Top Ten Richest Lawyers

So, who are they? Here's a fast look in the wealthiest attorneys in the world, ranked from the lowest net worth to the highest. Please note that the people on this list are all practicing lawyers or judges. There are loads of additional "lawyers" using a substantially higher net value, but they just have a law degree and no longer use it.

Judy Sheindlin: between $150 million and $250 million

Best known for being a no-nonsense TV judge, Judge Judy earns $47 million annually. A 1965 graduate of New York Law School, Judge Sheindlin was initially a corporate attorney, though she quickly grew tired of it and choose to be a household court prosecutor. Back in 1982, she was appointed as a criminal court judge, where she earned a reputation as a "demanding " judge and presided over more than 20,000 cases. This, along with several books she wrote, caught the eye of TV executives and eventually led to her TV series. Additionally, she is the author of seven novels and has served as legal analyst on various TV shows.

Willie E. Gary: $100 million

Nicknamed "The Giant Killer," Willie Gary has taken on several of the country 's biggest corporations, such as Anheuser-Busch and Disney. He's won some of the biggest settlements and jury awards in the U.S., including several cases valued at over $30 billion. A graduate of Shaw University, he's now the managing partner at Gary, Williams, Parenti, Watson, and Gary, P.L.L.C., functions as a motivational speaker, and has emerged as a legal analyst on "The Early Show. "

Robert Shapiro: $50 million

Presently a senior partner at Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard, Avchen, and Shapiro, LLP, Robert Shapiro graduated from Loyola Law School in 1968 and began a career as a criminal lawyer. After working on O.J. Simpson's legal group (and representing other actors ), he chose to move into civil lawsuit. Besides his law career, he has written a children's publication and can be a co-founder of LegalZoom and Shoedazzle.com.

Thomas Mesereau: $25 million

Also a criminal defense attorney (Are you noticing a trend?) , Thomas Mesereau graduated from Harvard University and The University of California's Hastings College of Law and has was named "Trial Lawyer of the Year for 2015" by the National Trial Lawyers. (He's won plenty of other awards such as "Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year. ") He is known for carrying high stakes cases with impossible odds and receiving extraordinary results. He had been Michael Jackson's lawyer when he was acquitted of 14 child molestation charges and has won an unprecedented three federal criminal jury trials in a row. While his hourly rate is so large that it's not printed, he does pro bono work through the Mesereau Free Legal Clinic.