In 1994, Cochran joined Alan Dershowitz, F. Lee Bailey, Robert Shapiro, Barry Scheck and Robert Kardashian to form the core of the so-called “dream team” of lawyers hired to defend athlete/actor O.J. Simpson in his trial for the murders of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
Full Answer
Jan 21, 2016 · His first wife, Barbara Cochran Berry, wrote her own memoir — Life After Johnnie Cochran: Why I Left the Sweetest Talking, Most Successful Black Lawyer in L.A. — accusing her ex-husband of ...
Apr 13, 2021 · In 1965, Johnnie Cochran switched to the other side of the bench, entering private practice with Gerald Lenior, a prominent local attorney. According to Jrank.org , that partnership did not last long, and by the next year, Cochran had formed a …
Mar 29, 2005 · Johnnie Cochran was appointed to represent a Panther named Willie Stafford. It was here that Johnnie Cochran started his life-long friendship with Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt. Two years later, in December of 1971, Johnnie Cochran rose to make his closing arguments in defense of Willie Stafford and the other Panther’s on trial with him.
Famous Black Lawyers. From the Who2 database of 4,752 musicians, actors, historical figures, and other celebrities: Cochran, Johnnie. Defense attorney in the O.J. Simpson murder case Holder, Eric. Attorney General of the United States, 2009-2015 Murray, Pauli. The Civil Rights Era hero who became an Episcopalian priest ...
ABout Johnnie L Cochran, Jr. 1937 - 2005. As one of the founding partners of The Cochran Firm, Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. has been recognized as an outstanding trial lawyer, civil libertarian and philanthropist throughout the world. Johnnie was considered to be one of the leading authorities on the civil and criminal justice system, as well as an ...
Johnnie Lee Cochran Jr. ( / ˈkɒkrən /; October 2, 1937 – March 29, 2005) was an American lawyer and civil activist best known for his leadership role in the defense and criminal acquittal of O. J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
In 1978 , Cochran returned to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office in the leadership position of First Assistant District Attorney. Though he took a pay cut to do so, joining the government was his way of becoming "one of the good guys, one of the very top rung.".
During closing arguments in the Simpson trial, Cochran uttered the now famous phrase, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." He used the phrase, which had been devised by fellow defense team member Gerald Uelmen, as a way to try to persuade the jury that Simpson could not have murdered Nicole Brown Simpson nor Ron Goldman. In a dramatic scene, Simpson appeared to have difficulty getting the glove on; stained with blood of both victims and Simpson, it had been found at the crime scene.
Cochran. The court ruled 7–2 that in light of Cochran's death, an injunction limiting the demonstrations of Ulysses Tory "amounts to an overly broad prior restraint upon speech." Two justices, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, said that Cochran's death made it unnecessary for the court to rule. Lower courts, before Cochran died, held that Tory could not make any public comments about Cochran.
After the Simpson trial, Cochran was a frequent commentator in law-related television shows. Additionally, he hosted his own show, Johnnie Cochran Tonight, on CourtTV. With the Simpson fame also came movie deals.
After passing the California bar exam in 1963, Cochran took a position in Los Angeles as a deputy city attorney in the criminal division. In 1964, the young Cochran prosecuted one of his first celebrity cases, Lenny Bruce, a comedian who had recently been arrested on obscenity charges. Two years later, Cochran entered private practice. Soon thereafter, he opened his own firm, Cochran, Atkins & Evans, in Los Angeles.
Cochran successfully represented Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant living in Brooklyn who was sodomized with a broken broomstick by officer Justin Volpe while in police custody. Louima was awarded an $8.75 million settlement, the largest police brutality settlement in New York City. Tension broke out between Louima's original lawyers and the new team headed by Cochran. The former team felt that Cochran and his colleagues were trying to take control of the entire trial.
He would continue his education at the Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he would receive his Juris Doctor in 1963.
Despite his work within the Black community and with people without the strongest financial means, Johnnie Cochran was still connected to Hollywood. Cochran's history of representing Black celebrities was well-known even before hitching his wagon to O.J. Simpson. In fact, Simpson was not even the most well-known celebrity Cochran represented in 1994. According to Bustle, that same year, Cochran had represented Michael Jackson in his child molestation trial, which ended in a settlement and no admission of guilt.
Johnnie Cochran's early life. Long before the "Trial of the Century" and parodies on network television, Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on October 2, 1937, to Johnnie L. Cochran Sr. and his wife Hattie.
Simpson trial would be the highlight of Johnnie Cochran's career: He'd successfully acquitted one of his most well-known clients and put the entire Los Angeles Police Department on trial for their history of brutality and racial abuse. However, according to The Washington Post, overturning the conviction of Geronimo Pratt is what Cochran said was "the happiest day" of his legal practice.
This in part came from some disturbing accusations leveled against him by his first wife and an affair during their marriage.
