A great lawyer isn’t necessarily the most obnoxious person. Nor is a great lawyer necessarily a sleazebag. And yet so often, on TV and in movies, lawyers (particularly criminal defense lawyers) are depicted as unethical slimebags and liars.

However, one of the best books I’ve ever read had a criminal defense lawyer as a protagonist. A crime fiction novel, no less. It was The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly.

I had the pleasure once of meeting Connelly at Bouchercon (lo so many moons ago!), and I complimented him on the book. He had gotten the details right. And I was thoroughly impressed with the way he portrayed Mickey Haller! I have to say, I love the idea of a lawyer who works out of his car. Brilliant! But, anyway …

Getting the itty-bitty details right separates the good writers from the great ones. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time or the capability to get all the details right. Even a lawyer must keep up-to-date on the latest developments, if he or she wants to be accurate about the law.

In any case, here’s another video about more legal stuff writers screw up — if they’re not careful and either do the research or hire a legal consultant.

And here’s an article that describes most solo lawyers I know: Solos Are the Unsung Heros of Social Justice.