Thirty million copies of Scott Turow’s books have circulated globally, with his works translated into more than forty languages. Setting his fictional legal narratives within the confines of Kindle County, he established a career that bridges the professional demands of a legal practitioner and the creative requirements of a prolific novelist.
Early Development and Academic Training
Born in Chicago on April 12, 1949, Turow moved to the suburb of Winnetka at the age of thirteen. He attended New Trier High School before enrolling at Amherst College, where he graduated in 1970. His initial pursuit of creative writing took him to Stanford University, where he held an Edith Mirrielees Fellowship from 1970 to 1972. His later transition to legal studies occurred at Harvard Law School, providing the thematic foundation for his future bibliography.
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Turow balanced his early career as a lawyer with his writing pursuits. In 1977, he published One L, a non-fiction account detailing his first year of law school. His pivot to fiction arrived with the 1987 release of Presumed Innocent. Throughout the following decades, he produced a series of novels including The Burden of Proof, Pleading Guilty, and Personal Injuries. His non-fiction output also includes the 2003 book Ultimate Punishment, which examined the death penalty and earned a Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights award.
Advocacy and Public Service
Between 1997 and 1998, Turow served on the U.S. Senate Nominations Commission for the Northern District of Illinois to assist with federal judicial appointments. He assumed the presidency of the Authors Guild in 2010. During his tenure, he engaged in public debates regarding digital copyright and the e-book industry, maintaining that his primary goal was the preservation of writing as a sustainable profession. He also collaborated with professor Lawrence Lessig in 2011 to evaluate potential political reforms.
Fast facts
- Born: 12 April 1949, Chicago
- Education: Amherst College, Stanford University, Harvard Law School
- Novels published: 13
- Authors Guild President: Elected 2010
- Order of Lincoln recipient: 2000
- Carl Sandburg Literary Award: 2016
- Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement: 2023
- Member of the Rock Bottom Remainders band
Questions readers ask
What is the primary setting of Turow's fiction?
His novels are primarily set within the fictional Kindle County.
Has his work been adapted for the screen?
Yes, several films have been based on his books, including multiple adaptations of Presumed Innocent.
Achievements
- Order of Lincoln — 2000
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