It was just a wonderful mystery in many respects.

[Mystery-thrillers are] difficult to write, number one, ... Getting all the details worked out brings the detective out in everyone.

Toward the 1890s, you start seeing more lawyers who are homegrown. Still, for many years, they couldn't get training in the South.

There's a lot of frustration that goes on with this kind of research.

He didn't do much arguing of the case, but probably did a lot of the research. And then, for the Supreme Court, he even had his train ticket, but was told not to go. It must have been crushing.

The big surprises were how many there were, and how far back they went. In learning about the names of the lawyers, I started thinking about what it must have been like.