Best Lawyers Of All Time

So, who are they? Here's a fast look at the richest attorneys in the entire world, ranked from the lowest net worth to the greatest. Please note that the people on this list are all practicing lawyers or judges. There are plenty of other "lawyers" with a considerably higher net worth, but they simply possess a law degree and no more use it.

Judge Joe Brown: $30 million

Best known for his day court series which ran for 15 decades, Judge Joe Brown obtained his law degree from UCLA. After serving as the first African American prosecutor at Memphis, TN, he started his own practice prior to serving as a criminal court judge in Shelby County, TN. While presiding over James Earl Ray's allure for its assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., he grabbed the attention of TV manufacturers. The majority of his wealth was obtained via the show. In 2014, he ran for district attorney general in Shelby County, but lost to the incumbent.

Thomas Mesereau: $25 million

Also a criminal defense lawyer (Are you noticing a trend?) , Thomas Mesereau graduated from Harvard University and The University of California's Hastings College of Law and has was named "Trial Lawyer of the Year for 2015" from the National Trial Lawyers. (He's won plenty of other awards including "Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year. ") He is known for taking high stakes instances with impossible odds and getting extraordinary results. He was Michael Jackson's lawyer when he had been acquitted of 14 child molestation charges and has won an unprecedented three federal criminal jury trials in a row. While his hourly rate is so large that it's not published, he does pro bono work through the Mesereau Free Legal Clinic, trip and fall accidents lawyers.

David Boies: $20 million

Currently serving as the chairman of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, David Boies previously served as Chief Counsel for the US Senate. He graduated from Yale University in 1966 and almost immediately made a name for himself. He gathered his fortune by representing a number of big corporations, including IBM, Napster, George Steinbrenner (owner of the NY Yankees), CBS, and the NBA Players Association during the 2011 NBA lockout. According to Fortune magazine, he is "corporate America's number-one hired gun. "

Wichai Thongtang: $1.1 billion

Thought of by many in the industry to be "one of the top titles in the profession from around the globe," Wichai Thongtang is a powerful lawyer in Thailand. After graduating from Thammasat University in 1970he moved into corporate law, by which he represented a number of leading Thai executives and businesses and took the chance to learn about the stock exchange and investing. In addition to his law profession, Thongtang is the Chairman of Cable Thai Holding PLC and owns 15% of Dusit Medical, a Bangkok healthcare firm.