The Law’s on Their Side

It’s that time again, when the University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal announce their latest shortlist of contenders for the annual Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. Bill Selnes, with Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan, brings us the 2018 nominees:

• Exposed, by Lisa Scottoline (St. Martin’s Press)
• Proof, by C.E. Tobisman (Thomas & Mercer)
• Testimony, by Scott Turow (Grand Central)

Assessing these choices, Selnes writes: “What strikes me about the list is that all of the titles consist of a single word. As lawyers often struggle with brevity, I doubt they were chosen by lawyers.”

If the past can be relied upon to provide any guide, the winner of the 2018 commendation should be declared sometime this summer. He or she will be presented with the prize on September 1, during the 18th Library of Congress National Book Festival.