The vast majority of lawyers and attorneys in the United States barely register as blips on the radar of popular culture. In the best-case scenario, they might find themselves in the newspaper or being interviewed on television if a case they're a part of makes national or local news headlines. However, their star typically flames out once the case ends.
According to The Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame, Johnnie Cochran became the first African American assistant district attorney in Los Angeles when he was hired to the position in 1978. He said that joining the government was the best way to become one of the "good guys" that can fight for justice within the justice system.
It was here that Johnnie Cochran started his life-long friendship with Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt. Two years later, in December of 1971, Johnnie Cochran rose to make his closing arguments in defense of Willie Stafford and the other Panther’s on trial with him. Eleven days later the jury reached its verdict.
With an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of California at Los Angeles, Johnnie attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles where he received his Juris Doctor.
Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. was born on October 2, 1937 in Shreveport, Louisiana. His great-grandparents were slaves, and his grandfather was a sharecropper. His father, Johnnie Cochran, Sr., and mother, Hattie B. Cochran, instilled in Johnnie a work ethic that would take him from the Jim Crow Era South to the upper echelon of the American Legal System. Young Johnnie grew up with two sisters, Pearl and Martha Jean, and the siblings grew up in a time when Louisiana was still dealing with effects of The Great Depression and with Jim Crow laws still deeply entrenched. Despite the times, Johnnies time in Shreveport was a happy time and the memories that always stayed with him were made on Sundays with his family and his church.#N#In the fall of 1943 Johnnie’s father set out to California and quickly found work as a pipe fitter with Bethlehem Steel in the Alameda Naval Shipyards. Just as the young Johnnie Cochran was turning six he and his family boarded the Southern Pacific and headed to California as part of the second wave of the Great Migration, where 6 million African Americans moved to the Northeast, Midwest and West. Initially they lived with Aunt Lucinda, but soon found their own place near the shipyard. It was the family’s first experience with an integrated neighborhood where working class people of all races and religions lived side by side.
One night, in May of 1966, Leonard Deadwyler, his pregnant wife Barbara, and a friend were on their way to purchase baby clothes.
He was running late and decided to take a shortcut through the city of Signal Hill, a city that was notorious for corruption and famously avoided people of color, especially at night. Settles was pulled over by Signal Hill police officer Jerry Lee Brown. The next morning, he was “found” dead in his cell.
The man who ensured that this happened and inspired 16-year-old Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. in a way that would change his life forever was Thurgood Marshall. Mr. Cochran immediately began reading anything and everything he could about Thurgood Marshall. To Johnnie, Marshall was living proof that a single dedicated man could use the law to bring about change in society and that is exactly what he set out to do. Despite his mother’s insistence in Johnnie pursuing a career as a doctor, both parents fully supported his decision and after graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles he was enrolled in law school at Loyola Law School.#N#Johnnie L. Cochran graduated from U.C.L.A. in 1959 and made the decision to attend Loyola Law School. On top of the grueling regimen at Loyola, Johnnie worked, was married in his first year, and had his first child during his third year. He had also found a job in his chosen profession and became the first African American law clerk in the office of the Los Angeles city attorney. The city attorney and his deputies represent the city government and its agencies in all legal matters. When his superiors noticed Johnnie’s fascination with trial work, they assigned him to represent the city in small claims court. On June 1, 1962 Johnnie graduated from Law school and began preparing to take the California bar exam. He took the bar and returned to work at the city attorney’s office to start the month long wait to hear if he had passed. On Monday, December 17th Johnnie was awoken at 2:30 a.m. by a friend who had call with the news that he (the friend) had passed. Johnnie didn’t get back to sleep that night and at 8:30 a.m. he and a colleague called the clerk at the state supreme court to get their results. Not only had Johnnie passed, but two of his closest friends from law school passed as well.#N#A few weeks later Johnnie knotted his tie and returned to work, not as a clerk but as a freshly minted deputy attorney. On January 10, 1963 Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. went to work as an attorney for the first time.
In the mid 1960’s The Black Panther Party rose to national attention with their platform of community determination and meeting racism and oppression with armed struggle. They patrolled their communities, offered free school and clinics, and organized food banks. Soon they found themselves under surveillance by the FBI as well as law enforcement at all levels. The authorities infiltrated and disrupted the organization and even assassinated members. Tensions between the Black Panthers and authorities built over the last half of the decade to the point where in December of 1969 members of LAPD’s Criminal Conspiracy Division, along with FBI agents surrounded the Panther’s Central Avenue headquarters. Over the next five hours the two parties would trade gunfire. The police fired tear gas and the Panther’s threw Molotov’s. The Panther’s eventually surrendered. No one died, but 3 officers and 6 Panthers were injured. Thirteen party members were charged with more than 70 criminal offenses. Johnnie Cochran was appointed to represent a Panther named Willie Stafford. It was here that Johnnie Cochran started his life-long friendship with Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt.
The Cochran Firm is one of the nation’s largest personal injury, truck accident, and medical malpractice national law firms with some of the most aggressive and accomplished trial attorneys.
