Paul Batista

Paul Batista, a novelist and television personality, is also one of the most widely known trial lawyers in the United States. He is the author of the leading treatise on the federal racketeering statute, "Civil RICO Practice Manual," first published in 1987 by John Wiley & Sons, and now in its third edition (Wolters Kluwer 2008).

As a trial attorney, he specializes in federal criminal litigation. He currently serves as a guest commentator on the CBS News Network. In addition to his legal career, he is an actor who has appeared in the HBO movie "You Don't Know Jack," which starred Al Pacino as Dr. Jack Kevorkian.


Batista is a 1970 graduate of Bowdoin College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a 1974 graduate of Cornell Law School. He served in the United States Army.

Paul Batista lives in New York City and Sag Harbor, New York.