Lawyers, Liars and the Art of Storytelling by Jonathan Shapiro

Lawyers, Liars and the Art of Storytelling by Jonathan Shapiro

Storytelling—what it is, why it matters, and how to use it—is not merely a comparison for legal advocacy; it is legal advocacy. And it extends far beyond jury trials or courtroom arguments—it informs nearly every aspect of a lawyer’s work.

Yet simply acknowledging storytelling’s importance isn’t enough. Lawyers must understand the fundamental structure and components of effective stories, how and why narratives influence people, and the timeless principles used by master storytellers for generations.

Lawyers, Liars, and the Art of Storytelling teaches how to persuade through narrative. Blending practical instruction with memoir, it offers insights drawn from years of trial experience and television writing—delivered through engaging, memorable stories rather than dry lectures.

About The Author:

Jonathan Shapiro is a former Counsel at Kirkland & Ellis and served as Chairman of the California Commission on Government Oversight and Efficiency. A graduate of Harvard University and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, he earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. After a decade as a federal prosecutor, Shapiro spent 16 years writing and producing television series such as The Blacklist, Life, The Firm, The Practice, and Boston Legal, for which he received a Peabody Award and two Humanitas Awards. He also created, wrote, and served as showrunner for three of his own series.

Shapiro has taught as an adjunct law professor at USC School of Law and is the founding Director of the Public Counsel Emergency Fund for Torture Victims. In 2014, he won an Emmy from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter for his first short film, Fair and Free, based on his own script and narrated by Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. He is also the author of the novel Deadly Force, published by Ankerwycke Books in February 2016.

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