In Harper Lee’s famous work “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the main character, Atticus Finch, showed millions of readers how lawyers can make a difference and effect positive change. Today, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction recognizes stories that illuminate these ideals.
John Grisham received the Harper Lee Prize for 2014, marking the second time he has been awarded this honor. His first book to receive this award was “The Confession,” and the novel that won this year is “Sycamore Row.”
“My thanks to the committee for the selection of ‘Sycamore Row,’” Grisham said. “I’m still admiring the first Harper Lee award. It’s hard to believe there is now a second one. I am deeply humbled.”
Members of the selection committee included Marianne Szegedy-Maszak, a writer and former panelist for the Harper Lee award; Kevin Blackistone, professor at the University of Maryland, sports columnist and panelist for ESPN; Fannie Flagg, a New York Times best-selling author; Dan Kornstein, partner at Kornstein Veisz Wexler & Pollard and former panelist; and Adam Liptak, lawyer, journalist and New York Times correspondent for the Supreme Court.
The Harper Lee Prize, which is authorized by Lee and sponsored by the American Bar Association and The University of Alabama School of Law, is awarded to an author who wrote the most compelling legal fiction, Szegedy-Maszak said.
“The prize is given to the author of the most realistic portrayal of the legal field, and John Grisham wrote such a powerful book,” she said. “The strength of his storytelling as well as the vividness with which he described the life of a lawyer made for a very compelling and believable novel.”
“Sycamore Row,” which continues the story of Jake Brigance from “A Time To Kill,” parallels Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” with its theme of racism and characters who face adversity for doing what is right.
“Grisham’s book was most representative of the finalists of what Lee came to be known for from ‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’” Blackistone said. “It tackles issues of the law. It is tangled in race. And in the end it provides a sense of hope that eventually right can overcome wrong, and we as a society can free ourselves for a less encumbered future.”
Fans of John Grisham said they were pleased with the news of the author being awarded the Harper Lee Prize.
“It’s not surprising,” Holly Ford, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering, said. “His writing is very descriptive, and it keeps you interested in reading whereas other books can be a struggle to get through.”
