“It’s hard to be a criminal defense lawyer. You have to have a certain kind of resilience and, I believe, a certain sense of humor in order to be successful.”

 – Penny Cooper 

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How does one trailblazing woman overcome the odds to become a top criminal trial attorney, all while keeping her sense of humor? PENNY is the compelling story of Penny Cooper: celebrated criminal defense attorney, philanthropist, art collector, mentor, social and moral activist, and protector of the underdog.

Penny’s life brims with stories mirroring the profound changes in our country from the 1940s to the present. Through it all, Penny has found herself at the center of dramatic social progress for women from political and moral views, to professional opportunity and adversity, to sexuality. A role model and pioneer, Penny perhaps owes much of her success in transcending the glass ceiling to her unwavering resilience, fortitude, and infamous humility. In this revealing documentary, Penny proves herself quite the raconteur with seemingly unlimited anecdotes. Her stories are engaging; sometimes funny, and sometimes devastating. A true reflection of a life well lived.

There are many films about lawyers, but PENNY is at its core the story of a real woman carving her place in the real world, told from a woman's point of view.

We are grateful to have music by award winning composer David Raiklen and animation by Charlie Canfield who were part of our grant from the Roy Dean Foundation. 

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