With 11 unprecedented verdicts in excess of $100 million each and 35 in excess of $10 million, the partners practicing in The Cochran Firm have secured over $30 billion in verdicts, settlements, and judgments for our clients.
Contact us today to speak with a Cochran Firm intake specialist or attorney. Our team will discuss your legal matter with the confidentiality, understanding and respect you deserve.
Founded over 50 years ago, The Cochran Firm is one of the nation's premier personal injury, truck accident, and medical malpractice law firms. The Cochran Firm is a national firm with regional offices throughout the United States.
It was the dream of our founding partner Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. to build a law firm with offices across the country that was made up of men and women from all races, religions and creeds to show the world how well we could all work together.
The Cochran Firm is absolutely hands down the best law firm I have ever dealt with. They were professional, understanding and cared about me as a client. I could call my attorney anytime and they were there to assist me.
Community outreach is very important to The Cochran Firm, and our partners across the country are dedicated to continuing our commitment to the people in our neighborhoods.
Johnnie Cochran was a very flamboyant performer in the court room. He was a dramatic actor, a preacher and a master communicator. The secret to his success was being able to capture the attention of the jury and convince them of his client’s innocence. When Cochran uttered his most famous line after O.J.
Peter Wendt is a lawyer turned freelance journalist living and working in Austin, TX. While he is an admirer of Johnnie Cochran’s work, Peter knows that there are tons of other amazing lawyers out there, such as these Philadelphia Defense Attorneys. Bio. Twitter.
Hezekiah Sistrunk, Jr., is a National Partner and President of The Cochran Firm, Chairman of the National Firm’s Executive/Management Committee and the Managing Partner of the Firm’s Atlanta Office.
Contact us today to speak with an expert criminal defense or personal injury lawyer, and schedule a consultation to discuss your personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death or other case.
Cochran Jr. ( search ), who became a household name when he defended O.J. Simpson ( search) against murder charges, died of a brain tumor on Tuesday at the age of 67.
Cochran represented former Black Panther Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. When Cochran helped Pratt win his freedom in 1997 he called the moment "the happiest day of my life practicing law.".
As a youth, Cochran idolize Thurgood Marshall, the attorney who persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to outlaw school segregation in the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision and who would eventually become the Supreme Court's first black justice.
Those words, referring to the moment when Simpson tried on a pair of bloodied gloves to show they did not fit, appeared to resonate.
Inspired by Thurgood Marshall and the legal victory that Marshall won in Brown v. Board of Education, Cochran decided to dedicate his life to practicing law. Cochran felt his career was a calling, a double opportunity to work for what he considered to be right and to challenge what he considered wrong; he could make a difference by practicing law. In A Lawyer's Life, Cochran wrote, "I read …
Cochran was born in 1937 in Shreveport, Louisiana. His father, Johnnie Cochran Sr. (1916–2018), was an insurance salesman and his mother sold Avon products. The family relocated to the West Coast during the second wave of the Great Migration, settling in Los Angeles in 1949. Cochran went to local schools and graduated first in his class from Los Angeles High School in 1955. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics from the University of California, Los Ang…
Before the Simpson case, Cochran had achieved a reputation as a "go-to" lawyer for the rich, as well as a successful advocate for minorities in police brutality and civil rights cases. However, the controversial and dramatic Simpson trial made Cochran more widely known, generating a variety of opinions about him.
Cochran had often liked to say that he worked "not only for the OJs, but also the No Js". In other …
In December 2003, Cochran was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In April 2004, he underwent surgery, which led him to stay away from the media. Shortly thereafter, he told the New York Post that he was feeling well and was in good health.
He died from the brain tumor on March 29, 2005, at his home in Los Angeles. Public viewing of his casket was conducted on April 4, at the Angelus Funeral Home and April 5, at Second Baptist Ch…
On May 31, 2005, two months after Cochran's death, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its opinion on Tory v. Cochran. The court ruled 7–2 that in light of Cochran's death, an injunction limiting the demonstrations of Ulysses Tory "amounts to an overly broad prior restraint upon speech." Two justices, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, said that Cochran's death made it unnecessary for the court to rule. Lower courts, before Cochran died, held that Tory could not make any public co…
• On January 24, 2006, Los Angeles Unified School District officials unanimously approved the renaming of Mount Vernon Middle School, Cochran's boyhood middle school, to Johnnie L Cochran Jr. Middle School in his honor. The decision received mixed responses.
• In 2007, the three-block stretch of the street in front of the school was renamed "Johnnie Cochran Vista".
After the Simpson trial, Cochran was a frequent commentator in law-related television shows. Additionally, he hosted his own show, Johnnie Cochran Tonight, on CourtTV. With the Simpson fame also came movie deals.
Actor Phil Morris played attorney Jackie Chiles, a character parody of Cochran, in several episodes of Seinfeld. He was satirized in the "Chef Aid" episode of the animated sitcom South Park, in whic…