Editing Lionel Hutz

{{short description|The Simpsons character}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Lionel Hutz
| series = [[The Simpsons]]
| image = Lionel Hutz.jpg
| first = "[[Bart Gets Hit by a Car]]" (1991)
| last = "[[Realty Bites]]" (1997)
| creator = {{Plainlist| 
* [[Jay Kogen]]
* [[Mike Scully]]
* [[John Swartzwelder]]
* [[Matt Groening]]}}
| designer = Matt Groening
| voice = [[Phil Hartman]]
| home = [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]]
| occupation = {{Plainlist|
* [[Lawyer]] (Main)
* Shoe repair expert 
* Real estate broker
}}
}}

'''Lionel Hutz''' is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom ''[[The Simpsons]]''. He was voiced by [[Phil Hartman]], and his first appearance was in the [[The Simpsons (season 2)|season two]] episode "[[Bart Gets Hit by a Car]]". Hutz is a stereotypical shady [[ambulance chasing]] lawyer in [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]], with questionable competence and ethics. Nevertheless, he is often hired by [[Simpson family|the Simpsons]]. Following Hartman's death at the hands of his wife on May 28, 1998, Hutz was retired; his final speaking role was five months earlier, in the [[The Simpsons (season 9)|season nine]] episode "[[Realty Bites]]", and has since occasionally cameoed in the background.

==Role in ''The Simpsons''==

===Personality===
Lionel Hutz is an [[ambulance chasing]] [[personal injury lawyer]] and, according to [[Lisa Simpson]], a "[[shyster]]" whom the Simpsons nonetheless hire as their lawyer in multiple episodes (a fact remarked on by [[Marge Simpson]] in a typically self-aware aside), mostly because Hutz is the only legal counsel the Simpsons can afford.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Burns' Heir |episode-link=Burns' Heir |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Richdale, Jace; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox |airdate=April 14, 1994 |season=5 |number=18}}</ref>  His legal practice, shown to be located in a [[shopping mall]], is named "[[I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!|I Can't Believe It's A Law Firm!]]" and also offers "expert shoe repair." He often tries to entice potential clients with gifts, including a "smoking monkey" doll, a pen that looks like a cigar, an exotic faux-pearl necklace, a business card that "turns into a sponge when you put it in water,"<ref>{{cite episode |title=Bart Gets Hit by a Car |episode-link=Bart Gets Hit by a Car |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Swartzwelder, John; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox |airdate=April 14, 1994 |season=2 |number=10}}</ref> and even an almost-full [[Orange Julius]] he had been drinking himself. John G. Browning of the ''[[Beaumont, Texas|Southeast Texas Record]]'' describes the character of Hutz as a literal ambulance chaser: "Hutz typifies the sleazy lawyer. He exaggerates his academic credentials ('I've attended [[Harvard]], [[Yale]], [[MIT]], [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]], the [[Louvre]]')" and is "the very worst in legal marketing".<ref name="southeast texas record">{{cite web|url=https://setexasrecord.com/stories/510608291-legally-speaking-d-oh-what-the-simpsons-teaches-us-about-the-law|title=Legally Speaking: D'oh! What 'The Simpsons' teaches us about the law|first=John G.|last=Browning|newspaper=Southeast Texas Record | location=Beaumont, Texas |  date=August 15, 2007 | access-date=October 20, 2017}}</ref>

Hutz is characterized as both a grossly incompetent lawyer and an unethical individual in general. This is supported in his first appearance in "[[Bart Gets Hit by a Car]]", an episode which also demonstrates his greed as he wants half of the Simpsons' settlement money. Hutz is disliked and mistrusted by both Marge and Lisa. In "Bart Gets Hit by a Car", Marge ultimately testifies against Hutz for hiring [[Dr. Nick Riviera|Dr. Nick]], a [[quackery|quack doctor]] with a shady reputation, and for making Bart lie about his injuries. Hutz's incompetence and greed are also noted by his rival, the more competent [[Blue Haired Lawyer]]. In the episode "[[Marge in Chains]]" Hutz describes the following as his "problem" with Judge Snyder: <blockquote>Well, he's had it in for me ever since I kinda ran over his dog. Well, replace the word "kinda" with the word "repeatedly" and the word "dog" with "son".</blockquote>

