John Grisham Biography

Fast Facts

• Gained widespread acclaim following the release of The Firm in 1991 after the book sat on The New York Times' Bestsellers List for 47 straight weeks
• A longtime supporter of The Innocence Project, a non-profit aimed at campaigning to free convicted individuals with the help of modern-day DNA research
• Earned his bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law
• After graduating from law school in 1983, he would return to his Mississippi hometown to work as a civil litigation attorney before eventually running for public office
• Began writing his first novel, A Time to Kill, after being elected to office in 1984, but would not publish it until five years later after being rejected by almost 30 publishing houses
• Served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 until 1990, earning a salary of only $8,000 annually
• Began working on his second novel, The Firm, the day after his first book went into circulation in 1989