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The Lincoln Lawyer Movie

Lakeshore Entertainment present’s The Lincoln Lawyer movie, starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller, Marisa Tomei as Maggie McPherson, and Ryan Phillippe as Louis Roulet. With Brad Furman directing from a screenplay by John Romano. Also co-starring William H. Macy, Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Trace Adkins, and Katherine Moennig. This movie was released on March 18, 2011.

The movie is available now on DVD and for download. One version of the DVD includes 2 bonus features with Michael Connelly.

Video Part 1: Michael Connelly and Matthew McConaughey talk about the book and film while on the set of The Lincoln Lawyer movie.

Video Part 2: Michael Connelly and Matthew McConaughey talk about the book and film while on the set of The Lincoln Lawyer movie.

Video: Michael Connelly Discusses The Lincoln Lawyer Movie (2/16/2011)

Characters and Cast
Mickey Haller – Matthew McConaughey
Louis Roulet – Ryan Phillippe
Maggie McPherson – Marisa Tomei
Frank Levin – William H. Macy
Ted Minton – Josh Lucas
Earl – Laurence Mason
Mary Windsor – Frances Fisher
Val Valenzuela – John Leguizamo
Jesus Martinez – Michael Pena
Reggie Campo – Margarita Levieva
Cecil Dobbs – Bob Gunton
Judge Fullbright – Reggie Baker
Hayley Haller – Mackenzie Aladjem
Detective Sobel – Michaela Conlin
Detective Lankford – Bryan Cranston
Detective Kurlen – Michael Pare

Michael Connelly on the set

Photo Below: Michael Connelly on the set of The Lincoln Lawyer movie. (L to R) Seated Michael Pare, Michael Connelly, screenplay writer John Romano, Ryan Phillippe, Bryan Cranston. Photo Credit: Saeed Adyani.

MC & MM on the set

“Last week I spent a couple nights on the set of The Lincoln Lawyer and I have to say I am excited about this project beyond words. I thought that from what I saw this story is in very secure hands. The acting and direction were fantastic, the sets real and the momentum of the story intact. I think Matthew McConaughey brings a great spirit and accuracy to Mickey Haller. I can’t wait to see what they have when it’s completed.”

— Michael Connelly, August 2010

The Lincoln Lawyer Reading Guide

Print these questions and use them to lead a discussion about The Lincoln Lawyer. Spoiler Warning! This guide does address the entire book.

1. “There is no client as scary as an innocent man.”
This is the very first line of the book, spoken by J. Michael Haller, a famous criminal defense attorney and the father of Mickey Haller, the main character in The Lincoln Lawyer. Did you understand what this meant? Why would an innocent man scare an attorney?

2. “Don’t do the crime if you can’t pay for my time.”
When we are first introduced to Mickey Haller, we find out that he is a criminal defense attorney who knows how to play all the angles. He has been in trouble with the California Bar. His clients are gang members, drug dealers, prostitutes and con men. He does his best for his clients as long as they can pay his bill.  He seems to be the kind of lawyer that we all love to hate. How did you feel about this character when you first began reading about him?

3. “I don’t know many people who have ex-wives who still like them.”
Later we find out that Mickey has two ex-wives, both of whom are still close to him. One even works for him. He has business associates that are also loyal longtime friends. He has longtime clients who he continues to work for, even when they can’t pay him. What does this reveal about his character? Did your feelings toward him as a character change the more you read about him?

4. “There was nothing about the law that I cherished anymore.”
Mickey says that: “the law was not about truth. It was about negotiation, amelioration, manipulation. I didn’t deal in guilt and innocence because everybody was guilty. Of something.” It seems like a very cynical statement. Yet at the same time, Mickey does believe in a justice system based on checks and balances. He feels like he is an important cog in the wheel and that everybody is owed a right to defend themselves. Do you agree with Mickey’s view of the law and the justice system? Would you describe him as a cynic or a realist? Can you understand the value of defense attorneys within our legal system? Did this book change your opinion of the justice system?

5. “A lot of these new people just don’t get it.”
Mickey and his ex-wife, deputy district attorney Maggie McPherson, appear to have a different view of the law. To her it is a calling and about justice. She views what he does as sleazy. Mickey says that her calling may have cost them their marriage. They seem to love each other but can you understand why their marriage didn’t work? Do you think they will end up together again?