Hutz is characterized as a recovering alcoholic. In one episode he offers Marge a celebratory "belt of [[Scotch whiskey|Scotch]]" at 9:30 in the morning,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Practicing with The Simpsons |url=https://www.dailyjournal.com/articles/253281-practicing-with-the-simpsons |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=www.dailyjournal.com}}</ref> remarking that he had not slept in days. In the same episode, he hastily leaves the courtroom after handling a bottle of [[Bourbon whiskey|bourbon]] in order to consult his [[Twelve-step program|sponsor]], [[David Crosby]]. He then gives his closing statement, unaware that he is not wearing any pants, and thinks that [[Clarence Darrow]] was "the black guy on ''[[The Mod Squad]]''". Beyond practicing law, he also tries his hand at selling [[real estate]], reasoning that it was a natural move as most of his clients ended up losing their homes anyway.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Realty Bites |episode-link=Realty Bites |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Greaney, Dan; Scott III, Swinton O. |network=Fox |airdate=December 7, 1997 |season=9 |number=9}}</ref> Out of desperation for work, he has resorted to [[babysitting]]. Hutz, left in charge of the children for longer than he was hired, nods off in a sitting position; he produces a switchblade upon awakening suddenly. He burns all of his personal documentation in the Simpsons fireplace, claiming that "Lionel Hutz" no longer exists and he is now "Miguel Sanchez".<ref>{{cite episode |title=Marge on the Lam |episode-link=Marge on the Lam |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Canterbury, Bill; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox |airdate=December 4, 1993 |season=5 |number=6}}</ref> His other alias is "Dr. Nguyen Van Phuoc". Hutz's incompetence and financial desperation sometimes lead him to resort to rooting through dumpsters, claiming it is client-related.<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Springfield Connection |episode-link=The Springfield Connection |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Collier, Jonathan; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox |airdate=May 7, 1995 |season=6 |number=23}}</ref> Hutz was briefly married to [[Patty and Selma Bouvier|Selma Bouvier]], although this storyline is not shown in an episode and instead mentioned in "[[Much Apu About Nothing]].” In “[[Selma's Choice]],” Hutz attempts to get his hands on the Bouvier sisters’ Aunt Gladys' inheritance. When he was caught forging Gladys' signature by Marge and Lisa, Hutz was forced to properly read the will and give Marge's family Gladys' inheritance. Hutz has also been known to use a phone booth as an office.

Hutz does not seem to care about [[conflict of interest]]; in "[[A Streetcar Named Marge]]" he represents clients in a lawsuit against the producers of a local production of ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' for not giving them any roles in the play, although he had a role himself.

Another display of his incompetence takes place in "[[The Boy Who Knew Too Much (The Simpsons)|The Boy Who Knew Too Much]]" when, while representing a [[French people|French]] waiter who is accusing [[Mayor Quimby]]'s nephew Freddy of battery, he is surprised when the opposing counsel mentions that Hutz's client is an immigrant (despite the client's French accent). Hutz then demands that his client tell him everything from then on. Browning wrote that his "courtroom skills leave something to be desired"; in the episode "Marge in Chains", he motions for a "bad court thingy", to which the judge replies "You mean a mistrial?", and then refers to himself as the "law-talking guy".<ref name="southeast texas record"/><ref name="chains">"[[Marge in Chains]]"</ref>

===Cases won===
Although Hutz loses most of his cases in the episodes in which he appears, he does win several cases for the Simpsons. In "[[Bart the Murderer]]", he represented Bart when the latter was suspected of the supposed murder of [[Seymour Skinner]], and the charges were dropped when Skinner revealed himself to be alive. In "[[New Kid on the Block]]", he represents Homer in his case against the [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Sea Captain|Sea Captain]] and the Frying Dutchman restaurant over its "All You Can Eat" offer ("The most blatant case of fraudulent advertising since my suit against the film ''[[The NeverEnding Story (film)|The NeverEnding Story]]''").<ref>{{cite episode |title=New Kid on the Block |episode-link=New Kid on the Block |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=O'Brien, Conan; Archer, Wes |network=Fox |airdate=November 12, 1992 |season=4 |number=8}}</ref> He also wins a case for Bart in "[[The Day the Violence Died]]", by proving that [[The Itchy & Scratchy Show|Itchy]] was created by an old man named Chester J. Lampwick—though the deciding factor of the case is mainly proven by Bart's footwork to collect the crucial piece of evidence, rather than Hutz's competence. Hutz initiates the trial with zero credible evidence.<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Day the Violence Died |episode-link=The Day the Violence Died |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Swartzwelder, John; Archer, Wesley |network=Fox |airdate=March 17, 1996 |season=7 |number=18}}</ref> In "[['Round Springfield]]", Hutz successfully sues [[Krusty the Clown]] after Bart accidentally consumes a jagged metal [[Cereal box prize|prize]] from a box of Krusty-O cereal, resulting in an inflamed appendix. After winning the case, Hutz gives Bart only $500 of the $100,000 settlement.<ref>{{cite episode| title='Round Springfield |episode-link='Round Springfield |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=O'Brien, Conan; Archer, Wes |network=Fox |airdate=April 30, 1995 |season=6 |number=22}}</ref> In "[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", Hutz wins a case against [[Sideshow Bob]], who was mayor at that time, for electoral fraud, although Bart and Lisa once again found all the supporting evidence.

