Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. The middle initial, L, does not stand for anything. blank">Showy, Tenacious Lawyer Rode Simpson Murder Trial to Fame by Adam Bernstein, The Washington Post, March 30, 2005, retrieved April 17, 2006. (October 2, 1937 - March 29, _2005) was an African-American lawyer perhaps best known for his leadership in the legal defense of O. J. Simpson, charged with murder of his former wife Nicole Simpson. blank">Famed attorney Johnnie Cochran dead by DeClamecy, Dree, Wilson, Stan, Philips, Eric, CNN.com, March 30, 2005, retrieved April 20, 2005. Cochran also represented _Sean Combs (during his trial on gun and bribery charges), Michael Jackson, actor Todd Bridges, blank">Famous clients mourn Johnnie Cochran at funeral in L.A. by Linda Deutsch, The Union Tribune, April 6, 2005, retrieved April 18, 2005. football player _Jim Brown, rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg blank">Celebrity Lawyer Johnnie Cochran Dies at 67 by Mike O'Sullivan, Voice of America, March 30, 2005, retrieved April 18, 2005. , and _Reginald Oliver Denny, the trucker beaten by a mob during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Cochran was known for his skill in the courtroom and his prominence as an early advocate for victims of alleged police abuse.
