Adam Mitzner's "A Conflict of Interest"

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Adam Mitzner graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. and M.A. in politics, and from there went directly on to law school at the University of Virginia.

After law school, he joined the litigation department of a large New York City law firm, and after a few more stops, is currently the head of the litigation department of Pavia & Harcourt LLP. Pavia & Harcourt recently received some fame because it is the law firm where Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor practiced before she was appointed to the bench.

Here he shares some ideas about casting a big screen adaptation of his new novel, A Conflict of Interest:

I don't think about casting when I'm creating characters. More often than not, they're an amalgam of people I actually know. However, after A Conflict of Interest was finished, and there was some movie interest, I couldn't help but wonder who could bring the characters to life. I think that Michael Ohlig is perhaps the most complicated of the book's characters, and so I'd like to see a very talented actor in the role. Someone who can portray what I see as Ohlig's swashbuckling nature, as well as a vulnerability. Maybe Harrison Ford, or Jeff Bridges or Pierce Brosnan?

As for the protagonist, Alex Miller, perhaps it's my and Alex's love of Batman that would have me cast Christian Bale, but he combines the intelligence and conflict that I was going for with Alex. A similar mix of intelligence and beauty is necessary for the female leads -- Abby Sloan and Elizabeth Miller. For Abby -- Rachel McAdams? Elizabeth is an artist, so I'd want someone with a creative flair, but she's also a serious person. I was a big Lost fan -- Evangeline Lilly?

Learn more about the book and author at Adam Mitzner's website.

The Page 69 Test: A Conflict of Interest.

Writers Read: Adam Mitzner.

--Marshal Zeringue