Who Is Linda Fairstein?
Linda Fairstein is a former prosecutor for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and best-selling crime novels.
Linda Fairstein Biography
She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Miami Beach, Florida.
As a student at Yale University, she graduated with honors in 1967 after graduating from college. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a New York law firm partner and the father of Ms. Fairstein’s four children, is her husband.
Immediately following earning her law degree, Ms. Fairstein worked as a law clerk for Chief Judge Jules Lefkowitz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit located in Philadelphia before beginning her career as an assistant district attorney the Office of the New York County District Attorney in 1973.
While at the District Attorney’s office, Ms. Fairstein prosecuted major criminal cases against organized crime figures, such as:
- Joseph Weinberg
- the alleged boss of the Bonanno crime family
- Carlos Marcello, who founded the Mafia in New Orleans
- Robert Vesco, a fugitive wanted on federal fraud charges
Linda Fairstein Awards
She was named 1989 Woman of the Year by NY magazine. Her bestselling book “The Five Families: The Rise and Decline of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires” was published in 1992 and won praise from critics for its no-nonsense style and its unflinching look at organized crime.
In 1997 she became vice president of law and international public safety for News Corp. and News International, the News Corp. subsidiary in London.
In 2002 she left News Corporation and became general counsel for Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., a director of the New York State Bar Association and a member of the American Law Institute.
She is currently an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law in New York City and an adviser to Paul Desmarais Jr., chief executive officer of Power Corporation, Le Devoir newspaper in Montreal.
She has served on many corporate boards, including Rockefeller Center Properties and the International Council for Volcanology.
Ms. Fairstein holds two honorary doctorates: a Doctorate in Laws from St. John’s University in New York City and a Doctorate in International Public Affairs from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
She is an active member of the Authors Guild and serves on the New York Public Library board of Trustees.
Linda Fairstein Novels
Ms. Fairstein has written ten bestselling crime novels featuring prosecutor Alexandra Cooper, a character created as an amalgamation of her professional experience and the women she encountered while working in homicide.
Her first novel, “Final Jeopardy,” published in 1993, is based on the life of former New York Police Commissioner (r. 1972-1973) Patrick V. Murphy, who was convicted of taking bribes from Mafia figures.
Her fourth novel “The Jury,” published in 1995, and her seventh novel “Final Justice,” published in 2000, are based on the infamous Lindbergh baby kidnapping case, which took place between 1932 and 1935 and turned out to be one of the most famous cases in American history involving an innocent family torn apart by a crime that was never solved.
A star of the literary world, her novels are known for their character development and crisp writing. They have also won praise for their realistic portrayals of the law and courtroom scenes.
Linda Fairstein Income
- Annually $ 4,00,000
- Monthly $ 32,000
- Weekly $ 8,000