Mickey Haller
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mickey" Haller, Junior is a fictional character created by Michael Connelly
in the 2005 novel The Lincoln Lawyer
. Haller, a Los Angeles-based defense attorney, is the paternal half-brother of Connelly's best-known character, LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. The Mickey Haller series consists of four published novels, with the most recent published in April 2011.
A film adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer
, starring Matthew McConaughey
as Mickey Haller, was released in spring 2011.
, Haller himself says that he looks "more south of the border than north." Little is known of Haller's childhood other than the death of his father (which occurred shortly after the meeting with Bosch) and his inheritance of his father's Colt Woodsman
pistol, mentioned in The Lincoln Lawyer
. Haller followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a defense attorney. Most of Haller's knowledge of his father comes from law books he has read and stories from judges and other lawyers who had worked with the elder Haller prior to his death.
, with whom he has a daughter, Hayley, now 14. They divorced due to their careers being opposite each others—Haller was defending accused criminals, while McPherson was prosecuting them—although they have continued to maintain a close relationship with periodic reconciliations. Taylor is currently Haller's office secretary and is married to Haller's current investigator, Dennis "Cisco" Wojciechowski. Haller maintains good relationships with both of his ex-wives and has joint custody of his daughter. In The Brass Verdict
, Haller is revealed to have custody of his daughter on Wednesdays nights and alternate weekends. By the events of the The Fifth Witness
, however, Haller reveals that is only the "official arrangement" and he sees his daughter far more frequently.
During the series Haller has used two private investigators for his trials. The first, Raul "Mish" Levin was murdered during the events of The Lincoln Lawyer
, his nickname "Mish" was bestowed upon him by Haller after Haller learned of his "mish-mash" of Mexican-Jewish ancestry. His second investigator, Wojciechowski, was formerly a member of the motorcycle gang The Road Saints, whom Haller frequently represented, and was nicknamed by the gang after the Cisco Kid. He was introduced in The Brass Verdict
.
Haller was nicknamed "the Lincoln Lawyer" because of his preference for working out of his Lincoln Town Car
instead of in an office. However, during The Fifth Witness, Haller temporarily rents an office on a one-year lease. With the influx in foreclosure
clients at that time, Haller has hired an associate, Jennifer "Bullocks" Aronson, a new graduate of Southwestern Law School, which is located in the former Bullocks Wilshire
.
In 9 Dragons
, Haller makes a short cameo as Harry Bosch's lawyer; a murder suspect even states that Matthew McConaughey
was his alibi. He later suggests that their daughters (Harry's Maddie and Mickey's Hayley) should get together; their daughters would later meet during the events of The Reversal
. Later on in the book, a reference is made to the movie adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey.
Haller's discomfort with representing the guilty is a constant theme in the series, and he has twice attempted to move to the prosecution side. In The Reversal
, Haller is appointed as a special prosecutor to overturn the exoneration of Jason Jessup, a convicted child-murderer who was freed after DNA evidence cleared him of wrongdoing. Haller teams up with McPherson and Bosch to retry Jessup. At the end of The Fifth Witness
, Haller files to run for Los Angeles County district attorney, with McPherson's support.
Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. His books, which have been translated into 36 languages, have garnered him many awards...
in the 2005 novel The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2005 novel, and it is the 16th novel written by American crime writer Michael Connelly. It is the first featuring Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller, half-brother of Connelly's mainstay detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch....
. Haller, a Los Angeles-based defense attorney, is the paternal half-brother of Connelly's best-known character, LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. The Mickey Haller series consists of four published novels, with the most recent published in April 2011.
A film adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer (film)
The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2011 American thriller film adapted from the novel of the same name by Michael Connelly, starring Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy and Marisa Tomei...
, starring Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
as Mickey Haller, was released in spring 2011.
Background
Haller is significantly younger than his half-brother, Bosch. When Bosch first met his father, Michael Haller Sr., Bosch was an adult but Mickey was only five years old. The elder Michael Haller was a famous defense attorney in the Los Angeles area. Haller's mother was born in Mexico, and in The Fifth WitnessThe Fifth Witness
The Fifth Witness is the 23rd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the fourth starring appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller...
, Haller himself says that he looks "more south of the border than north." Little is known of Haller's childhood other than the death of his father (which occurred shortly after the meeting with Bosch) and his inheritance of his father's Colt Woodsman
Colt Woodsman
The Colt Woodsman is a semi-automatic sporting pistol manufactured by the American Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1915 to 1977. It was designed by John Moses Browning. The frame design changed over time, in three distinct series: series one being 1915–1947, series two 1947–1955, and series three...
pistol, mentioned in The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2005 novel, and it is the 16th novel written by American crime writer Michael Connelly. It is the first featuring Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller, half-brother of Connelly's mainstay detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch....
. Haller followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a defense attorney. Most of Haller's knowledge of his father comes from law books he has read and stories from judges and other lawyers who had worked with the elder Haller prior to his death.
Personal life
Haller has been married and divorced twice, once to Maggie McPherson and once to Lorna Taylor. McPherson, nicknamed "McFierce" by defense lawyers, is a career prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's OfficeDistrict attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
, with whom he has a daughter, Hayley, now 14. They divorced due to their careers being opposite each others—Haller was defending accused criminals, while McPherson was prosecuting them—although they have continued to maintain a close relationship with periodic reconciliations. Taylor is currently Haller's office secretary and is married to Haller's current investigator, Dennis "Cisco" Wojciechowski. Haller maintains good relationships with both of his ex-wives and has joint custody of his daughter. In The Brass Verdict
The Brass Verdict
The Brass Verdict is the 19th novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the second appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller...