6. “He looks like a babe in the woods.”
What was your initial impression of Louis Ross Roulet? Did you think he was innocent or guilty? How did your feelings change for him as you read the book?

7.“I was always worried that I might not recognize innocence.”
Roulet’s defense was based on the theory that Reggie Campo was after his money and that he was set up. We are meant to believe that she allowed herself to be severely beaten in order to score a big payoff.  Did you believe this at first? Is our society so litigious that we could easily believe that someone would do that?

8. “Any case, Anytime, Anywhere.”
Did you respect Mickey’s skill as an attorney and his ability to work within and use the justice system?

9. “He grew up knowing he was going.”
Many of Mickey’s clients were drug dealers who viewed prison as an anticipated part of life. Mickey’s job was to get them the best deal possible. He felt like these young men never had a shot at anything but thug life. He listened to rap music as a way of understanding their lives. Do you think Mickey felt that he had a calling too — to work for people that he views as the underdog? Did his attitude surprise you?

10. “What’s the difference between a catfish and a defense attorney?”
Why are lawyer jokes so commonplace and acceptable?  Mickey said “They always blame the lawyer for making a living,” but with clients like drug dealers, prostitutes and con men, can you see why Mickey would be viewed as a pariah by many people?

11. “By then the Titanic had already left the dock.”
Mickey represented Jesus Menendez in what appeared to be a no-win case. Jesus couldn’t pay him anything but Mickey knew that he would be paid in publicity, which would help him get other clients. Jesus’ claims of innocence didn’t matter. Mickey didn’t even try to investigate the case further. He simply was there to get the best deal for his client. Was Mickey’s lack of effort simply because Jesus couldn’t pay for a good defense or was the evidence available at the time too overwhelming? Do you think you can get a good defense without money?

12. “I had been presented with innocence but I had not seen it or grasped it.”
At the time, Mickey viewed Jesus’ case as hopeless. The evidence was overwhelming and Mickey came on board the case late. If they had gone to trial and lost Jesus might have been sentenced to death. He admitted to taking the case for the publicity value only.  Given the circumstances, do you think Mickey was right to feel guilty about Jesus?

13. “There is no trap so deadly as the one you set for yourself.”
Mickey was trying to insure that Raul’s murderer would be caught, that Jesus Menendez would be released, and that Louis Ross Roulet would go to prison — all while saving his own law practice. But by doing this all on his own he put his life and the lives of others in jeopardy. Did you understand why Mickey chose to not directly get the police involved?

14. “I traded evil for innocence.”
Mickey used questionable ways to make sure that justice is was served. He tampered with a witness (Corliss); he lied to his client and to the police; he withheld information. Do you think the end justified his actions?

Behind The Writing

Behind The Writing
by Michael Connelly

Have case, will travel.”

Five or six years ago, I was invited by a friend to join him and others at opening day for the Los Angeles Dodgers. I sat next to a man I hadn’t met before and in the exchange of pleasantries and howyadoins learned he was a criminal defense attorney. As a news reporter, I had briefly covered courts in L.A. County years earlier and knew that defense attorneys, because of the breadth and numerous courthouses in the county, usually concentrated their work in a geographic section of the county. This prevented them from having long down times while driving between courthouses.I asked which courthouses he worked and he said all of them. He said, “have case, will travel.” I asked him where he located his office and he said, “Basically, it’s my car.” He then went on to explain that, since he was willing to take cases anywhere, he made his car a working office. He used a client, who was working off his legal fees, as a driver, and he sat in the back where he had a fold down desk, computer, printer, wireless fax, etc. And, of course, he had his cell phone. While driving from courthouse to courthouse, he worked the phone, wrote legal briefs and pleadings, basically turning driving time into office time. I ended up spending more time talking to him than I did watching the game, and when I went home that day, I had an idea for a new character.

