Every version of "The Lincoln Lawyer" dramatizes the legal world, be it the original books, the 2011 movie, or the Netflix "Lincoln Lawyer" series. The stories are fiction — there's no doubt about that. But even so, Michael Connelly did take inspiration from real-life casework, imparted to him through stories from his good friend Dan Daly.
"When Mike [Connelly] moved to Tampa around 2001, I think, I routinely invited him to join my partner, Roger Mills, and I for cocktails after work," Daly told Tudum. "Roger and I and other lawyers who joined us would tell war stories about cases we handled because that's what lawyers do when they get together. Mike paid attention and took notes on napkins."
Clearly, hanging around a bunch of veteran attorneys paid off in the storytelling department. "The Lincoln Lawyer" spawned a franchise that's become one of Connelly's biggest hits, which is really saying something for an author who's sold over 85 million books.
As for the famous on-the-road format of Connelly's Mickey Haller novels, Daly says it's not so far from the truth. "There is nothing at all absurd about working out of the back of a car," the veteran lawyer told Tudum. "I took cases in Fort Myers years ago. Although I drove myself, I listened to audio tapes of statements and recorded events, such as drug deals. I also made phone calls that I needed to make. There was very little time that wasn't billed while I was driving."
