Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a slick Los Angeles criminal defense attorney whose office is the back seat of a Lincoln Continental sedan. He is a wheeler-dealer who knows the ropes of the criminal justice system and is familiar with the failings of his clients, mostly bikers, prostitutes, drug pushers, and low life law-breakers. Although the police consider him to be pond scum, Mick has the last laugh with a license plate moniker that reads "NTGUILTY." The two main people in his life are Maggie (Marisa Tomei), his ex-wife who is a prosecuting attorney who she keeps him on his toes, and Frank Levin (William H. Macy), his intrepid private investigator.

Val Valenzuela (John Leguizamo), a money-grubbing bail bondsman, gives Mick a tip about landing a very rich client. Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a Beverly Hills playboy, is being held for beating a call girl in an attempted rape and murder. This blueblood claims he's innocent and that he's being set up by the girl who wants to sue him for all he's worth. What starts out as a routine case with a big paycheck turns into a much more complicated challenge.

Brad Furman directs this courtroom drama based on a story by bestselling mystery/thriller novelist Michael Connelly. Matthew McConaughey is just right as the criminal defense attorney who operates in his own world and sees himself as a loner just trying to serve justice the best way he can. Mick is deeply troubled by a case he bungled in the past that landed Jesus Martinez (Michael Pena) in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Circumstances beyond his control put this lawyer in a tight squeeze as he tries to deal with the troubling nature of the Roulet trial and the guilt he feels about the Martinez case. All those who have experienced a tight squeeze that tested your ethics will want to see The Lincoln Lawyer.


Special features on the DVD include featurettes: "Making the Case: Creating the Lincoln Lawyer," "At Home on the Road" with novelist Michael Connelly, and "One on One" with actor Matthew McConaughey and Michael Connelly; and deleted scenes.