of courtroom sitcoms like ‘Trial & Error’ still have elements of reality

Going to court, even to pay a simple parking ticket, causes anxiety and trepidation in most folks. After all, court is where the full weight and power of the government can get dropped on you like an Acme Brick from an old Looney Tunes episode.

Apr 9, 2018 8:00 AM CDT

Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Peeps in Law diorama contest

We have a re-Peep winner!

The winner of our 10th annual and final Peeps in Law diorama contest is Mulbunny's First Day at the CFPB with 37.29 percent of the vote.

Apr 2, 2018 12:00 PM CDT

April 13, 1963: Sam Sheppard seeks a new trial

Five months before ‘The Fugitive’ first aired, F. Lee Bailey challenged the extraordinary 1954 trial and conviction of Dr. Sam Sheppard, on whose case the TV series was based.

Apr 1, 2018 12:45 AM CDT

‘Serial’ subject should get new murder trial because of ineffective assistance, appeals court says

A Maryland appeals court has ruled that Adnan Syed received ineffective assistance from a lawyer who didn’t contact an alibi witness in his trial for the January 1999 murder of a high school classmate he once dated. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled 2-1 that Syed, whose case was…

Mar 30, 2018 12:41 PM CDT

‘Hugely wealthy man’ on Pennsylvania Avenue seeks lead lawyer; read the spoof ad for Trump

If you are a Gregory Peck-type lawyer with prior Fox News experience, a “difficult client” who lives on Pennsylvania Avenue is looking to hire. That’s the message in a fake job ad posted on Craiglist getting noticed by several publications, including the Huffington Post and USA Today. The ad reads:…

Mar 28, 2018 10:17 AM CDT