Lawyer-Comedian Summoned Before the Final Grand Jury

Comedian-actor Greg Giraldo, 44, who recently died of a drug overdose, was a lawyer before he was a stand-up comic.  Belying his scruffy appearance and man-of-the-street manner, the New York native was a graduate of Regis (New York’s elite Jesuit High School), Columbia University, and Harvard Law School.  After a brief career in the New York office of the law firm Skadden Arps, Giraldo abandoned the practice of law for the world of comedy clubs and guest appearances on late-night talk shows.

Three years later (1996), he briefly returned to the law (at least in a manner of speaking) when he won the lead role as a bohemian lawyer in the ABC sit-com, Common Law.  Unfortunately, Common Law was watched by no one other than David Papke and Gordon Hylton, and the series was cancelled after five episodes.  Giraldo was probably best known for the rants that he delivered during his frequent appearances on Comedy Central’s Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Giraldo performed in Milwaukee a number of times during the past two decades.  An obituary that focuses on his early law-related career can be found on the Esquire Magazine website.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.