The use of song lyrics in judicial opinions is nothing new. A law professor’s 2008 study found dozens of Bob Dylan citations, while the Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel and even Carly Simon have been quoted by musically inspired jurists.
Another legal lyricist emerged last month when Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale, whose works have been recorded by Elvis Costello, Patti Loveless, George Strait and The Dixie Chicks, notched a new cover credit when he was quoted by U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen of the Northern District of Georgia.
