The University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal have named the finalists for the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The three books chosen to compete for the prize are: “Terminal City” by Linda Fairstein, “My Sister’s Grave” by Robert Dugoni, and “The Secret of Magic” by Deborah Johnson. The prize, authorized by Ms. Lee, is given annually to a book-length work of fiction that best illuminates the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change.
Five years ago, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird, and to honor former Alabama law student and author Harper Lee, The University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal partnered to create The Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
This year there were 16 entries for the Prize, and a team of reviewers chose three books for the Selection Committee’s consideration. The public is invited to cast its votes on the ABA Journal website [www. http://www.abajournal.com] to help determine who the winning author will be. The public will act as the fifth judge, contributing a vote equal in weight to the selection committee members.
The 2015 prize will be awarded in Washington, D.C. at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building, in conjunction with the Library of Congress National Book Festival. The winner will be announced prior to the ceremony and will receive a copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird” signed by Harper Lee.
A distinguished group of panelists will select the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. They are: Roy Blount, Jr., author and humorist; Wayne Flynt, author and Alabama historian; Mary McDonagh Murphy, independent film and television writer and producer; and Michele Norris, NPR host and special correspondent.
