It feels like 1994 all over again as the world revisits the O.J. Simpson criminal trial in the television series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” The often poignant series chronicles the case focusing primarily on the lawyers who tried it. I was a litigation attorney during this period and vividly remember flash points from the news of the murders on June 12, 1994, to the Ford Bronco low-speed car chase, to the verdict on Oct. 3, 1995, when all of the employees at my firm gathered in front of a small television set to witness the outcome as so many people across the country did. The trial lasted almost a year, and held a magnifying glass to the American justice system and the role played by race, wealth and celebrity.
The TV show got me thinking about how to recover from a professional setback. The Simpson prosecutors are great examples of career rebirth. In two heartbreaking story lines, the “American Crime” series explores how choices made by Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden contributed to a defense verdict.
