The Lincoln Lawyer, author Michael Connelly's 16th novel, introduces readers to a criminal defense lawyer called Mickey Haller. Mickey practices law out of his Lincoln town car driven by one of his clients who is working off his legal fees (many of Mickey's drivers have been former clients who have been unable to pay). One day, Mickey is approached to represent a wealthy man called Louis Roulet. This is a change of pace for Mickey; he typically represents drug dealers and gangsters. Initially, Mickey thinks that Mr. Roulet was set up. But Haller eventually determines that Roulet did, in fact, commit the crime. Mickey outmaneuvers Roulet, who is convicted, and helps to free a man called Jesus Menendez.
The Lincoln Lawyer was adapted into a film of the same name, which was released in 2011 and starred Matthew McConaughey. The film was both a financial and critical success. In his positive review for the film, renowned film critic Leonard Maltin wrote that "The Lincoln Lawyer is a well-crafted, well-cast adaptation of Michael Connelly's best-selling novel, shot on interesting Los Angeles locations." The novel was used as inspiration for a television series of the same name, which was released in 2022 on the streaming platform Netflix. The television series received generally positive reviews.
