Ever wondered who are the best lawyers in the world, check out this guide to find out the world’s top fifteen lawyers.
Every society in the world today needs the best and most qualified lawyers. It’s not just society that needs these lawyers, they are also needed to give legal advice and represent people in a court of law.
Law is a career that demands the best and most qualified individuals. And that brings us to the question, who are the world’s best lawyers?
Some of the best lawyers on the planet are mostly Americans. On this list, you will find names like John Branca, Willie E. Gary, and Amal Clooney.
In a moment, we are going to list other world’s famous lawyers, so sit tight and continue reading this guide.
Who Are the Best Lawyers in the World?
We can agree that Robert Leslie Shapiro and Willie E. Gary deserve to be on this list.
The famous American lawyer Shapiro was a member of the “Dream Team” of O.J. Simpson’s attorneys that defended him from the murder charges of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman in 1994.
Willie E. Gary is another famous American lawyer who is regarded as one of the United States’ most respected and accomplished lawyers.
These are just a few names on our list of the world’s top 15 lawyers.
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15 Best Layers in the World
Here is a list of the top fifteen lawyers in the world.
#1. Willie E. Gary
Born on July 12, 1947, American lawyer Willie E. Gary is the first name on our list of the best lawyers in the world.
Gary was in Eastman, Georgia. The American lawyers attended Shaw University. Willie went to Shaw University on a football scholarship. He graduated from Shaw University in 1971 and later earned his Juris Doctor degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Dubbed The Giant Killer, Willie won a $240 million verdict against American multinational and entertainment conglomerate Disney.
Willie E. Gary also filed a lawsuit against Raymond Loewen, after the Canadian businessman reneged on a contractual agreement with Mississippi funeral home operator, Jeremiah Joseph O’Keffe.
The American Bar Association awarded the “Giant Killer” the Spirit of Excellence award in Las Vegas back in 2019.
#2. Judy Sheindlin
If you are familiar with the American arbitration-based reality court show Judge Judy, I believe you already know Judith Susan Sheindlin.
Judith Susan was born on October 21, 1942, in Brooklyn New York and she attended America University in D.C. She is a media personality, television producer, author, and former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge.
In the mid-1960s, she passed the New York State Bar examination. After that, she was hired as a corporate lawyer for a cosmetic firm.
Sheindlin became a prosecutor in the New York family court system back in 1972. The famous American court shoe arbitrator prosecuted cases involving domestic violence, juvenile offenders and child abuse.
In 2019, Sheindlin received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy. She also set a Guinness World Record in 2015, after becoming the longest-serving television arbitrator in courtroom-themed programming history.
#3. John Branca
Next on our list of the best lawyers in the world is John Branca.
American entertainment lawyer John Gregory Branca was born on December 11, 1950, in Bronxville, New York. Branca moved to Los Angeles at a very young age where he started a rock band.
Branca majored in music at Los Angeles City College before he transferred to Occidental College. After he graduated, Branca enrolled at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law.
He served as editor-in-chief of one of the law reviews at UCLA School of Law. Branca received his degree from UCLA School of Law in 1975.
When the late pop star Michael Jackson sacked his father as manager, Branca was hired as manager of Jackson’s career. The famous American entertainment lawyers helped the late pop star to purchase ATV Music Publishing back in 1985.
Branca is still the co-executor of the Michael Jackson Estate.
#4. Amal Clooney
Born on February 3, 1978, Lebanese and British barrister Amal Clooney is 9one of the best lawyers in the world.
Clooney’s clients include former president of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, former prime minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, Iraqi activist Nadia Murad, and founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange.
Clooney is married to one of the wealthiest Hollywood actors, George Clooney. She attended St Hugh’s College, Oxford and New York University School of Law. She also worked at Sullivan & Cromwell as part of the Criminal Defence and Investigation Group.
In 2002, Clooney was admitted to the bar in New York and also called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2010.
Clooney completed a judicial clerkship at the International Court of Justice, where she served under Judge Vladlen S. Vereshchetin, Judge Sir Franklin Berman, and Judge Nabil Elaraby.
#5. Harish Salve
Salve is an Indian senior advocate who served as the solicitor general of the country from 1999 to 2003. Salve also practices at the Supreme Court of India.
The Indian also worked with the former attorney general of India Soli Sorabjee between 1980 and 1986.
Salve declined to be nominated for a second three-year term in 2002. He declined the nomination due to personal reasons.
Harish Salve was admitted to the English Bar in 2013. Indian Today magazine included Salve in India’s 50 Most Powerful People of 2017 list.
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#6. Roy Black
American criminal defence trial attorney Roy Black is one of the best lawyers in the world. The American lawyer was born on February 17, 1945, in New York City, New York.
Black obtained an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami in 1967. He also earned his Juris Doctor at the University of Miami School of Law.
The American lawyer is currently a partner in Black Srebnick and also serves as an adjunct instructor of criminal evidence at the University of Miami School of Law.
Roy Black also provides legal commentary for different NBC news shows. He once won an acquittal for a client charged with bribing a tennis coach at Georgetown University.
