Leslie Abramson

Leslie Hope Abramson (born October 6, 1943) is a retired American criminal defense attorney best known for her role in the legal defense of Lyle and Erik Menendez. She is also a published author.

Early life and education Abramson was born in Flushing, Queens, New York City to Jewish immigrant parents. She graduated from Queens College and in 1969 received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from UCLA School of Law.

Career Early career In 1970, Abramson was admitted to the State Bar of California. She began her career in the Los Angeles County Public Defender's office, where she worked for six years. Following a three-year investigation, the state bar closed its case "after deciding that there was insufficient evidence to conclude she violated ethical rules in Menendez brothers' retrial."

Post-Menendez career In 1997, Abramson published a book, The Defense Is Ready: Life in the Trenches of Criminal Law. She resigned from representing Spector over conflicts between them. Spector was later convicted of murder with different counsel. In 2017, Edie Falco portrayed Abramson in the first season of Law & Order True Crime, based on the Menendez trial. Ari Graynor portrayed Abramson in the 2024 Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the second season of Monsters.

Personal life Abramson was married to a pharmacist with whom she had a daughter, Laine. They divorced in 1969. Rutten and Abramson remained close until he died in September 2022.