But the idea would need a lot of research. I would need to spend time with defense attorneys. The problem was that, in 2001, I moved from L.A. to Florida, and though I return often, there was not a lot of time for hanging out with lawyers. I put the idea aside, until one day in Florida when I read a story about a trial in the newspaper and recognized the name of the defense attorney as a former roommate from my first job after college at the Daytona Beach News Journal. I reconnected with my friend and spent a couple of years, off and on, watching him work and spending time after work with him and his law partner. From all of this came The Lincoln Lawyer. I wrote it using several of the experiences of my Florida friend and his partner, and then I asked the lawyer in L.A., who originally planted the idea in my head, to read the manuscript to make sure I had California laws and procedures correct. I also have a friend who is a judge in the Criminal Courts Building in L.A., and she allowed me full access to her courtroom so that I could get the sense of trial procedure and custom.

All of this took place over five or six years, which was unusual for me. Most of the time my books run only a couple of years between their inception and completion. This one was with me the longest.

— Michael Connelly, August 2005

The Lincoln Lawyer Audiobook

The Lincoln Lawyer audiobook by Hachette Audio is read by narrator Adam Grupper. It is available in CD and in downloadable formats, in both unabridged and abridged editions, in the USA and Canada.

Listen to an excerpt:

The Lincoln Lawyer Video

Get a special look inside Michael Connelly’s novel, The Lincoln Lawyer.

This 3:40 video opens with scenes from Robert Altman’s movie adaptation of The Long Goodbye, the Raymond Chandler novel that inspired Michael Connelly to become a writer.

The Lincoln Lawyer Reviews

“Michael Connelly is as fully at home in the world of a criminal defense lawyer as he has always been in the realm of investigators and cops. All the qualities that have deservedly brought him a legion of readers are on display again here: brisk pacing, clever twists, artful writing and an atmosphere of complete authority on every page. Another terrific book from a terrific writer.”
— Scott Turow, author

“It’s always good to welcome a Michael Connelly novel, and The Lincoln Lawyer is a strong addition to the Connelly bookshelf. This stand-alone legal thriller has all the adroit plotting and no-nonsense prose that are Connelly’s trademarks, with a particularly strong protagonist. …Connelly fans (an ever-growing army) will be pleased to hear that all the customary traits are fully on offer here, with one key component even more finely honed than usual: the gritty, idiomatic dialogue, which is richer and more entertaining than usual.”
— Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk, Editorial Review

“Fans of Connelly’s previous Harry Bosch novels will find The Lincoln Lawyer even more compelling — since Haller happens to be Bosch’s half  brother and, according to sources, there is a sequel in the works that includes the maverick former LAPD detective! Like its luxury-auto namesake, The Lincoln Lawyer is a sumptuous thriller that excels in every measurable category: plot complexity, character development, pacing, intensity, etc. It is, quite possibly, Connelly’s best yet.”
— Paul Goat Allen, Barnes And Noble, Editorial Review

Veteran bestseller Connelly enters the crowded legal thriller field with flash and panache. …After Connelly spends the book’s first half involving the reader in Mickey’s complex world, he thrusts his hero in the middle of two high-stakes duels, against the state and his own client, for heart-stopping twists and topflight  storytelling.”
— Publishers Weekly, * Starred Review

“This is the first legal thriller for Connelly, author of the best-selling series featuring Los Angeles police detective Harry Bosch and winner of every major prize in crime fiction. It has all the right stuff: a sinuous plot, crisp dialogue and a roster of reprehensible characters…
—Allison Block, Booklist, * Starred Review

“Fresh from returning Harry Bosch to the LAPD with The Closers (2005), veteran crime novelist Connelly offers intrigue and bracing twists in his first legal thriller.  …Connelly gets the legal details and maneuvers just right and Haller is a great character — world weary but funny and likable — he’s never met an angle he couldn’t play or a corner he couldn’t cut. Contains everything readers have come to expect from powerhouse Connelly. Bonus: Additional installments hold the intriguing possibility of one day seeing Bosch and Haller together on the streets of L.A.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“Best-selling author Michael Connelly, whose character-driven literary mysteries have earned him a wide following, breaks from the gate in the over-crowded field of legal thrillers and leaves every other contender from Grisham to Turow in the dust with this tightly plotted, brilliantly paced, impossible-to-put-down novel. …While Mickey’s courtroom pyrotechnics dazzle, his behind-the-scenes machinations and manipulations are even more incendiary in this taut, gripping novel, which showcases all of Connelly’s literary gifts. There’s not an excess sentence or padded paragraph in it—what there is, happily, is a character who, like Harry Bosch, deserves a franchise series of his own.”
— Jane Adams, Amazon.com Editorial Review

