But what he characterized as ransom, her lawyer described as nothing more than the kind of monetary settlement and financial distribution that couples commonly discuss in divorce proceedings.

Back then, Mr. Pugach was one of the most powerful lawyers in the Bronx, described by a former employee, the late celebrity lawyer Roy Grutman, as the fastest skirt- and ambulance chaser on the Grand Concourse.

Impossible to Verify It was impossible to independently verify whether what lawyers described as violations of immigration law and international human rights agreements have actually occurred.

No tip led to more dramatic results than the one from an Iraqi lawyer, described by Private Lynch's family only as Muhammad.

She played the title character, Elizabeth Canterbury, a lawyer described as "a tough-minded defense attorney who isn't afraid to push boundaries in order to protect innocent clients."

On Thursday, lawyers for three inmates, described as British residents but not citizens, were given permission by a judge on Britain's High Court to seek an order forcing Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to campaign for their release.

On Friday, in a desperate open letter his lawyer described as a suicide note, Mr. Simpson denied involvement in the slayings.

Among the other issues he is to discuss will be what his lawyer described in court today as an earlier espionage episode, one not covered in his indictment.

But it was evident that given the contrast between the rather hazy accusations against her and the monstrous stories of abuse in the cases her lawyer described in court, jurors found the case against Mrs. Yager inadequate.