15 influential and famous lawyers that you should know about in 2024

15 influential and famous lawyers that you should know about in 2024

Law is a career that is an essential component of society because it plays a crucial role in the execution of justice. It is such an honourable career that people, enterprises, authorities, and other institutions highly appreciate even the least essential legal advice. With the rise in crime and commercial operations, the value of skilled lawyers has grown exponentially, with some prominent and famous lawyers charging vast amounts of money for their services.

famous lawyers
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Lawyers frequently work extremely hard. A terrible case can ruin a lawyer's profession, but renowned lawyers in heritage have done a lot to make it on the ranking of the best lawyers in the world.

15 influential and famous lawyers and case types

Most ambitious lawyers enter the legal industry intending to make a difference worldwide by trying to fight for what is appropriate. Although each lawyer significantly impacts the lives of people and entire communities in specific ways, the following are the most famous lawyers in historical records.

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Willie E. Gary

who is the most powerful lawyer
Willie E. Gary, Famed Civil Rights Attorney during Hip-Hop Summit Action Network's First Annual Action Awards Benefit and Dinner - Inside in New York City, New York, United States. Photo: L. Busacca
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He is one of the most famous lawyers in the world. Willie is a personal injury and malpractice lawyer from the United States. Throughout his professional life, he was engaged in high-profile cases that gained national attention in major US newspapers. Intriguingly, he worked in various commercial and corporate jobs before entering the criminal justice system.

Judy Sheindlin

famous lawyers
In this screengrab, Judge Judy Sheindlin presents the award for Best Interview Feature at the 46th Annual Gracie Awards. Photo: Alliance for Women in Media Foundation
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Judy, also known as Judge Judy, is one of the most famous female lawyers and American prosecutors. She is also a famous author and television personality. She previously hosted her show, Judge Judy, and received four Emmy nominations.

Aside from having won high-profile cases, her interactions with the television industry helped her become a well-known figure. Lawyers and judges praised her thorough understanding of substantive and procedural criminal law.

John Branca

famous lawyers
John Branca attended the photocall of the movie "Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D and the making of Michael Jackson's Thriller". Photo: TIZIANA FABI
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He is a well-known American attorney. He practices entertainment law and also works as a manager. Throughout his professional life, John has represented investors, record labels, and media artists. He has collaborated with many well-known artists, including The Jackson 5, The Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, and numerous others.

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His engagement with Michael Jackson boosted his fame significantly. He is presently considered one of the world's finest entertainment lawyers. He is the first person to call when there is a dispute involving drama, music, or the audio sector.

Amal Clooney

Amal Clooney (née Alamuddin) is a British-Lebanese human rights lawyer, barrister and author who has made a name for herself in the field of international law and human rights. She is a partner at the London law firm Doughty Street Chambers, specialising in international law, criminal law, and human rights. She has represented clients such as Julian Assange, the former prime minister of Ukraine and the Enron Corporation.

Harish Salve

famous lawyers
Harish Salve, counsel for Reliance Industries Ltd., speaks to reporters after a hearing at the Supreme Court in New Delhi, India. Photo: Keith Bedford
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Harish Salve is an Executive Advocate at the Supreme Court of India and Queen's Counsel in the courts of England and Wales. He is a renowned arbitration counsel in the entire globe, and his practice includes commercial arbitration and litigation.

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He was India's Solicitor General and represented the country at the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. His other clients are Vodafone, Tata Group, ITC Limited, and others.

Roy Black

Roy Black is a civil and criminal defence trial lawyer in the United States. He is widely recognised for discharging William Kennedy Smith of r*pe case charges in 1991 and for representing conservative radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh.

He has represented other famous celebrities such as racer Hélio Castroneves, actor Kelsey Grammer, artist Peter Max, financier Jeffrey Epstein, Joe Francis, pop musician Justin Bieber and the creator of Girls Gone Wild. In addition, he is informally known as The Professor.

David Boies

famous lawyers
Attorney David Boies, representing several of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged victims, speaks to media members outside the federal court in New York, U.S. Photo: Peter Foley
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David Boies is the co-chair of the legal firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP in the United States. Boies gained national recognition after successfully prosecuting Microsoft in United States v. Microsoft Corp., representing Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore in Bush v. Gore.

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He successfully represented the plaintiff in Hollingsworth v. Perry, which nullified California Proposition 8 prohibiting same-sex marital relationships. David has also represented tobacco companies, Harvey Weinstein, Theranos, Jeffrey Epstein's victims, and Virginia Roberts Giuffre in American lawsuits.

Robert Shapiro

famous lawyers
Robert Shapiro attends the Women's Guild Cedars-Sinai Annual Gala at The Maybourne Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. Photo: Phillip Faraone
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He is one of the best lawyers in America. Robert is recognised throughout the United States as a civil litigator. He was first conceded to the California State Bar in the 1960s. His most notable role was as a legal team member for OJ Simpson, charged with murder.

He led an all-star legal team that fruitfully defended him against these claims. Later, he transitioned to civil work, co-founding LegalZoom, RightCounsel.com and ShoeDazzle, and making appearances in their television commercials.