#7. David Boies
Born on March 11, 1941, David Boies is an American lawyer and chairman of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, a national law firm in New York City.
Boies attended and graduated from Fullerton Union High School. From 1960 to 1962, Boies attended the University of Redland. He later obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University in 1964.
In 1966, Boies earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Yale Law School. He also received an LL.M. degree from the New University School of Law in 1967.
The American lawyer was awarded an honorary LL.D. from the University of Redlands. Currently, Boies serves on the board of trustees of the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Boies became a famous American lawyer, after prosecuting Microsoft in United States v, Microsoft. He also represented various clients including one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims Virginia Roberts Gluffre and former film producer and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein.
#8. Robert Shapiro
Next on our list of the best lawyers in the world is Robert Leslie Shapiro.
Born on September 2, 1942, Robert Leslie is an American lawyer who is widely recognized for being the short-term defence lawyer of Erick Menendez.
Shapiro was also a member of the Dream Team of O.J Simpson’s attorney that defended him from the murder charges of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman.
Robert Shapiro attended and graduated from Hamilton High School in 1961. He also obtained a J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1968, after earning a bachelor of science at UCLA.
In 1969, Robert Leslie Shapiro was admitted to the State Bar of California. Shapiro represented several American athletes including O.J. Simpson, Jose Canesco, Vice Colman, and Darryl Strawberry.
Shapiro also represented the Kardashians, Johnny Carson, Christian Brando, F. Lee Bailey, and Linda Lovelace.
#9. Mark Geragos
American criminal defence lawyer Mark John Geragos is the managing partner of Geragos & Geragos in Los Angeles.
The American lawyer was born on October 5, 1957, in Los Angeles, California. Geragos obtained a bachelor’s degree from Haverford University in 1979.
In 1982, Geragos earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School at Loyola Marymount University. A year later, Geragos was admitted to the State Bar of California.
Geragos has represented several clients including NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield, Gary Condit, Scoot Barney, and Scott Peterson.
The American lawyer also defended Winona Ryder on the charges of stealing over $5,500 from a Beverly Hills store back in 2001.
#10. Alan Dershowitz
American lawyer Alan Dershowitz is one of the best lawyers in the world.
The former law professor was born on September 1, 1938, in New York. Dershowitz is best known for his work in U.S. constitutional law and American criminal law.
Alan attended Brooklyn College, where he received his A.B. in 1959. He also studied at Yale Law School and was the editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal.
Dershowitz won 13 out of the 15 murder and attempted murder cases he handled. He has also represented top celebrities such as Mike Tyson, Patty Hearst, Julian Assange, and Jim Bakker.
#11. Jose Baez
Born on September 17, 1970, Jose Baez is an American criminal defence lawyer who is best known for representing high-profile defendants.
Baez studied at Miami Dade Community College before transferring to Florida State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1997, Baez received his J.D. degree from St. Thomas University School of Law.
Jose was in the U.S. Navy for three years before enrolling at Miami Dade Community College. Baez remains one of the best lawyers in the world.
#12. Kristen Gillibrand
Born on December 9, 1966, Kristen Elizabeth Gillibrand is an American politician and lawyer.
Gillibrand grew up in upstate New York. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College and later got her J.D. from UCLA School of Law. Kristen also passed her bar examination in 1991.
The American lawyer joined Davis Polk & Wardwell, a firm law in Manhattan, New York. Gillibrand took a leave from the Manhattan-based law firm Davis Polk to serve as a law clerk to the late Judge Roger Miner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Albany.
Gillibrand is currently serving as a U.S. senator from New York.
#13. Lynn Toler
American lawyers Lynn Toler is a judge television arbitrator and TV presenter. She was born on October 25, 1959, in Columbus Ohio.
In 1981, Toler obtained an undergraduate degree in English and American Literature from Harvard University. Three years later, she earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
The American lawyer replaced Andrew Napolitano as judge of the non-traditional court show Power of Attorney. However, she experienced more success after becoming the arbitrating judge over Divorce Court, one of the longest-syndicated programs of all time.
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#14. Jerry Brown
American lawyer Jerry Brown was born on April 7, 1938, in San Francisco, California. Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. is also an author and a politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California.
Brown attended both the University of California, Berkeley and Yale University. He began his career as a politician in the late 1960s, serving as a member of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees.
Brown was elected as governor of California in 1971 at the age of 36. He was re-elected to office as governor of California in 2011.
Brown also served as the 31st Attorney General of California, making him one of the best lawyers in the world as he can help anyone get, even a National Pardon.
#15. Thomas Mesereau
American lawyer Thomas Arthur Mesereau Jr. is best known for defending the late pop star Michael Jackson in his child molestation trial in 2005.
Mesereau attended Harvard University, the London School of Economics, and the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.
Thomas Mesereau has also represented other celebrities such as Mike Tyson, Robert Blake, Claudia Haro, Bill Cosby and Marion “Suge” Knight.
Conclusion
With Thomas Mesereau Jr. we wrap up our list of the best lawyers in the world. Other names on this list won several cases and represented top American celebrities and former world leaders.
We hope this article on the world’s best lawyers was helpful.