“Harry Bosch is the hard-boiled, world-weary cop at the center of many of Michael Connelly’s crime novels. He is tough, brooding and dogged, an appealing noir character. So Harry has always looked like a hard act to follow. He’ll look that way until Monday, when “The Lincoln Lawyer” introduces the bottom-feeding attorney Mickey Haller to Mr. Connelly’s devotees. …He’s as hot a franchise as any mystery writer could hope for. …The book is haunted by Mickey’s worst nightmare: the thought of having to defend an innocent man. He starts out without the foggiest idea of what to do with someone like that. But by the end of the story an Honest Abe conscience has begun to kick in. That’s when Mickey becomes a Connelly character through and through.”
— Janet Maslin, New York Times

“Michael Connelly has the guts of a burglar, a genuine love for justice, and a wry sense of humor rarely present in his books about LAPD detective Harry Bosch. But his newest – a legal thriller introducing a criminal defense lawyer of the type we all love to hate – is not only brave and intensely gripping but also often very funny. …A smashing conclusion, with echoes of “Presumed Innocent” and “Witness For the Prosecution,” gives “The Lincoln Lawyer” extra stature and suspense. Connelly has stepped up to the plate in the overflowing ballpark of legal thrillers and blasted a grand slam his first time at bat.”
— Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune

“Michael Connelly’s new standalone is being touted as a legal thriller, but only the last fifth or so of the novel is set squarely in the courtroom. The Lincoln Lawyer is more accurately described as a psychological thriller and an escalating game of gotcha between the titular attorney and his increasingly menacing client. ….the former reporter brings a convincing wealth of detail to his so-called “legal thriller.” The dialogue pops and Mickey’s spiky exchanges with the private investigators, cops and clients passing through his life sizzle.”
— CrimeSpree Magazine

“It would be easy to compare “The Lincoln Lawyer” to John Grisham’s legal thrillers, but it would also be unfair. Connelly is not content to take one-dimensional characters and set them in motion in a page-turning plot. He reveals Haller’s personal demons as he struggles to deal with a failed marriage  and a daughter he rarely sees. In the end, Connelly has created a most unusual character: a lawyer who’s  sympathetic.”
— Don O’Briant, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Normally I am not a fan of the legal thriller. The novels tend to have standard, formula plots and lets face it, books about lawyers are usually boring. But it should come as no surprise to fans of Mr. Connelly that The Lincoln Lawyer is outstanding and impossible to put down. …Connelly makes The Lincoln Lawyer a thriller on many levels with great insight into how the legal system works in LA. Michael’s novels are the state of the art and do not miss this one, the start of a new series.”
— Richard Katz, Mystery One Bookstore

“The Lincoln in question is one of a fleet in which Mickey Haller rides while doing business on the sleazier side of L.A. law. What’s amazing about Michael Connelly is how much he continues to learn about the art of narrative from book to book. Each one is better than the last. And this one is — pardon me — a real Cadillac.”
— Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly, Best Books of 2005

“…Connelly presents a fascinating look at how defense lawyers below the Johnnie Cochran level operate—as well as a compelling mystery that has more sudden turns than Mulholland Drive.”
— Entertainment Weekly

“”Lincoln Lawyer” is Connelly’s first try at a legal thriller – a wildly popular genre of mostly trashy, badly written books filled with cardboard characters. It is a genre in which his talent immediately stands out. …it’s a page-turner. …”Lincoln Lawyer” has the look of what could be the first book in a series featuring Mickey Haller. And, since Connelly has chosen to make Haller and Bosch distant relatives, don’t be surprised if lawyer and cop eventually end up in the same book, working opposite sides of the street in what Mickey calls “a world without truth.”
— Bruce DeSilva, Associated Press