Mark Geragos

famous lawyers
Attorney Mark Geragos speaks during a news conference after his client was ordered to remain in jail without bail for allegedly violating his probation. Photo: Kevork Djansezian
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Mark Geragos is a Los Angeles-based criminal defence attorney. Mark is the overseeing partner of Geragos & Geragos, a law firm that specialises in civil litigation and criminal defence.

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He served as one of the chief attorneys in two pioneering federal class-action lawsuits opposed to New York Life Insurance and AXA for insurance policies authorised during the Armenian mass killing of over 1.5 million Armenians in the early twentieth century. In 2004, and 2005, he settled the two cases for more than $37.5 million.

Alan Dershowitz

famous lawyers
Attorney Alan Dershowitz, a member of President Donald Trump's legal team, speaks to the press in the Senate Reception Room at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Photo: Mario Tama
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Alan Dershowitz is an erstwhile law professor and an American lawyer widely recognised for his roles in criminal law and American constitutional law. Dershowitz is well-known for carrying on high-profile cases. He won 13 of the 15 killings and attempted hom*cide cases he had addressed as a lawbreaker appellate lawyer by 2009.

Jose Baez

He is a criminal defence attorney and author from the United States. He is well-known for his work on behalf of high-profile accused such as Aaron Hernandez, Harvey Weinstein, Casey Anthony, and Mark Nordlicht.

He worked on criminal defence cases after receiving his license, along with the case of Elvira Garca, an unregistered Mexican immigrant alleged to have kidnapped a child she had embraced as her own. The court dismissed Garca's accusations after it was evident that the case was a civil custody dispute.

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Kirsten Gillibrand

famous lawyers
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand speaks during a press briefing with anti-gun activists on Foley Square. Photo: Lev Radin
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She is an American politician and lawyer who have served as the junior American Senator from New York as of 2009. She was a Democrat who served in the United States House of Representatives between 2007 and 2009.

Gillibrand has stated that her experience working at private law firms enabled her to consider taking on pro bono cases to defend mistreated women and their children and tenants pursuing safe housing after lead-based paint and dangerous conditions being discovered in their homes.

Lynn Toler

famous lawyers
TV Personality Judge Lynn Toler attends the 42nd Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards at The Universal Hilton Hotel in Universal City, California. Photo: Paul Archuleta
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She is a lawyer, judge, television arbitrator, and television presenter from the United States. Toler is primarily known for her position as an erstwhile arbitrator on Divorce Court, the longest-running courtroom television show.

She worked as a civil attorney for eight years before becoming the only municipal judge in Cleveland Heights Municipal Court. Her cases entailed all felony charge crimes, traffic violations, and minor civil costs within a 50,000-person inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio.

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Jerry Bown

famous lawyers
Former California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during the American Geophysical Union Conference in San Francisco, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan
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He is an author, politician and lawyer who served as California's 34th and 39th governors, respectively, from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. He was voted Secretary of State of California in 1970 as a participant of the Democratic Party.

Brown performed as Oakland's mayor from 1999 to 2007 and California's Attorney General from 2007 to 2011. Because of the 28-year difference between his second and third terms, he was the state's oldest and sixth-youngest governor. Despite his success, Jerry adds to the list of famous lawyers who failed the bar exam.

Thomas Mesereau

famous lawyers
Defence attorney Thomas Mesereau is leaving the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo
Source: Getty Images

He is a well-known American lawyer widely recognised for fruitfully defending Michael Jackson in his sexual misconduct trial in 2005 and representing several other celebrities.

Mesereau is well-known for his celebrity cases, but he is also a proponent of pro bono nonprofit legal assistance. He founded a legal clinic in Los Angeles and acknowledged one capital murder case annually on behalf of an accused in the Deep South who could not afford access to a lawyer.

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Who is one of the most famous human rights lawyers?

Fatou Bensouda, the International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor, is one of the world's most influential human rights lawyers today. Another one is Nelson Mandela. He was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary.

Who is the most famous lawyer?

Who is the most famous lawyer of all time? Abraham Lincoln. He was an American lawyer and politician who performed as the 16th President of America. Lincoln handled both civil and criminal cases for his clients.

Who is the most successful lawyer?

Sir Lionel Luckhoo. Between 1940 and 1985, the senior associate of Luckhoo and Luckhoo in Georgetown, Guyana, successfully obtained 245 consecutive murder-charge prosecutions.

Above are the most influential and famous lawyers in 2024. They have worked extremely hard to build a reputable and trustworthy reputation among their peers worldwide.

Yen.com.gh published a piece about the places to hang out in Accra. Accra, Ghana's capital city, is the residence of millions of Ghanaians and foreign nationals who appreciate the coastal city's tranquil environment and pleasant weather.

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There are numerous fun activities to do in Accra when in Ghana, including beach sports, games and sightseeing. Other exercises involve visiting kitchens, grills and exotic bars to sample regional and international dishes made with passion and dedication.

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Authors:
Tatiana Thiga avatar

Tatiana Thiga (Lifestyle writer) Tatiana Thiga is a content creator who joined Yen in 2022. She is an English literature graduate from Kenyatta University. She has amassed sufficient knowledge working on a variety of topics, including biographies, fashion and lifestyles, guides, and more. In 2023, Tatiana finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her at tatianathiga@gmail.com