Law in Popular Culture

‘Marshall’ provides plenty of trial practice pointers

I don’t think my wife likes to watch “lawyer movies” with me at the theater. I don’t blame her opposition, actually. She has to hear about the practice of law every day of her life. Why would she want to think about jury trials under the guise of “entertainment”?

Mar 20, 2018 8:30 AM CDT

Harper Lee’s estate sues over Atticus Finch’s depiction in planned Broadway adaptation

Who has the final authority to determine whether an upcoming Broadway adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird remains consistent with the spirit of the novel? That is one of the questions raised in a suit filed on behalf of Lee’s estate seeking a declaratory judgment that the determination…

Mar 15, 2018 12:17 PM CDT

ABA announces finalists for the 2018 Silver Gavel Awards

The ABA has announced 19 finalists for this year's ABA Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts, which recognize outstanding work in media and the arts that fosters the public’s understanding of law and the legal system.

Mar 14, 2018 11:00 AM CDT

Denzel and lawyer hell: ‘Roman J. Israel, Esq.’ and the attorney afterlife

Let’s face it. Every attorney in private practice knows the drill. You work your entire career with a goal in mind. For some, it’s the greater good: justice, social reform, personal rights … all the “good” things. For others, it’s more personal: money, comfort, security … all the “selfish” pleasures that make life a little easier.

Mar 12, 2018 8:30 AM CDT

Harper Lee’s will is unsealed; will her letters at Emory be more revealing?

An Alabama court has unsealed a will signed by Harper Lee eight days before her 2016 death, but the document provides little information for those interested in learning more about her decision to publish a second novel and the disposition of her assets. The will was unsealed Tuesday after her…

Feb 28, 2018 3:26 PM CST

‘This Is Us’—A few thoughts on personal responsibility after Jack Pearson’s death

The death of Jack Pearson (the father on This Is Us) in a house fire caused by a faulty slow cooker has many people debating real-life legal issues about product liability claims, civil negligence, and criminal negligence in the context of the fictional character.

Feb 22, 2018 8:00 AM CST

My path to law: one immigrant’s journey

I watched a lot of Law & Order growing up. My family immigrated to the U.S. in 1988 (the same year that Korea last hosted the Olympics). I was 10 years old and didn’t speak a word of English. Neither did anyone else in my family. As I watched, I…

Feb 20, 2018 7:30 AM CST

Submit your diorama for Peeps in Law 2018: Stranger Peeps

Calling all mouth-breathers and wastoids: The time is now to start working on your entry in the ABA Journal's 10th annual Peeps in Law diorama contests.

Feb 15, 2018 11:45 AM CST

Lawyers from less privileged backgrounds tell their stories at #mypathtolaw

A law lecturer at Exeter University in England who was the first member of his family to attend college sought out stories from other lawyers who came from less privileged backgrounds through a hashtag he created.

Feb 8, 2018 11:06 AM CST

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and the ethics of prisoner organ donations

Thank God for the ability to binge-watch. Streaming media has put us all in a perfect posture for plowing through episode after episode of our favorite shows. This is all fine and well when it’s one of your favorite shows, or perhaps a series you share with a friend or loved one. It’s another situation completely when your significant other gets the binge-bug for one of their favorites.

Feb 5, 2018 8:00 AM CST

10 Questions: This Denver lawyer serves up culinary history with a side of social justice

Adrian E. Miller wrote “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas.”

Feb 1, 2018 2:45 AM CST

About this year’s Ross Writing Contest winning story

Linda Oatman High’s “The Attorney Helped Clean Up the Blood” won the ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Short Legal Fiction and received a $3,000 cash prize.

Feb 1, 2018 12:20 AM CST

83-year-old federal judge publishes his first novel

An 83-year-old federal judge has published his first novel, and it’s received positive reviews from the legal press. The title of Senior U.S. District Judge Frederic Block’s book is Race to Judgment, reportNew York Law Journal, the Wall Street Journal and Above the Law (in stories here and here). Block…

Jan 30, 2018 8:30 AM CST

‘The Post’ gives little attention to judge who refused to stop Pentagon Papers publication

Twenty-nine federal judges considered the federal government’s attempts to stop publication of the Pentagon Papers, and just one—U.S. District Judge Gerhard Gesell of Washington, D.C.—refused to grant an injunction before the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jan 24, 2018 8:00 AM CST

Sci-fi evidence from ‘Black Mirror’ has real-life counterpart in court today

Imagine you are a witness to an accident. You had no fault in the accident, and you weren’t injured. Still, you’re a witness. A third party comes to question you about your recollection. Instead of simply reiterating what you saw, you are forced to relay every sordid detail of your past against your will.

Jan 22, 2018 7:00 AM CST