jailhouse lawyer
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of jailhouse lawyer
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30;
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sentenced to 26 years to life in prison, Martinez spent the next three decades filing writs, appeals and petitions as a self-taught jailhouse lawyer.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2024
Wilson while in prison has graduated from the University of Oregon, volunteered in the prison hospice and served as a jailhouse lawyer for other inmates and a mentor to juvenile offenders.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 24, 2020
I completed a paralegal course and became a bootleg jailhouse lawyer.
From New York Times ● Oct. 16, 2018
This summer, Tiffany is a research assistant for Shon Hopwood, a professor whose unusual story — he became a jailhouse lawyer after serving time for bank robbery — has made him a media darling.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 13, 2018
His first big victory as a jailhouse lawyer came on behalf of Julio Acevedo, in 1997.
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 13, 2016
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
