Leslie Abramson Height, Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography

Quick Info→

Age: 81 Years

Hometown: Flushing, Queens

Marital Status: Divorced

Bio/Wiki
Full Name	Leslie Hope Abramson
Profession	Retired Criminal Defense Attorney
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	4' 11" (149 cm)
Eye Colour	Light Brown
Hair Colour	Extra Light Beige Blonde
Personal Life
Date of Birth	6 October 1943 (Wednesday)
Age (as of 2024)	81 Years
Birthplace	Flushing, Queens, New York, USA
Zodiac sign	Libra
Nationality	American
Hometown	Flushing, Queens
College/University	• Queens College, New York • UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, California (1969)
Educational Qualification(s)	• A bachelor's degree from Queens College • Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law
Religion	Judaism
Controversy	The Menendez Brothers' Trial: Abramson stirred controversy during Erik Menendez's 1993 trial for the murder of his parents. It was discovered that she had Erik's psychiatrist change and delete parts of his notes. When the judged asked her about this, she claimed her Fifth Amendment right, which allowed her not to answer questions that could make her look bad. She also stated that her discussions with Erik were private due to attorney-client privilege, which keeps conversations between a lawyer and their client confidential. This led to a three-year investigation by the state bar, which eventually closed the case as there was insufficient evidence to conclude that she violated ethical rules during the Menendez Brothers' trial.
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Divorced
Family
Husband/Spouse	First Husband: (Pharmacist) (div. 1969) Second Husband: Tim Rutten (Journalist) (div. 2007) (died in 2022)
Children	Son- 1 (adopted with Tim Rutten) Daughter- Laine (elder) (from first marriage)
Money Factor
Net Worth (approx.)	$3-5 million (as of 2024)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Leslie Abramson

Leslie Abramson entered the legal profession in 1970 after being admitted to the California State Bar. She spent the first six years of her career working as a public defender in Los Angeles County.

In 1976, she started her private practice as a defence attorney. The same year, she began working at the law firm Geragos & Geragos in Los Angeles.

During her career, only one of her clients was sentenced to death: Ricky Sanders. He was a multiple murderer who shot eleven people in a walk-in freezer at a Bob’s Big Boy restaurant, which caused the deaths of four individuals.
Ricky Sanders aka Ricardo Rene Sanders (left); the crime scene at Bob’s Big Boy restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard road in California (right)

In 1988, Leslie helped 17-year-old Arnel Salvatierra receive a manslaughter verdict. Arnel was found guilty of killing his father but did not intend to murder him. Leslie argued that the father was abusive, which led to Arnel getting probation instead of prison time.
Arnel Salvatierra and his attorney Marcia Morrisey during his trial in Glendale, California

In 1988, she also defended an FBI agent named Richard Miller, who was accused of spying.

In January 1990, Abramson helped Dr. Khalid Parwez, a Pakistani-born gynaecologist, get cleared of charges that he strangled and dismembered his 11-year-old son. She proved he was not at the scene and argued that his brother, who had returned to Pakistan, was the real culprit.
Dr Khalid Parwez sitting handcuffed during court appearance in Pomona, California

In the early 1990s, Leslie became widely known for representing Erik Menendez. She took on his case about six months after Erik and his brother Lyle Menendez were arrested for murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty, in their Beverly Hills home on 20 August 1989.
Erik Menendez (left), Leslie Abramson (centre), and Lyle Menendez (right) in 1994

In the Menendez brothers’ case, she argued that the brothers had suffered years of emotional and sexual abuse from their parents, which led them to commit the murders.

In 1993, while the Menendez brothers’ trial was still taking place, the American show Saturday Night Live featured a skit in which actress Julia Sweeney portrayed Leslie, and actors John Malkovich and Rob Schneider played the roles of Lyle and Erik, respectively.
Stills from Saturday Night Live’s The Menendez Brothers’ Parody – John Malkovich (left, in blue) as Lyle Menendez, Rob Schneider (left, in red) as Erik Menendez, and Julia Sweeney (right) as Leslie Abramson

Over the years, Leslie became known for her tough approach and was named Trial Lawyer of the Year twice, including once in 1993, by the Criminal Courts Bar Association of Los Angeles.

In 1994, a CBS’ television film titled ‘Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills’ was released; the film, which was based on the Menendez brothers’ case, featured actress Margaret Whitton as Leslie Abramson.
Left: A poster of the film ‘Menendez A Killing in Beverly Hills’ (1994); Right: Margaret Whitton as Leslie Abramson

In the same year, actress Susan Blakely played the role of Leslie Abramson in the film ‘Honor Thy Father and Mother: The True Story of the Menendez Murders.’
A poster of the film ‘Honor Thy Father and Mother: The True Story of the Menendez Murders’ (1994)

Abramson was shocked when the Menendez brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in 1996. She called the verdict “exceedingly cruel and heartless” during a press conference.

In the HBO sketch-comedy series ‘Tracey Takes On…’ (1996-1999), actress Tracey Ullman played a character named Sydney Kross, a well-known Beverly Hills lawyer. This character was inspired by Leslie Abramson.
A poster of the series ‘Tracey Takes On…’ (1996-1999)

In 1997, she authored a book titled ‘The Defense is Ready: Life in the Trenches of Criminal Law.’
The cover page of the book ‘The Defense is Ready: Life in the Trenches of Criminal Law’ (1997)

In 2001, Abramson and her then-husband, Tim Rutten, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, moved to a craftsman-style home outside Los Angeles. The 3,200-square-foot house had a large garden and a pool, which her 7-year-old son loved; she adopted him after the first Menendez trial.

In 2004, Leslie took over the defence of record producer Phil Spector, who had been accused in 2003 of shooting actress Lana Clarkson at his home in Alhambra, California. Leslie replaced lawyer Robert Shapiro, but she resigned from the case after a public disagreement with Spector. Bruce Cutler then took over, and Spector was convicted of murder in 2009.
Leslie Abramson and Phil Spector in 2004

In June 2007, Leslie filed for divorce from Tim Rutten. The divorce was finalised later that year.

After retiring from her legal practice, Leslie shifted her focus to writing and public speaking engagements.

In March 2015, Abramson spoke at the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lecture at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California. During the school’s 15th annual Women and the Law Conference, she emphasised that to be a great lawyer, one needs a desire to understand people and relationships, a quality she believes women have.
Leslie Abramson while delivering a speech at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California

In 2017, a series titled ‘Law & Order True Crime’ premiered on NBC, focusing on the Menendez brothers’ case. Actress Edie Falco’s performance as Leslie Abramson in the series earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
A poster of the series ‘Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders’ (2017)

In 2024, Leslie criticised Netflix’s documentary ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,’ in which actress Ari Graynor portrayed her. Leslie also refused to be interviewed for the documentary earlier and referred to it as “that piece of sh*t.”
Some stills from the documentary ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ (2024)

Leslie never watches any shows or series about the Menendez brothers. In an interview, she mentioned that she does not like to watch the dramatic stories and said,

I didn’t watch the last series, and I don’t watch any of the shows about it. I’d like to leave the past in the past. No amount of media, nor teenage petitions will alter the fate of these clients. Only the court can do that and they have ruled.”
Leslie Abramson loves reading and enjoys mystery novels.

She loves to cook and often invites friends and family over for dinner parties.

Leslie is an avid animal lover and has a few pets.