Nobody wants to read about the honest lawyer down the street who does real estate loans and wills. If you want to sell books, you have to write about the interesting lawyers - the guys who steal all the money and take off. That's the fun stuff.

My mum was never too keen on TV, so we kids all went to the library and got books out. Right from the start, I loved the works of Mark Twain. Every time I read about Tom Sawyer, I'd go out and do something low-level naughty, just like him.

All students enter law school with a certain amount of idealism and desire to serve the public, but after three years of brutal competition we care for nothing but the right job with the right firm where we can make partner in seven years and earn big bucks.

Keeping a guy in prison costs 50,000 bucks a year. Executing one costs a couple million.

You burn a man's pickup, and he's ready for war.

I learned that lesson a long time ago. When you write popular fiction, you're going to get bashed by critics.

There are few things in life worse than a long-winded lawyer.