Of course in the world of DC Comics, one of the biggest things at play in the stories is the pursuit of justice by the heroes against the villains breaking the law. This often leads to being captured and imprisoned by the heroes, but many may not realize that the law plays such an integral part in the comic’s stories.
Many heroes and villains are in actuality practicing lawyers in DC Comics. Some are more shocking than others, but these lawyers are in a delicate balance with their day and night jobs. Here are the ten best lawyers in DC Comics.
10 Adrian Chase
Many Arrowverse fans will know the name of Adrian Chase as the deadly villain Prometheus, who pushed Oliver Queen to the breaking point in season five. While his alter ego in the show was as a lawyer, Adrian’s comic book origins were also based in the law as well.
The character was a lawyer in New York City who often worked with the New Teen Titans and fought to stop the mob families of the city. However, when his family lost their lives to the mob, he left and returned a hardened man named the Vigilante, dispensing his own brand of justice.
9 Earth-2 Richard Grayson
An interesting lawyer in the DC Multiverse is in fact Richard Grayson of Earth-2. After being taken in by Bruce Wayne after the loss of his parents, former acrobat and circus performer Richard Grayson was taught not only the ways of crimefighting but of criminology and the law in general.
After years working alongside Batman and even going on to serve partially on the Justice League of America, Dick Grayson went on to be a full-time lawyer for the firm Cranston and Grayson.
8 New Earth Clifford Devoe
One shocking villain that fans may not know got their start as a lawyer was Clifford DeVoe, aka the Thinker. The New Earth version of the villain was a lawyer in the year 1913, working cases against the mob when he began offering his services to the mob as a “Thinker”, someone to give alibis the police couldn’t break to their enforcers.
Later DeVoe took over as the leader of the mob, and became the arch-nemesis of The Flash, creating scientific devices to out-think the Flash’s mind and stop the hero.
7 Vanessa Rios
Not all lawyers are heroes or villains with a significant presence in the larger DC Multiverse. However, there are specific storylines or issues that a lawyer will appear in that makes a difference. One such lawyer was ADA Vanessa Rios.
Appearing in the Tim Drake led Robin series for a few issues, Vanessa Rios was an ADA in Gotham working with Jim Gordon and GCPD. She appeared during a storyline that saw Robin facing off with Anarky for a couple of issues.
6 Mark Shaw
One of the more prominent figures to be a lawyer in DC Comics is none other than Mark Shaw, more iconically known as the Manhunter. A former public defender, Mark Shaw of New Earth became frustrated with the way the criminals manipulated the justice system and got away with crimes.
He discovered an ancient sect of vigilantes known as Manhunters, joining their cause to bring true justice to criminals. In the more recent Prime Earth, Shaw has become the villain Leviathan, giving the Man of Steel one of his most dangerous foes in years.
5 Mitchell Shelley
A truly fascinating character that started out as a lawyer was Mitchell Shelley, aka the Resurrection Man. Once a lawyer who was on the take for the mob, he was the subject of an experiment for a mysterious group known as The Lab, using nanotechnology known as “tektites”.
The experiment led to Mitch losing his memory but gaining immortality. He could still lose his life, but each time he did he would be resurrected seconds later and gain powers based on the manner in which he had passed away.
4 Singularity Jain
A more recent and still mysterious figure to be a lawyer is Singularity Jain. Featured in the DC Rebirth era of DC Comics, the character is an alien featured in the Green Lanterns series, which starred Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz of the Green Lantern Corps.
A galactic lawyer, she is what she calls a Motophagus, or a sentient black hole that moves about the galaxy feeding on misery and pain in order not only to survive but to gain power as well.
3 Augustus Freeman
One of the more powerful heroes of the DC Multiverse to be a lawyer actually stems from the former Dakotaverse. The hero Icon, aka Augustus Freeman, works by day as a high-profile attorney. The alien turned Earth-bound refugee went on to become one of the most powerful heroes of the universe.
With his ally Rocket, he fought criminals in the modern-day Dakotaverse until it was merged with the DC Universe, becoming an ally of Superman years later.
2 Katherine Spencer
One of the most well-known lawyers in DC Comics is none other than another Manhunter, this time a federal prosecutor named Kate Spencer. Frustrated by seeing criminals manipulating the law into their own hands, she becomes a costumed vigilante after the powerful villain Copperhead escapes custody, forcing her to take the villain’s life.
Maintaining her career as a prosecutor and her vigilante career, she also wrestles with her relationship with her ex-husband, a novelist, and her six-year-old son named Ramsey.
1 Harvey Dent
The most infamous lawyer in DC Comics is one of Batman’s greatest foes, Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face. Once a heroic prosecutor in Gotham City, an attack by the mob left half his face disfigured, creating a dual personality with a unique brand of justice that turned him into the criminal mastermind Two-Face.
Two-Face has become one of the most complex villains of Batman’s rogues. Constantly at war with his former heroic persona and his new villainous one, he has led powerful attacks against Gotham and its heroes.