Famous American Lawyers & Judges

A self-educated lawyer, Abraham Lincoln rose from modest background to become one of the greatest presidents of America. The 16th president of the country, who is also known as Honest Abe and the Great Emancipator, played a crucial role in establishing a truly democratic government, abolished slavery, modernised economy and led the country during the American Civil War.

An attorney, Robert Kardashian gained national recognition as O. J. Simpson's defense attorney during Simpson's infamous murder trial in 1995. Even though he was friends with Simpson at the time of the trial, he stopped talking to him later on. He was once married to Kris Kardashian and fathered Kourtney, Kimberly, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian with her.

The first Jewish woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. An advocate for gender equality and women's rights, she spent the majority of her legal career championing these causes. She remained professionally active until her death in 2020.

Ted Cruz is the US Senator from Texas since 2013. He also made a bid for the presidential office in 2016 when he threw in his hat for the nominee from the Republican party but ended as a runner-up and later on endorsed the Republican party candidate Donald Trump, who was ultimately elected President. 

A politician and attorney, Beau Biden was the eldest child of politician Joe Biden. As a little boy, he was severely injured in a car accident in which his mother and sister perished. He overcame several challenges to become a successful attorney. However, fate was cruel to him and he died of brain cancer at the age of 46.

Brett Kavanaugh started serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US after being nominated by Donald Trump in 2018. Interestingly, Christine Blasey Ford accused him of sexually abusing her in the 1980s. Three other women also claimed that they were sexually assaulted by Brett, with one woman recanting her accusation later. Brett has denied all the accusations.

American politician Rudy Giuliani, who served as the Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, received major attention and praise for his handling of crisis in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in his city. He was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in December 2001 for his efforts. However, there have also been allegations of corruption against him.

American journalist Ronan Farrow played a major role in reporting the sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein. His work, which was published in The New Yorker, earned the magazine the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. He is also responsible for exposing allegations against personalities like jurist Brett Kavanaugh, media executive Les Moonves, and politician Eric Schneiderman.

The second African-American justice to serve on the Supreme Court of America, the appointment of Clarence Thomas in 1991 was controversial. He was accused of sexual harassment by lawyer Anita Hill in public hearings, but was eventually cleared. He is on the conservative side of the court and has been criticised by liberals for opposing issues like gay marriage.

Scalia played an important role as an associate justice of the US Supreme Court for 30 years. Not only was he regarded as one of the most important justices in the history of the court, but he was also considered one of the most influential jurists of the 20th century. He was posthumously honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A lawyer, law professor, political analyst and a civil rights activist, Maya Harris’s list of achievements is huge. One of the youngest in the US to become a law school dean, Maya Harris has worked with Hillary Clinton and her own sister Kamala Harris in their respective presidential campaigns.

Jeff Sessions is an American lawyer and politician. An important member of the Republican Party, Sessions was the 84th US Attorney General, serving under President Donald Trump's administration. Throughout his political career, Jeff Sessions has played important roles, such as co-sponsoring the bill to award the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal to civil rights movement activist Rosa Parks.

The 27th president of the United States, William Howard Taft also served as the tenth Chief Justice of the US; he is the only person in the history of the US to have held both the offices. He had a great impact as chief justice and has been regarded as the greatest US chief justices of all time.

Marcia Clark is best known as the lead prosecutor of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. She has also written several books, including novels from the Rachel Knight series and the Samantha Brinkman series and a non-fiction about the Simpson case. She has also written crime articles for The Daily Beast.

A well-known environmental attorney and an activist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has tirelessly worked for prosecuting governments and companies responsible for polluting environment and waterbodies like the Long Island Sound and Hudson River. Moreover, he has written books and articles on issues affecting the environment. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s work have won him prestigious awards and inspired numerous films and documentaries. 

The first African-American member of the US Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall was an associate justice from 1967 to 1991. Earlier as an attorney, he fought for the abolishment of racial segregation in American public schools. He was also a strong proponent of individual rights. A symbol of black icon, there are numerous memorials in America to honour his legacy.

Jeanine Pirro is an American TV host and author. Over the years, she has made important contributions to The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, a syndicated morning talk show. As a former prosecutor and New York State judge, Jeanine Pirro played an important role in several cases involving crimes against the elderly and domestic abuse.

Sonia Sotomayor, the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of America, entered the record books when in August 2009 she became the first Hispanic and the fourth woman to be appointed to the court. She’s a strong defendant of the rights of accused and has raised her voice against misdemeanors by the police and the prosecutors, and abuses in prisons.

One of the most famous American lawyers, Alan Dershowitz is known for handling high profile cases. In 1995, he was part of the Dream Team on the O. J. Simpson murder trial. He has also been part of the defense team for cases involving personalities like Donald Trump. He has written many books about law and politics.

Bob Dole is an American retired politician who remains active in public life. Before commencing his political career, Dole served in the United States Army during World War II. For his service in the army and later as a politician, Bob Dole has been honored with several prestigious awards, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Presidential Citizens Medal.

Sandra Day O’Connor is a retired attorney who became the first woman to serve as the associate justice of the Supreme Court of the US when she took office in 1981. While serving as the associate justice, O’Connor was considered one of the most powerful women in the world. In 2009, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Judith Sheindlin is a prosecution lawyer, television personality, and author. Since 1996, she has been presiding over her own arbitration reality court show Judge Judy, which has won four Daytime Emmy Awards. The longest-serving judge in the history of the courtroom-themed program, Judith Sheindlin was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Emmy for her work.

Bill Cinton was the 42nd president of the United States who served for two terms from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president in the American history and presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history. The second-term of his presidency was rocked by the infamous Monica Lewinsky sex-scandal for which he was impeached and later acquitted.

Roy Cohn was an American lawyer who played a major role during the 1954 Army–McCarthy hearings where he served as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel. He also mentored Donald Trump during his early business career. After his death, Roy Cohn inspired the development of several fictional characters.