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Described as the greatest trial lawyer who ever lived, Earl Rogers was an extraordinary attorney whose success has landed him among giants like Clarence Darrow and Earl Warren. His reputation became so well-known that ‘Get me Earl Rogers’ became the catchphrase of murderers and convicted criminals.

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Rogers' unparalleled career is a particular standout during an era of the law when the pursuit of justice abutted with witness and evidence manipulation. Of the 77 homicide defense cases Rogers defended, he won 74 full acquittals.

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Innovation in the Courtroom

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Rogers’ success had much to do with his creativity, flamboyance, and innovative techniques. He opened new possibilities to trial lawyer practice by departing from his generation’s expectations of attorney expertise, which had involved expounding scripture and quoting historical poetic and literary greats during their orations.

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Instead, he used visual aids such as trial exhibits to recreate crime scenes. With his matter-of-fact demeanor, he revolutionized the tradition of evidence demonstration and reinvented methods of cross-examination in unprecedented ways. He regularly surprised professionals and the courtroom with his expert medical knowledge and a compelling use of forensic evidence. He became a professor of medical jurisprudence and insanity at the University of Southern California Law School and its College of Physicians and Surgeons.