James Grippando

James Grippando is an American novelist, well-known for his legal thrillers and crime fiction. Born on January 27, 1958, in Waukegan, Illinois, Grippando is also a lawyer by profession. He graduated from a law school and began his career as a law clerk to Honorable Thomas Clark, United States Court of Appeals. Grippando's career as a lawyer involved working on several cases related to death penalties, which later inspired him to write his novel plots. He served as a lawyer in Miami for twelve years and also served as the lead counsel for the Florida chicken farmers in a case that changed the outlook of the poultry industry.

Grippando's writing career began with him attempting to write creative writings in the 1980s, but he did not find success in getting his first book published. He got the idea for his first novel from a near-arrest due to mistaken identity. This experience inspired him to create the character of Jack Swyteck, a man who gets arrested for a murder he did not commit. The series of legal thrillers featuring Jack Swyteck became quite popular, and Grippando has written more than 21 books, including 16 novels in the Swyteck series. He is a New York Times bestselling author and is known for giving a real-life description of the character Jack Swyteck in his series. Grippando's novels are enjoyed worldwide in 28 languages, and he is also an adjunct professor who teaches "The Law & Lawyers in Modern Literature" at the University of Miami School of Law.