The only other case technically won by Hutz was in "[[Treehouse of Horror IV]]", where he represents Homer against [[Satan]] (who, in a twist, is revealed to resemble [[Ned Flanders]]). In a purportedly-deleted scene for this episode, as subsequently seen in "[[The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular]]", Hutz's slogan is "Cases won in 30 minutes or your [[pizza]] is free". After he thinks he has lost the case, he gives the Simpsons their pizza. However, Marge informs him that they did win. Then, he tells them that the box was empty anyway. In the video game ''[[The Simpsons: Hit & Run]]'', billboards can be seen around Downtown Springfield promoting Hutz's free pizza offer.

==Creation and retirement==
[[Phil Hartman]] was first suggested for the role of Lionel Hutz by Simpsons writer [[Jay Kogen]], who liked Hartman's "great, strong voice." Writer [[Mike Scully]] described Hutz as a "combination of overconfidence and incompetence. He never doubted his ability in the courtroom for some reason, even though he had no idea what was going on."<ref>{{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Mike |date=2014 |title=You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman |location=New York |publisher=St. Martin's Press |pages=158–161 |isbn=9781250027962}}</ref>

After Hartman's death in 1998,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/TV/9805/28/hartman/|title=Phil Hartman, wife die in apparent murder-suicide|access-date=June 8, 2007|date=May 28, 1998|publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Hutz was going to be recast with [[Harry Shearer]], but the character was retired along with [[Troy McClure]], Hartman's other recurring character.<ref name=inter>{{cite interview|last=Groening|first=Matt|subject-link = Matt Groening| interviewer = [[Terry Gross]]| title = Fresh Air| publisher = [[NPR]]| work = [[WHYY-FM]]| url = https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4249835| location = Philadelphia| date = December 29, 2004| access-date = April 9, 2008}}</ref> The last episode to feature Hutz speaking was the [[The Simpsons (season 9)|season 9 episode]] "[[Realty Bites]]".

==Reception==
''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' named Hutz as one of their 15 favorite fictional television and film lawyers.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20189419_15,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412064434/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20189419_15,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 12, 2008|title=Best TV/Movie Lawyers: 15 Legal Eagles We'd Hire|access-date=April 9, 2008|date=April 9, 2008|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> His characterization as an ambulance chaser who is only concerned with money has been viewed as part of a trend away from more noble depictions of lawyers in literature, such as [[Atticus Finch]], and towards more critical depictions of lawyers and the United States legal system.<ref>{{cite journal
| last       = Ho
| first      = Kevin K. 
| date       = 2003
| title      = "The Simpsons" and the Law: Revealing Truth and Justice to the Masses
| url        = https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1bw8d13j
| journal    = UCLA Entertainment Law Review  
| volume     = 10
| issue      = 2
| doi = 10.5070/LR8102027049 
| access-date = March 13, 2020 
| doi-access= free
}}</ref> Hutz has also been examined as an example of a fictional depiction of a member of the [[professional services|professional service market]] in popular culture.<ref>{{cite journal
| last       = Ellis
| first      = Nick 
| date       = September 2008
| title      = 'What the Hell is That?': The Representation of Professional Service Markets in The Simpsons
| journal    = Organization  
| volume     = 15
| issue      = 5
| pages      = 705–723
| doi        = 10.1177/1350508408093649
| hdl= 2381/4675
| s2cid = 145106730 
| url = https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/10082879 
| hdl-access= free
}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{portal|The Simpsons|Animation|Television|Comedy}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170327191442/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0003030/ Lionel Hutz] on [[IMDb]]

{{The Simpsons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutz, Lionel}}
[[Category:The Simpsons characters]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1991]]
[[Category:Animated characters introduced in 1991]]
[[Category:Fictional American lawyers]]
[[Category:Fictional real estate agents]]
[[Category:Fictional alcohol abusers]]
[[Category:Male characters in animated television series]]
[[Category:Animated human characters]]
[[Category:American male characters in sitcoms]]

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