I discovered this ad via Digg, and immediately decided to see if it was legit.
It is. P’Ta Mon (pronounced “peeta mon”) is a real attorney [UPDATE: I’m not sure if he passed the Bar, or if he just has a JD.).
Of course, just as “The Simpsons already did it,” well, Above the Law already did it:
I’m calling about this, umm, ad of yours…. It reads, “The Thug’s Lawyer?”
What agency are you calling from?
No agency, no agency! I don’t work for any agency.
What do you want to know?
This ad — is it for real?
Yes. You need to see this ad in context. Go to my website, www.ptamon.com [warning: audio]. You’ll see there a wealth of history and background about who I am, which will explain why things are they way they are.
Look, I am close to the streets. And the streets have been good to me. Because people on the streets see me as one of them, there’s a trust factor [when they seek to retain me as their lawyer]. I come from the Caribbean, where we don’t have much opportunity.
The message I’m trying to send [with this ad] is that even if you’ve done something wrong, you are still entitled to representation. That is what our Constitution provides.
My advertisement has been so abused and misused that it’s almost comical. It’s better to give background on myself, so people understand that I’m a creative person, trying to reach clients in creative ways.
I’m telling them: “You’ve been labeled as a thug. But I am your lawyer, and you are innocent until proven guilty.”
Here’s the man’s website (warning – plays music that can’t be turned off). He’s a lawyer AND a singer. Actually, the reggae’s pretty good.