The Pelican Brief

The Pelican Brief is a 1992 novel by the American writer John Grisham. The legal thriller tells the story of Darby Shaw, a young law student who uncovers a vast conspiracy. The book was adapted into a film in 1993 starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.

Plot Summary

An assassin named Khamel kills two Supreme Court Justices. Though the Justices were seemingly at different ends of the political spectrum, the same mysterious figure pays Khamel to kill both. The sudden, violent deaths shock the nation. The rightwing President of the United States, however, relishes the chance to appoint two new Justices and shape the future of the country for generations to come.

The murders intrigue young law student Darby Shaw. She researches the two Justices to find out what they have in common. The result of her research is contained in a summary that comes to be known as the pelican brief, in which she suggests that the murders were financially rather than politically motivated. Darby shows the brief to Thomas Callahan, a famous law professor at her university who is also her lover. Callahan shows the brief to his friend Verheek, who works for the FBI.