Law in Popular Culture

Lawyer agrees to suspension for writing book about Jodi Arias murder trial

An Arizona criminal defense lawyer has agreed to a four-year suspension for publishing a book about the trial of his high-profile client, Jodi Arias. The consent agreement by Laurence “Kirk” Nurmi still must be approved by the Arizona disciplinary judge, the Arizona Republic reports. The agreement alleges that Nurmi violated…

Nov 21, 2016 8:30 AM CST

7th Circuit bars release of nephew in ‘Making a Murderer’ case

Brendan Dassey will have to stay in jail while the state of Wisconsin appeals his overturned conviction. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday granted (PDF) an emergency request to keep Dassey in jail pending an appeal. Dassey’s case received widespread attention after it was examined in…

Nov 17, 2016 12:59 PM CST

Dealing with lawyer jokes? ‘Restatement of Retorts’ provides the rejoinder

Lawyer-turned-humor consultant Malcolm Kushner has a suggestion for lawyers dealing with lawyer jokes: Be ready with your own punchline. In his book Comebacks for Lawyer Jokes: The Restatement of Retorts, Kushner supplies the comebacks, Above the Law reports. Take this lawyer joke, for example: “What’s the difference between a lawyer…

Nov 4, 2016 8:00 AM CDT

Nancy Grace says goodbye to HLN

Former Atlanta prosecutor Nancy Grace hosted her last true-crime show on HLN on Thursday. Grace’s last show included clips from some of her most popular segments, including her coverage of the Casey Anthony case, the Associated Press reports. Grace ended the show by thanking her fans and saying, “It’s not…

Oct 14, 2016 11:42 AM CDT

Legal series about disgraced BigLaw lawyer debuts this month

Billy Bob Thornton plays a former BigLaw lawyer seeking redemption in a new series available on Amazon Prime Video beginning Oct. 14. The co-writer and producer of the 10-episode series is David Kelley, known for his work on Ally McBeal and The Practice, report USA Today and the Cleveland Plain…

Oct 7, 2016 7:00 AM CDT

Legal publication the Recorder shifts to all-digital format

The Recorder, a San Francisco-based legal publication published by ALM, is switching to an all-digital format. The Recorder’s weekly print newspaper will no longer be published, according to a press release and LawSites by Robert Ambrogi. The Recorder has published since 1857, and it is one of the oldest legal…

Oct 5, 2016 12:26 PM CDT

New documentary ‘Balancing the Scales’ sheds light on the challenges female lawyers have faced

The opening scene of the new documentary Balancing the Scales shows Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg talking about bathrooms.

Oct 1, 2016 4:20 AM CDT

How can employers reduce the risk of Pokémon Go?

While players are immersed in augmented reality, property managers need to watch for real-world safety repercussions.

Oct 1, 2016 3:50 AM CDT

TV creators agree: They blur the lines of legal fact, fiction

Early on during a rambling dialogue about the impact that television and other forms of entertainment are having on public perceptions of justice in the United States, David E. Kelley downplayed his role as one of the leading purveyors of TV shows about the law.

Oct 1, 2016 1:00 AM CDT

Biography of Posner reveals his childhood nickname and ‘Poze knows’ teen catchphrase

Judge Richard Posner cooperated with biographer William Domnarski for a new biography that reveals the catchphrase he coined for himself as a teen (“the Poze knows”) and his childhood nickname (“the brain”). Domnarski tells Above the Law that Posner provided 10 to 12 hours of interviews, childhood memorabilia and contacts…

Aug 29, 2016 7:00 AM CDT

Massachusetts lawyer wins $3K Ross prize for her fictional story ‘Another Shot’

Congratulations to Elena O. Papoulias, the winner of the 2016 ABA Journal/Ross Prize for Legal Short Fiction! Papoulias, from Centerville, Massachusetts, was among 38 entrants in this year’s short story contest. Her short story “Another Shot” will be awarded a $3,000 cash prize on Sept. 22 at a ceremony at…

Aug 26, 2016 3:30 PM CDT

Actor who played DA on ‘Law & Order’ dies at 94

Steven Hill, the actor who played District Attorney Adam Schiff for 10 years on Law & Order, died on Tuesday at the age of 94. Hill, who also starred on Mission: Impossible for one season, died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, the Associated Press reports. He had several…

Aug 24, 2016 11:24 AM CDT

Boies/Schiller Film Group finances movie based on ‘Cops’ TV show

A film finance group co-founded by Boies, Schiller & Flexner partner David Boies is financing a movie based on the Cops TV show. The Boies/Schiller Film Group was founded by Boies and Zack Schiller, the son of Boies Schiller co-founder Jonathan Schiller, Law.com (sub. req.) reports. Zack Schiller tells the…

Aug 23, 2016 3:19 PM CDT

Eddie Redmayne will play Cravath name partner in movie about Thomas Edison patent battle

Actor Eddie Redmayne has signed on to play influential lawyer Paul Cravath—who became a name partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore—in a historical film about a battle over the patent for the light bulb. Cravath had provided legal advice to George Westinghouse in his 1880s patent battle with Thomas Edison,…

Aug 16, 2016 7:40 AM CDT

Conviction tossed for one ‘Making a Murderer’ suspect; lawyer’s conduct ‘inexcusable,’ judge says

A federal magistrate judge is citing interrogators’ coercive techniques in overturning the conviction of a Wisconsin man convicted of helping his uncle kill a woman in a murder case examined in the “Making a Murderer” Netflix series. U.S. Magistrate Judge William Duffin of Milwaukee overturned the conviction of Brendan Dassey…

Aug 15, 2016 10:21 AM CDT