Is The Lincoln Lawyer Based On A True Story?

Netflix’s newest legal drama, The Lincoln Lawyer, has been received amazingly by its viewers, quickly climbing Netflix’s ratings and managing to reach number one in Netflix’s top 10 TV programmes in the UK. 

After its great reception it has left fans wondering where this amazing new series has come from. Enthusiasts of the crime/legal drama genre will have heard of The Lincoln Lawyer before, with both a novel by Michael Connelly that released in 2005 and a 2011 film that starred Matthew McConaughey sharing the same name. 

So what is this new series based on; The original book series? The 2011 film? Or a true story?

Is The Lincoln Lawyer A True Story?

As cool as it would be for Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s suave yet fearless character, Mickey Haller, to be based off of a real individual; he sadly is not. 

The Lincoln Lawyer is completely based off of the novel series written by American crime writer Michael Connelly. This Netflix adaptation is in fact based solely off the second novel in Connelly’s series, The Brass Verdict. Although it shares the name, it is not at all connected to the 2011 film that shares the same title. McConaughey’s film is instead adapted using the first of Connelly’s novels. 

Michael Connelly’s Book Series

Michael Connelly specialises in detective novels, but with The Lincoln Lawyer series he expands his literature into the world of legal drama. In this series, readers are introduced to the cynical criminal defence attorney Micheal Haller, who is nicknamed the ‘Lincoln lawyer’ as he is often seen conducting his business out of the back of a Lincoln car. There are six books in this series, with each delivering a huge new legal case for Mickey to face. 

With Netflix’s new drama, The Lincoln Lawyer being adapted from Conelly’s The Brass Verdict, it follows the same main plotline and uses the same characters. However, it modernises the events of the book to fit with the current technological era. 

Although the newest enigmatic attorney may not be based on a true story, it doesn't take away from the success of David E. Kelly’s new series The Lincoln Lawyer. So if you haven't seen it already, be sure to get yourself on Netflix and give it a watch!

Topics: Netflix, TV and Film, Matthew McConaughey

Ed Arnold

Ed is a journalist who likes to write about movies. He can also be found playing Rugby.