Top Ten Richest Lawyers In America

So, who are they?  Here is a fast look at the   richest lawyers in the entire world, ranked from the lowest net worth to the greatest. Please be aware that the individuals on this list are all practicing attorneys or judges.  There are loads of other "attorneys " with a considerably higher net worth, but they just have a law degree and no more use it.

David Boies: $20 million

Currently serving as the chairman of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, David Boies formerly served as Chief Counsel for the US Senate.  He graduated from Yale University in 1966 and almost immediately made a name for himself.  He gathered his fortune by representing a number of large corporations, such as IBM, Napster, George Steinbrenner (owner of the NY Yankees), CBS, and the NBA Players Association during the 2011 NBA lockout.  According to Fortune magazine, he's "corporate America's number 1 hired gun. "

Thomas Mesereau: $25 million

Also a criminal defense lawyer (Are you noticing a trend?) , Thomas Mesereau graduated from Harvard University and The University of California's Hastings College of Law and has been appointed "Trial Lawyer of the Year for 2015" by the National Trial Lawyers.  (He's won plenty of other awards such as "Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year. ") He is known for taking high stakes cases with impossible odds and getting extraordinary results.  He was Michael Jackson's attorney when he was acquitted of 14 child molestation charges and has won an unprecedented three federal criminal jury trials in a row.  While his hourly rate is so high it's not printed, he does pro bono work through the Mesereau Free Legal Clinic.

Roy Black: $100 million

Still another civil and criminal defense attorney, Roy Black, a graduate of the University of Miami, is the senior associate at Black, Srebnick, Kornspan, & Stumpf.  For over 40 years, he's represented high profile clients, including William Kennedy Smith (acquitted on rape charges), Albertson's, Inc., and Helio Castroneves.  Known by many in the industry for getting "the best national reputation in Florida," he acts as a legal advisor on "The Today Show" and "Good Morning America" and instructs advanced criminal signs at the University of Miami.

Bill Neukom: $850 million

Currently serving as the founder and CEO of the World Justice Project, which is dedicated to encouraging the rule of law all over the world, Bill Neukom is a corporate lawyer who is well-known because of his philanthropy.  After graduating from Stanford Law School in 1967, he worked in a small firm until he had been asked to do work for Microsoft, that had been in its beginning phases.  Eventually, he became Microsoft's legal counsel, a position he held for 25 years.   Previously, he was an investor at the San Francisco Giants.

Judge Joe Brown: $30 million

Famous for his daytime court series which ran for 15 decades, Judge Joe Brown obtained his law degree from UCLA.  After working as the first African-American prosecutor in Memphis, TN, he started his own practice before serving as a criminal court judge in Shelby County, TN.  While presiding over James Earl Ray's appeal for its assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., he caught the eye of TV producers.  The majority of his wealth had been obtained through the show.  In 2014, he ran for district attorney general in Shelby County, but lost to the incumbent.

Jose Baez: $8 million