“Beware of picking up Michael Connelly’s “The Lincoln Lawyer.” You won’t want to put it down until you’ve navigated its rapids to the end. …Entangled in Haller’s imbroglios, you’ll find yourself reading far into the night. That’s the trouble with this book: It grips and holds.”
— Eugen Weber, Los Angeles Times

“Connelly, author of the best-selling Harry Bosch police procedurals, proves he can handle even the legal thriller genre with this intricate and cynical look into the criminal justice system.”
— Jeff Ayers, Library Journal

“”The Lincoln Lawyer” smokes with intrigue as Connelly makes himself at home – and welcome – in another genre.”
—Sherryl Connelly, New York Daily News

“Is there nothing Michael Connelly can’t do? After taking ownership of police procedurals with his Harry Bosch series, Connelly tries his hand at a Scott Turow-style legal thriller. And he nails it. …Connelly’s work has it all — sharply drawn, engaging characters, snappy dialogue and a plot that moves like a shot of Red Bull. As with Turow, he also understands that a good legal thriller is primarily about the law, not lawyers acting like crime-fighters. It’s amazing how many authors seem to forget that.”
—David Lazarus, San Francisco Chronicle

“The Lincoln Lawyer is Connelly’s first legal thriller and is one of the best novels he has written, if not the best.”
— Carol Memmott, USA TODAY

“Mr. Connelly instead delivers a murder mystery that’s easy to digest in a single sitting. Just like a last meal!”
— Gregg Braverman, Maxim

“It’s Connelly at the top of his game, with a plot as solid as cast iron and a crew of lively characters headed by a compelling narrator.”
— Adam Woog, The Seattle Times

“Fans of Michael Connelly’s police mysteries will find his switch to legal thrillers just as satisfying in The Lincoln Lawyer.”
Parade Magazine, Parade Pick

“What happens in those final pages, as well as all the pages leading up to them, has the ring of truth. It’s not a pretty story, but the world in which Mickey Haller works isn’t a pretty place. Michael Connelly knows it all too well and writes about it with chilling authority. He’s not a “genre” novelist but the real thing, taking us into parts of the real America that most of our novelists never visit because they don’t even know where, or what, they are.”
— Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post

“Many a series sleuth has been sidelined by a gut shot so an author can wander off and explore a new genre. Sometimes all that results is a cookbook, but every so often that literary leap produces something remarkable, like Michael Connelly’s first legal thriller, THE LINCOLN LAWYER. Mastering the form on his first try, Connelly delivers a powerhouse drama fueled by cynicism and driven by a criminal defense lawyer named Michael Haller (“People call me Mickey”) who works for the scum of the earth and makes no apologies.”
— Marilyn Stasio, New York Times

The Lincoln Lawyer made the following Best Of Lists:
USA Today, Best Whodunit of 2005
Toronto Globe & Mail, Margaret Cannon, Top Dozen Titles Of 2005
Amazon.com, Best Books of 2005, Top 10 Editors’ Picks: Mystery & Thrillers
Christian Science Monitor, Best Books of 2005
People Magazine, 10 Great Reads, 2005
Entertainment Weekly. Stephen King’s Favorites of 2005
Chicago Tribune, “Best of 2005” Mysteries & Thrillers
Kansas City Star, Top Mysteries & Thrillers, 2005
Kansas City Star, “Cream of the Crop” Top 10, 2005
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Oline Cogdill, Best Mysteries of 2005
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Best of 2005”
Seattle Times, Top 10 Thrillers of 2005
New York Sun, Otto Penzler, “Best of 2005
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Best of 2005
London Mirror, Thriller of the Year
Bookspan’s Best Of 2005, Best Suspense

The Lincoln Lawyer was nominated for the following awards:
The Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Allan Poe Award, Nominee for Best Novel of 2005
2005 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist (Mystery/Thriller Category)
The Richard & Judy Show Best Read of the Year Nominee, the British Book Awards
Mystery Ink’s Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller of 2005, Nominee
The Crime Writers’ Association’s Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, Nominee

The Lincoln Lawyer won the following awards:
The Mystery Readers International’s  Macavity Award for Best Novel
The Private Eye Writers of America’s Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel
The Jack Reacher Award from CrimeSpree Magazine, given out to the book they recommended to more people than anything else — a book that everyone would enjoy.

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