Narayan Radhakrishnan's Interview with
Stephen M. Murphy
Author of
Their Word is Law

Narayan :
Plaintiffs Trial Lawyer Stephen M. Murphy, a devotee of the courtroom thriller & the legal thriller genre, has recently published a wonderful collection of interviews he conducted with 31 lawyer-authors.

How does it feel to be on the other side, as an interviewee instead of an interviewer?

Stephen :
Actually, it feels a bit strange. Although an Interview is less pressured than a live one, like those in my book, I find myself thinking about all the ramifications of my answers. In particular, I wonder if I've answered the question directly, accurately, & intelligently. I've a gained a lot more appreciation for what my subjects have to go through when I interview them.

Narayan :
Their Word is Law, I believe, is a labor of passion & love of the legal thriller genre. When did you first get the idea of such a compilation?

Stephen :
Since 1989 I have published three or four interviews a year with lawyer-authors, mostly in the local Bar Association magazine. Around 1998-99 I got a lot of requests from local lawyers to interview authors I had interviewed years before. That's when I first got the idea of a compilation, so that those readers who had not read the magazine interviews (i.e. most of the world) would be able to read them all together.

Narayan :
Your first interview was with Scott Turow, when the legal thriller rage hadn't yet started. Did you ever imagine that legal thrillers would become the “in-thing” in popular mystery fiction as seen today? What do you think is the reason for the current popularity of the genre?

Stephen :
No. Like many, I thought it was a fad that would pass. When I published my first series of interviews (of Scott Turow, John Mortimer, & John Martel), I thought I had pretty much exhausted the supply of lawyer-authors. Then I would hear or read about another one, & add him or her to my interview list. Pretty soon my list was overflowing, & I realized I would never exhaust the supply.

Having read hundreds of legal thrillers over the years, I now believe that the genre is here to stay. The reason, I believe, is simple: the law is fascinating. What other profession has at its heart such ongoing conflict, two sides fighting it out in the search for Truth & justice? These are the elements of good fiction too, so the story of law (what I call a “lawstery”) is a natural fit for good storytelling. Add in the elements of mystery & engaging characters, & there is no reason the genre will die.

The current popularity of legal fiction stems, I believe, from Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent. That book had such an overwhelming effect on many readers (including lawyers) that it has become the standard by which all others are judged. That is not to say that there was no legal fiction before Presumed Innocent. Erle Stanley Gardner made a good living writing the Perry Mason mysteries many years ago. There are many others also: Robert Traver, John Mortimer, Harold Q. Masur, & Michael Gilbert come to mind. Perhaps movies & TV have spurred the current popularity to levels not seen before. Most of Grisham's books have been turned into popular movies. Court TV has brought real trials into viewers' living rooms. With each noteworthy court case, the appetite for more legal fiction will be whetted.

Narayan :
Did you follow any particular criterion for the persons selected for interviews, other than the fact that they were lawyers? I ask because you have in your compilation Louis Auchincloss -- who hates the adage, lawyer-author, as well as Grisham, Turow, Martini, Patterson & Scottoline, the acknowledged masters of the legal thriller genre; Walter Walker, who has called it a day, & Alfredo Vea -- whom I believe is little known outside US.

Stephen :
The first criterion was that the author also be a lawyer. Partly, this was for a very practical reason. The magazine that published the interviews was a lawyers' trade magazine. The editors would not continue publishing the interviews unless the subjects related to law & lawyers. At first, I tried to interview lawyer-authors who were either well-known or local (which includes both Walter Walker & Alfredo Vea). Again, for practical reasons of publication.

As time went on, & my space in the magazine became more secure, I sought out lesser known writers. There was no particular criteria for choosing them. Some were referred by other lawyers; others I read reviews on or saw their books in the bookstore. In each case, however, I made it a point to read the author's latest book. Because I practice law full-time, that necessarily limited the number of books I could read, as well as the number of authors I could interview. As I say in my Introduction to Their Word Is Law, I know I have omitted a number of fine lawyer authors, but I hope to remedy that some day.

Narayan :
Is there a Part 2 of Their Word Is Law in the offing, of those lawyer-writers of the new millennium -- like D.W. Buffa, Sheldon Siegel, Stephen L. Carter (actually a law professor), & the O'Shaughnessy sisters, et al?

