Following in the footsteps of Sullivan & Cromwell partner Eric Krautheimer, today's Non-Top-Tier Law School Graduate of the Day also has a law degree from a Tier 4 law school, supplemented by an LLM from NYU. And just like Eric Krautheimer, his tremendously successful career provides support for the proposition that it's not where you got your legal education, but what you do with it, that counts.

Name: Benjamin Brafman

Law School: Ohio Northern University, J.D., with distinction, 1974

Current Position: Partner, Brafman & Associates, P.C.

Why He's Our Winner: Brafman is one of New York's top criminal defense attorneys, with a long list of celebrity clients (including, for a time, Michael Jackson). Our tipster sums it up nicely: "He represented Diddy! He probably met J.Lo! How can you beat that?"

Brafman & Associates, P.C. [Lawyers.com]
Benjamin Brafman [Wikipedia]
Little Big Man [New York Magazine]

What's up with Venable? Strange things seem to be afoot over there. From last Friday's Washington Post:

He's back!!! Or is it possible Michael Jackson has been quietly lurking in our region ever since his early-a.m. Smithsonian tour last week?

The sometimes-reclusive, sometimes-exhibitionist performer was spotted Wednesday evening in the downtown law offices of Venable LLP. One spy said he looked exactly like -- well, himself: black sunglasses, black jacket, white shirt, black pants, white socks, black loafers, a pair of oversize bodyguards.

For those lucky enough to glimpse Jackson, his appearance explained a memo the firm had just put out, warning staffers not to gawk at clients.

We'd love to see that memo (which we hear was actually just an email). As for what Venable is doing for the King of Pop, we think they represent him in some IP matters. Maybe he'll sue our uncle for unlicensed use of "Thriller"?

Update: Roger Friedman of Fox News reports that "Jackson was in the law offices of Venable LLP to give a deposition in the $30 million lawsuit brought by his former manager, Dieter Wiesner."

More Venable eccentricity, after the jump.

The past few days have been full of law-related news about celebrities. E.g., Lindsay Lohan, Wesley Snipes, and Madonna. And no menagerie of stars would be complete without the King of Pop himself: Michael Jackson.

Things are getting majorly "meta" for Michael. He's retained new lawyers to sue his former lawyers, against whom he makes some pretty wacky interesting allegations:

Michael Jackson is accusing his former attorneys of conspiring to put him into involuntary bankruptcy. In papers filed on Aug. 29 in Tarzana, Calif., but unseen until now, Jackson accuses former attorneys Ayscough & Marar of “approaching other lawyers” who represented Jackson “in an effort to get such lawyers to join [with them] in forcing Jackson into involuntary bankruptcy …”

We tend to doubt Jackson's precarious financial condition is the fault of his lawyers. Unless they happen to be prepubescent boys demanding millions in hush money.

Jacko: Former Lawyers in Conspiracy [Fox News]