Top Hip-Hop Lawyers, a Family Affair, to be CBS Drama

You may not know New York lawyer Stacey Richman or her father Murray, but CBS wants to invite them into your living room.
Stacey Richman is a famous hip-hop lawyer whose clients have included Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Ja Rule. Murray Richman has been called a "mob lawyer," as he's defended members of several notorious crime families, the website Deadline Hollywood reports.
Sounds like a lot of drama, and CBS thinks so too. That's why the network is turning to some Hollywood heavyweights to turn the father-daughter legal duo into a new hit TV show.
"Inspired by the father/daughter defense attorneys Murray and Stacey Richman, the project will center on a fictionalized version of the Richmans' Bronx firm," according to Deadline Hollywood.
Oscar winner Robert De Niro is set to co-produce the new series. David O. Russell ("The Fighter") is slated to direct, and Danny Strong ("Game Change") will be doing the writing.
Other facts are not yet known, however. The show's title remains a mystery, and it's not clear which actors will be portraying the characters inspired by the colorful Richmans.
It's also not clear what the Richmans are getting out of the deal. CBS has reportedly purchased script rights, but neither the network nor the Richmans would elaborate, the New York Post reports.
Depending on the deal's terms and how closely the fictionalized TV series will mirror the Richmans' real-life practice, the lawyers may be thinking long and hard about their ethical responsibilities. New York's Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers states:
"arrangements with third parties, such as ... television, radio or motion picture producers, pursuant to which the lawyer conveys whatever literary or media rights the lawyer may have, should not be entered into prior to the conclusion of all aspects of the matter giving rise to the representation."
That means for Murray and Stacey Richman's famous and notorious clients, their secrets are probably safe. If all goes as planned, CBS' new TV legal drama will hit the small screen in Fall 2013.
Related Resources:
- Hip-Hop Lawyers Inspire New CBS Legal Drama Series (XXL News)
- Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown Among TV's Top-Paid Stars (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- Ashton Kutcher Sues DMV Over Reality Show (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- Jay-Z Sued for $7M Over Roc-A-Fella Logo (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)