"L.A.'s Dopest Attorney" Has Harvard Pedigree

Deep in the New Yorker's exploration of the "gray-area" economy of California's marijuana growers and dispensers, a Harvard tidbit...

Deep in the New Yorker's exploration of the "gray-area" economy of California's marijuana growers and dispensers, a Harvard tidbit...

Deep in the New Yorker's extended exploration of the "gray-area" economy of California's marijuana growers and dispensers—the article, wrapped around cartoons and poetry, spans 13 pages—is a Harvard tidbit. Allison Margolin, J.D. ’02, the article notes, "has a reputation for getting cases dismissed," and even for getting pot plants out of police custody and back to the growers from whom they were seized.

Margolin's office is apparently in a building owned by Hustler publisher Larry Flynt. The Harvard-trained lawyer, a graduate of Beverly Hills High School and Columbia University, has something in common with clients: she holds a doctor's letter permitting her to possess marijuana legally for medical use (to treat an anxiety disorder, she told author David Samuels).

Margolin's personal website, where she bills herself as "L.A.'s dopest attorney," contains more information, links to previous media coverage, and a YouTube video showing her with a client.

You might also like

The Roman Empire’s Cosmopolitan Frontier

Genetic analysis reveals a culture enriched from both sides of the Danube.

Tobacco Smoke and Tuberculosis

Harvard researchers illuminate a longstanding epidemiological connection. 

Discourse and Discipline

Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences broaches two tough topics.

Most popular

Small-Town Roots

Professors’ humble beginnings, concentration choices, and a mini history of Harvard and Radcliffe presidents

Vita: Fanny Bullock Workman

Brief life of a feisty mountaineer: 1859-1925

Being Black at Work

Realizing the full potential of black employees

More to explore

Illustration of a box containing a laid-off fossil fuel worker's office belongings

Preparing for the Energy Transition

Expect massive job losses in industries associated with fossil fuels. The time to get ready is now.

Apollonia Poilâne standing in front of rows of fresh-baked loaves at her family's flagship bakery

Her Bread and Butter

A third-generation French baker on legacy loaves and the "magic" of baking

Illustration that plays on the grade A+ and the term Ai

AI in the Academy

Generative AI can enhance teaching and learning but augurs a shift to oral forms of student assessment.