Controversial Star Trial Lawyer Johnnie Cochran, Jr. Passes at 67
Celebrity Lawyer Cochran Ushered in the Court TV Era With High-Profile Wins
By Juliana J. Bolden
Charismatic star trial lawyer Johnnie Cochran Jr. died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. His family said the 67-year-old defense attorney succumbed to a brain tumor. Cochran, who helped to clear O.J. Simpson of murder charges during one of the most sensational, caustic criminal trials ever, will be most remembered for his infamous quote: “If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.”
His family noted in a statement that while Cochran's career will largely be marked by ‘celebrity’ cases and clientele—in addition to O.J. Simpson, he also represented such celebrities as Michael Jackson and Sean Combs— they are “most proud of the work he did on behalf of those in the community.” Of winning scores of police brutality and abuse cases for ordinary citizens, he said, “The clients I've cared about the most are the No Js, the ones who nobody knows.”
A gifted orator known for his distinct personal style and often brightly-colored fashions, Cochran remained in demand not only as an attorney, but as a television regular. He hosted Court TV programs and served as legal commentator on major broadcast networks everywhere. He was parodied on South Park and Seinfeld, and also played himself on JAG and The Hughleys.
Born Oct. 2, 1937, in Shreveport, La., Cochran came to Los Angeles with his family in 1949. One of two dozen black students integrated into Los Angeles High School in the 1950s, he idolized Thurgood Marshall, the African-American attorney who persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to outlaw school segregation in the pivotal Brown vs. Board of Education case and eventually became the Supreme Court's first black justice.
In his autobiography, A Lawyer's Life, the UCLA and Loyola graduate wrote of Justice Marshall, “I didn't know too much about what a lawyer did, or how he worked, but I knew that if one man could cause this great stir, then the law must be a wondrous thing.” Cochran continued, “A single dedicated man could use the law to change society.”