Although Mickey Haller may seem like an incredible character formed entirely from fiction, namely Michael Connelly’s book of the same name, Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer protagonist is actually based on two real-life lawyers. The Lincoln Lawyer is a television series based on a legal thriller by Michael Connelly. The story follows Mickey Haller, a down-on-his-luck lawyer working out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car who manages to take on important legal cases, including murder.

In both Connelly’s novel and the Netflix’s adaptation, Mickey Haller’s story begins with him working as a lawyer in LA County from the back of his Lincoln Town Car, driven by a former client who is working off his legal fees. While Haller typically takes common cases of drug dealers and gangs, he takes a risk by taking on the case of a wealthy realtor accused of assault and attempted murder. The case is not only disconcerting, but Haller also begins to examine past cases and himself to solve it.

The Lincoln Lawyer Was Inspired By LA Attorney David Ogden

 The lead of The Lincoln Lawyer’s cast, Mickey Haller, was originally inspired by LA attorney David Ogden. According to an article by Netflix’s Tudum, Mickey Haller may be a fictional character devised by Michael Connelly, but the author was inspired to write Haller the way he is after meeting David Ogden. As written by The Washington Post, Connelly was writing “The Lincoln Lawyer” in 2001 and met Ogden through a mutual friend at a baseball game. After asking Ogden about his practice, the attorney revealed that he didn’t work in a regular office but instead out of his car which was driven by a former client.

From there, with a few very interesting details from David Ogden, the character of Mickey Haller began to take shape. Connelly was a cop reporter for over a decade before writing “The Lincoln Lawyer,” and so his experience in crime also helped to formulate Haller’s story and big legal case. Furthermore, Connelly revealed that, along with Ogden’s story, he liked the idea of writing about a lawyer “doing the right thing at great risk to himself and his family.” Connelly was particularly inspired by “To Kill A Mockingbird.” In this way, Mickey Haller began to form from several different sources.

Mickey Haller’s Career Was Also Inspired By Dan Daly

The second lawyer to inspire Haller was Dan Daly. Daly and Connelly met when the pair both worked at the Daytona Beach News Journal, and when Daly went on to become an attorney, Connelly took inspiration from his path. In particular, Connelly would meet with Daly and his partner Roger Mills at a Florida bar and the two attorneys would spill about their jobs and cases to Connelly, who took notes on napkins. Daly’s experience as a busy, always-on-the-go lawyer was a major influence on how Mickey Haller operates in The Lincoln Lawyer. Although Mickey Haller is based on David Ogden and Dan Daly, he is ultimately his own unique character. The Lincoln Lawyer is a fictional legal thriller with much more dramatic flair than the lives of two real attorneys. However, there is no denying that the bits of truth Connelly added to Mickey Haller’s character from Ogden and Daly were integral to making him an honest and interesting character, which is sure to continue into The Lincoln Lawyer season 2. Mickey Haller may seem Hollywood-made, but that is only because of the unique truths used to create him.