Legal Fiction

The courtroom has always been an object of drama for the artist to bring to life in an amusing fashion. The twists and turns of a case, the severity of the verdict, and the nature of crime all make lawyers and their everyday dealings perfect objects for the bards to recreate in the imagination of their reader. Below are some of the best legal novels, and we encourage anyone interested in the legal professional to read at least one.

To Kill a Mocking Bird, Harper Lee

This one should have been required reading in grade school. Just in case you chose to skip your assignment, the book To Kill a Mocking Bird is about an upright lawyer who defends one Tom Robinson (a black man) against fabricated rape charges. The lawyer, Boo Radley, ultimately puts racism on the stand and exposes it. 

A Time to Kill, John Grisham

Often times, John Grisham is put on trial for being a hack writer only in it for the money. Regardless if any of those allegations are true, it is hard to deny the entertainment value of his books. What’s more, all of Grisham’s books promote good character. Most follow the same theme. A lawyer is fed up with the law and questions his vocation, only till he receives a chance to make a moral stand. A Time to Kill again deals with racism. Two white boys beat up and rape a ten year old African-American girl. The bigots are brought to justice and the electric chair after a lengthy trial. 

Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow

This book is a bit darker than the previous two but perhaps more amusing. It deals with a lawyer who has an affair with a female associate he hires. She turns up dead and everyone begins pointing fingers at him. For those of you strapped for time, there is a film adaptation of Presumed Innocent with Harrison Ford as the star.