Mickey Haller’s complicated work life and personal life shape his unique personality and contribute to his struggles with defending the guilty.
Mickey’s unpleasant childhood, with a father who forgot his birthday and a mother who made it about her, explains his constant need to be on the go and neglect his own needs.

The introduction of Mickey’s mother in season 2 reveals her selfishness and abandonment, shedding light on Mickey’s complex character in The Lincoln Lawyer.

Mickey Haller may be one of the more complicated characters on Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, however, his ex-wife Lorna actually sums him up pretty easily with a single 12-word quote from the show’s second season. The Lincoln Lawyer is a legal drama with two seasons based on novels by Michael Connelly. The series follows Los Angeles defense attorney and former addict Mickey Haller as he works out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car and takes on some of the biggest legal cases in the city, including murder.

The Lincoln Lawyer focuses heavily on both Mickey Haller’s complex work life and unorthodox personal life. Mickey is not a traditional lawyer, and he lacks a traditional life as well. Aside from conducting his business out of the back of his car, he also employs one his former clients to drive him around. More than that, Mickey is a former drug addict, and he has two ex-wives, one of which is his legal aide. All in all, Mickey’s life is complicated, and unsurprisingly, he has a unique personality that goes along with it. However, Mickey’s intricacies may not be as complicated as they seem.

Lorna’s Summary Of Why Mickey Hates His Birthday Explains The Root Of His Problems

In The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, episode 8, Mickey’s driver Izzy asks Lorna, his second ex-wife, why Mickey hates his birthday. Lorna responds with the following quote: “His dad always forgot about it and his mom always made it about her.” While this is definitely a succinct answer to Izzy’s question, this quote is a great encapsulation of who Mickey is as a person. Although Mickey is a determined defense attorney and a caring person, he often struggles with defending the guilty and his somewhat chaotic lifestyle makes him forgetful of others and himself.

Overall, this quote about Mickey’s childhood is a solid explanation for his untraditional character. According to Lorna, Mickey didn’t grow up in a very caring household. His father never remembered his birthday, which insinuates that he likely forgot about many other parts of Mickey’s life, meanwhile his mother made Mickey’s day about her. While Mickey did grow up to have a kind heart and care for others, his parents’ lack of love likely affected him in other ways. Most likely, Mickey’s childhood is the reason why he’s constantly on the go and ignoring his own needs.

How Mickey’s Relationship With His Mom Explains So Much In The Lincoln Lawyer

With the introduction of Mickey Haller’s mother at the end of The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 much is revealed about Mickey. While the series has talked often of Mickey’s lawyer father, it never delved too deep into his relationship with his mom. However, when Elena appears in The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 finale, their relationship makes a bit more sense. Namely, Elena shows up to Mickey’s surprise birthday party, she quickly leaves for an acting gig, showing her selfishness and abandonment of Mickey. All in all, Mickey’s relationship with his mother is a great indicator of why he is the way he is in The Lincoln Lawyer.