In preparation for the upcoming release of Killer Weed, I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite lawyer jokes. If you follow the series, you know that I always include at least one joke in the Merit Bridges Legal Thrillers. Sometimes the jokes are lighthearted, and sometimes downright cruel, but always funny. A case in point:
A man was sent to hell for his sins. As he was being led into the pits of torment, he saw a lawyer passionately kissing a beautiful woman. “What a joke!” he said. “I have to roast in flames for all eternity and that lawyer gets to spend it with that beautiful woman.” Satan jabbed the man with his pitchfork and snarled, “Who are you to question that woman’s punishment?”
I bet you laughed, and I’m guessing you could tell me a good one, too. All jokes aside, when we, or a loved one is in trouble, it’s serious business. We rely on lawyers for defense and salvation. Knowing that trouble could come to all of us, and feeling that emotion, as we read a good legal thriller, makes the stories come alive and hit close to home.
“Equal Justice Under the Law”, the words, inscribed on the U.S. Supreme Court Building in D.C., are written in the 14th Amendment and declare that no persons shall be denied “equal protection.” But let’s be honest, justice is a fickle moral concept, fluid, always changing based on circumstances. Knowing that, we, as readers, hang on every word to see if the attorney character will find justice, or if her client will be lost, as we might be if we were in the quagmire of the justice system.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a book written over 60 years ago, is still sitting on Amazon’s Top 100 bestsellers list. The novels, The Firm, by John Grisham and The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly, have held their own on the bestselling lists for months. These stories endure because they capture the essence of the human struggle for justice and the moral dilemmas faced by those who navigate the legal world. They remind us that behind every joke and every courtroom drama lies a profound truth about the human condition.
So, as you prepare to dive into Killer Weed, remember that while the jokes may lighten the mood, the stakes in the world of legal thrillers are always high. The quest for justice is a journey filled with twists and turns, mirroring the unpredictable nature of real-life legal battles.
And, to leave on a more lighthearted note, here’s one more ‘Lawyer Walks Into a Bar’ joke for you (I cleaned it up a little.):
A man sits at a bar and repeats over and over, “Lawyers are jerks. Lawyers are jerks….”
Eventually, the bartender approaches him and asks him to stop.
“Why, are you a lawyer?”
“No, I’m a jerk!”
Happy Reading,
Manning
