The Pelican Brief is modeled off the novel of an American writer.
John Ray Grisham , Jr. -LRB- -LSB- ˈɡrɪʃəm -RSB- born February 8 , 1955 -RRB- is an American bestselling writer , attorney , politician , and activist best known for his popular legal thrillers .. His books have been translated into 42 languages and published worldwide .. John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 .. Mississippi State University. Mississippi State University. University of Mississippi School of Law. University of Mississippi School of Law. Mississippi. Mississippi. He practiced criminal law for about a decade and served in the House of Representatives in Mississippi from January 1984 to September 1990 .. Mississippi. Mississippi. His first novel , A Time to Kill , was published in June 1989 , four years after he began writing it .. A Time to Kill. A Time to Kill ( Grisham novel ). As of 2012 , his books have sold over 275 million copies worldwide .. A Galaxy British Book Awards winner , Grisham is one of only three authors to sell 2 million copies on a first printing .. Grisham 's first bestseller , The Firm , sold more than seven million copies .. bestseller. bestseller. The Firm. The Firm ( novel ). The book was adapted into a 1993 feature film of the same name , starring Tom Cruise , and a 2012 TV series which `` continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere and his family 10 years after the events of the film and novel . ''. same name. The Firm ( 1993 film ). Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise. Eight of his other novels have also been adapted into films  : The Chamber , The Client , A Painted House , The Pelican Brief , The Rainmaker , The Runaway Jury , Skipping Christmas , and A Time to Kill .. The Chamber. The Chamber ( novel ). The Client. The Client ( novel ). A Painted House. A Painted House. The Pelican Brief. The Pelican Brief. The Rainmaker. The Rainmaker ( novel ). The Runaway Jury. The Runaway Jury. Skipping Christmas. Skipping Christmas. A Time to Kill. A Time to Kill ( Grisham novel )