Brian Steel’s lore is second to none. The Atlanta-based lawyer is currently representing Sean Diddy Combs in his high profile sex-trafficking trial, but although it may be one of the trials of the century (it's got stiff competition), that’s not what put Steel on the map. You may recognize Steele’s face from fashion campaigns, or his name from a Drake song.
Steel featured in the campaign after representing Young Thug when he was on trial for gang, drug, and gun charges, in the longest (and possibly most chaotic) trial in Georgia’s history. It was that trial that also sparked his name being dropped in Drake song title “Brian Steel”, and him starring in a campaign for Thug’s fashion line SP5DER. The campaign sees Thug on a ‘90s era flip phone in the back of a car, decked out in a full SP5DER tracksuit—not exactly the kind of content you’d expect of a 59-year-old former tax lawyer and family man. In other words, Steel is a celebrity in his own right: having intentionally or unintentionally parlayed his successful law career into becoming somewhat of an icon on the U.S. rap scene.
But celebrity lawyers are nothing new. High profile cases have existed throughout history, and with them, interest in the lawyers trying them. During the trial of alleged communists Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in the 1950s, prosecutor Roy Cohn (who was recently played by Jeremy Strong in “The Apprentice”) rose to international fame. Then in 1995, when OJ Simpson was on trial for the murder of his wife and her friend, his attorney Robert Kardashian became a household name—and tabloid fodder.
But the amplification of celebrity culture put the lawyer-to-fame pipeline on steroids. A$AP Rocky’s lawyer Joe Tacopina is so prolific in rap culture he even has his own A$AP mob name —A$AP Joe. It doesn't hurt that lawyers with celebrity aspirations now have access to social media, allowing them to advertise their services and create a brand surrounding their personality. A$AP Joe, for one, has an Instagram account where he shares screenshots of articles he's mentioned in, alongside photos of himself and the football team he owns. Now, Kim Kardashian herself is documenting her law journey via both Instagram and “The Kardashians.”
But the rise of the celebrity lawyer also comes by dint of the publicization—and sensationalization— of court cases in general. High profile trials—or trials deemed to be in the public interest—have long been heavily covered by the media, and often televised (as the OJ Simpson trial was, undoubtedly mushrooming Robert Kardashian’s ascent to public figure status.) But in 2019, the courts went a step further and celebrity trials began being livestreamed. Think the Depp V Heard trial in 2022, which led Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez to gain a following of her own.
Of course, the sensationalizing of the law carries risk: during the Depp Vs Heard trial, memes likening the livestream to a TV series—the next episode of which was hotly awaited—did the rounds, while divisiveness arose between “team Heard” and “team Depp.” Lawyers in the public eye are also more at risk of threats, or worse, from an increasingly invested public.
The merging of the courts and the celebrity machine also threatens the judicial system itself. Lawyers who know they’re being watched are more likely to perform for an audience, and the more high profile a trial is, the more likely it is that jurors become familiar with it before it begins, which could potentially skew verdicts.
But lawsuits are entertaining: they've long been the subject of books and films, from “To Kill a Mockingbird” to “Twelve Angry Men” to “Legally Blonde,” and TV shows from “The Good Wife” to “Law and Order. ” And the majority of them idolize—and glamorize—their lawyer characters.
Given our increasingly intense parasocial relationships with celebrities, our perceived understanding of the legal system thanks to film and TV, and a media desperate for clicks covering trials heavily, the lawyer to celebrity pipeline is only strengthening.
Images courtesy of SP5DER©
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