, Haller is revealed to have custody of his daughter on Wednesdays nights and alternate weekends. By the events of the The Fifth Witness
The Fifth Witness
The Fifth Witness is the 23rd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the fourth starring appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller...
, however, Haller reveals that is only the "official arrangement" and he sees his daughter far more frequently.
During the series Haller has used two private investigators for his trials. The first, Raul "Mish" Levin was murdered during the events of The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2005 novel, and it is the 16th novel written by American crime writer Michael Connelly. It is the first featuring Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller, half-brother of Connelly's mainstay detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch....
, his nickname "Mish" was bestowed upon him by Haller after Haller learned of his "mish-mash" of Mexican-Jewish ancestry. His second investigator, Wojciechowski, was formerly a member of the motorcycle gang The Road Saints, whom Haller frequently represented, and was nicknamed by the gang after the Cisco Kid. He was introduced in The Brass Verdict
The Brass Verdict
The Brass Verdict is the 19th novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the second appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller...
.
Haller was nicknamed "the Lincoln Lawyer" because of his preference for working out of his Lincoln Town Car
Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size luxury sedan that was sold by the upscale Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company; it was produced from 1981 to the 2011 model years...
instead of in an office. However, during The Fifth Witness, Haller temporarily rents an office on a one-year lease. With the influx in foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
clients at that time, Haller has hired an associate, Jennifer "Bullocks" Aronson, a new graduate of Southwestern Law School, which is located in the former Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is a 230,000-square foot Art Deco building.-Design:...
.
In 9 Dragons
9 Dragons (novel)
9 Dragons is the 14th novel in the Harry Bosch series and the 22nd book by American crime author Michael Connelly. It was released worldwide on October 13, 2009, although it had been released in the U.K. and Ireland on October 1....
, Haller makes a short cameo as Harry Bosch's lawyer; a murder suspect even states that Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
was his alibi. He later suggests that their daughters (Harry's Maddie and Mickey's Hayley) should get together; their daughters would later meet during the events of The Reversal
The Reversal
The Reversal is the 22nd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the third starring appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller. Connelly introduced Haller in his bestselling 2005 novel The Lincoln Lawyer and then paired him with LAPD detective Harry...
. Later on in the book, a reference is made to the movie adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey.
Haller's discomfort with representing the guilty is a constant theme in the series, and he has twice attempted to move to the prosecution side. In The Reversal
The Reversal
The Reversal is the 22nd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the third starring appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller. Connelly introduced Haller in his bestselling 2005 novel The Lincoln Lawyer and then paired him with LAPD detective Harry...
, Haller is appointed as a special prosecutor to overturn the exoneration of Jason Jessup, a convicted child-murderer who was freed after DNA evidence cleared him of wrongdoing. Haller teams up with McPherson and Bosch to retry Jessup. At the end of The Fifth Witness
The Fifth Witness
The Fifth Witness is the 23rd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the fourth starring appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller...
, Haller files to run for Los Angeles County district attorney, with McPherson's support.
Novel series
| Novel | Role | Partner and associates | Client |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lincoln Lawyer The Lincoln Lawyer The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2005 novel, and it is the 16th novel written by American crime writer Michael Connelly. It is the first featuring Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller, half-brother of Connelly's mainstay detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch.... (2005 2005 in literature The year 2005 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February 25 - Canada Reads selects Rockbound by Frank Parker Day as the novel to be read across the nation.... ) |
Defense Attorney | Lorna Taylor (secretary), Raul Levin (private investigator) | Louis Roulet; accused rapist and murderer |
| The Brass Verdict The Brass Verdict The Brass Verdict is the 19th novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the second appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller... (2008 2008 in literature The year 2008 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 1 - In the 2008 New Year Honours, Hanif Kureishi , Jenny Uglow , Peter Vansittart and Debjani Chatterjee are all rewarded for "services to literature".*June 15 - Gore Vidal, asked in a New York Times... ) |
Defense Attorney | Harry Bosch (police investigation), Lorna Taylor (secretary), Dennis "Cisco" Wojciechowski (private investigator) | Walter Elliot; accused murderer |
| The Reversal The Reversal The Reversal is the 22nd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the third starring appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller. Connelly introduced Haller in his bestselling 2005 novel The Lincoln Lawyer and then paired him with LAPD detective Harry... (2010 2010 in literature The year 2010 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February - The Wheeler Centre, Australia's "literary hub", officially opened.*April 3 - First release of the Apple iPad, electronic book reading device.... ) |
Prosecutor | Maggie McPherson (2nd Chair), Harry Bosch (lead investigator) | Special prosecutor of Jason Jessup (accused child-murder) |
| The Fifth Witness The Fifth Witness The Fifth Witness is the 23rd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the fourth starring appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller... (2011 2011 in literature The year 2011 will involve some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tomas Tranströmer wins the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature.*Jennifer Egan wins the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel A Visit From the Goon Squad.-Literature:*T.C... ) |
Defense Attorney | Jennifer "Bullocks" Aronson (2nd Chair), Lorna Taylor (secretary), Dennis "Cisco" Wojciechowski (private investigator) | Lisa Trammel; accused murderer |
Box office performance
| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Budget | Profit | Reference | |||
| Worldwide | United States | Domestic | Foreign | Worldwide | ||||
| The Lincoln Lawyer The Lincoln Lawyer (film) The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2011 American thriller film adapted from the novel of the same name by Michael Connelly, starring Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy and Marisa Tomei... |
March 18, 2011 | March 18, 2011 | $57,365,000 | $17,000,000 | $74,365,000 | $40,000,000 | $34,365,000 |