Stephen :
Yes. I am working on Part 2. I have actually completed interviews of Sheldon Siegel, Philip Margolin, Brad Meltzer, Stephen L. Carter, & others. If Their Word Is Law sells well, then I'm hoping my publisher, Berkley, will make me.

Narayan :
I understand that you have also authored a couple of short stories. Any idea of joining the legal thriller writer bandwagon? Can we expect a Stephen Murphy legal thriller in the near future?

Stephen :
Actually, I have completed one novel & am mid-way through a second. I am finding, however, that it is much more difficult to sell fiction than nonfiction. The typical response I get from agents, is that the novel is well-written, but “we think we'd have a hard time selling it with such a glut” in the (legal fiction) market. I think they're wrong, & will keep trying.

Narayan :
Were you influenced by the writings of any of your interviewees while writing your novel?

Stephen :
I got the idea for the first novel in the early 1980s when I was working for the trial court in the State of New Hampshire. I had the opportunity to watch a murder trial, & was fascinated by the way the case unfolded. I actually started taking notes at that time in anticipation of writing a novel. So I wasn't influenced to write the novel by my interviewees; however, I certainly was encouraged by their successes, to pick up my novel & finish it.

It is a legal thriller/courtroom drama in which I have tried to implement the lessons I learned from my many interviews of lawyer authors. Set in the old mill city of Manchester, New Hampshire, the novel is the story of the murder of a football star at a local college who has been hiding a deep secret from his past. The protagonist is a criminal defense attorney who renews an acquaintance with a childhood friend, only to discover that the friend may not be the person he once knew, & may even be involved in the murder. I wouldn't want to characterize it as “like” any other author's work, though you could guess what I was striving for based on those authors I most admire.

Narayan :
Almost a standard question in a lawyer interview. In what way have your trial experience helped you in writing, be it the novels or while conducting interviews with acclaimed lawyer-writers?

Stephen :
My trial experience & fiction writing seem to complement each other. In preparing for trial, I consider many of the same issues as an author:
What is my theme?
Are my witnesses (characters) believable?
Have I structured the case to win over the jury at the beginning?
Have I delivered what I promised?
I could go on & on but I think you get the idea. A trial & a novel are both stories: the mechanics differ but the underlying strategies are quite similar.

Narayan :
I understand you have started a website on legal thrillers. Tell me what is the objective of this site. Is it intended to be a site for reviews of legal thrillers, news on legal-fiction etc., or is it just a site intended to share your passion of the legal thriller genre with others?

Stephen :
LawyersWriting.com has several purposes. The primary one is to share my passion for legal fiction with others. In addition to publishing the interviews that comprise Their Word Is Law, I have also written reviews of legal fiction, short stories, & essays. Although many have been published in magazines, a web site really is the only way to keep them alive so others can enjoy reading them. Visitors can read these items & also order copies of the books mentioned directly through the site, which links right to Amazon.com. I'm hoping the revenue from these sales will cover the costs of building & maintaining the site.

Another purpose is to provide a forum for lawyer authors to publish their own work. I wanted LawyersWriting.com to reflect the diversity of legal fiction, so I have opened it up for submissions by others. I have received a few pieces now, that I am considering. They will probably be posted sometime this Fall.

Narayan :
This one is for the connoisseur of the legal thriller genre. You have interviewed more than 30 authors, read more than 100 legal thrillers -- your top ten books in this genre are?

Stephen :
I hesitate to list my top ten books because the list is never static. It changes depending on what I've read lately. I will say that two of my favorite legal authors are Scott Turow (not surprisingly) & Richard Dooling. I would recommend that everyone read at least Turow's Presumed Innocent & Personal Injuries & Dooling's White Man's Grave & Brain Storm.

Narayan :
Thanks, Mr. Murphy. Looking forward to seeing Part 2 of this superb compilation, & best wishes with your legal thrillers.

Do catch my Review of Stephen M. Murphy's Their Word is Law -- I hope it makes you go out & buy yourself a copy!



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Narayan Radhakrishnan
(Published October 06, 2002)