Melvin Belli

“There's no such thing as a trivial case. It's a person's life on the line.”

“I never wanted to be a millionaire. I just wanted to live like one.”

“Credibility is the currency of the courtroom.”

“You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things–to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.”

“My theory is to be not merely passively fair to the defendant, but to be actively fair to him.”

“The law isn't a playbook. It's a battleground.”

“You win your case by the sincerity of your cause.”

“If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither on your side, pound the table.”

“A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.”

“The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability.”

“There are some things a man can't ride around.”

“The practice of law is the greatest blood sport of all.”

“I'd rather have a lawsuit than a hole in the head.”