A Closer Look at Adam Reposa, Everyone's Favorite Maniacal Truck-Smashing Lawyer

A new interview pulls back the curtain on Adam Reposa.

We have covered Texas attorney Adam Reposa several times over the years here at Above the Law. He’s a quixotic fellow, yelling insanely in his commercials while smashing a large pickup truck into a smaller car, labelling himself as bulletproof, and facing unusual contempt charges.

We’ve never successfully spoken with Reposa directly, but a recent interview with one of his closest frenemies, who happened to direct the famous “I’M A LAWYER!” ad, gives some cool insight into the non-traditional attorney’s persona.

In the brash, entertaining interview, Bob Ray gives real talk on Adam Reposa and explains the history of that poor pickup truck (can you say alternative fee arrangements?)….

Vice interviewed Bob Ray, who made the commercial as well as a movie about Reposa’s assistant, Chad Holt, a known wildman and “cocaine-addicted competitive guinea pig breeder.”

Reposa and Ray’s friendship has fallen on tough times as their video has gone viral, apparently in part due to the unceremonious advances of a TV producer who wants to make a reality show about Reposa, but not his motley comrades.

Despite their currently tenuous friendship, Ray has some nice-ish (and definitely entertaining) things to say about Reposa’s lawyering:

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What sort of person hires Reposa?

Two kinds, I think. Desperate folks and fighters. And Chad’s friends. I guess that’s three kinds of people. Some people seek him out because he will fight their case. He won’t take a plea to save time and energy. It’s likely his most redeeming trait, fighting injustice. It’s arguably his only redeeming trait.

Is he any good as a lawyer?

I know that prosecutors hate him, and that has to be a good thing, right? Judges aren’t too fond of him, either. Not so sure that’s a good thing. He forces a ton of jury trials and the system does not like that. The system is set up to just move people through like a sausage factory, assuming sausage factories are quick-moving affairs. It’s easier, cheaper, and more convenient for someone to plea to a lesser charge and take the guilty conviction than it is to fight to prove you’re innocent. It’s f**ked up. I do know some other defense lawyers who think he’s a piece of sh*t, but there are just as many who think he’s a badass.

Well, that’s good. Despite all else, it appears his polite recommendation that you get out of his way is largely accurate. And he’s actually practicing law to fight injustice. What a concept!

Reposa is also progressive on the issue of alternative fees. Ray explains how Reposa ended up with the truck he destroyed in the commercial, and also helps clarify the, uh, unusual cinematography:

The first commercial was born when Reposa received a big-ass truck in place of payment from one of his clients who couldn’t afford to pay up. Chad called me and said that he and Repo were itching to smash the truck into another car and they were hoping that I’d be interested in filming it. I was. We figured out what it was exactly we were doing while on location and then later as I drunkenly edited.

A) Awesome.
B) Reposa’s nickname is Repo? No wonder someone wants this guy on TV.
C) More lawyers should hire drunken advertising editors. Then maybe we’d end up with less of this kind of crap.

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It’s worth reading the whole Vice piece because, well, there’s no real knowledge to be gained, but it’s funny. Hopefully next time Repo appears on these pages, we’ll be announcing that he’s joining the elite reality TV ranks of Honey Boo Boo and Kate Gosselin.

That would be a great success!

ADAM REPOSA: LAWYER, LUNATIC [VICE]

Earlier: You Should Probably Get Out of Adam Reposa’s Way