Played by Loretta Devine

Annabelle Carruthers was the client in 3x10 [The Nutcrackers] whose husband died after being struck by lightning while talking on a cell phone. She wanted to sue God and created an attention-grabbing scene in the lobby of Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Paul Lewiston assigned Denise Bauer and Brad Chase to talk to her, but with direct orders NOT to take the case. However, Denise was taken in by Annabelle's sad story and agreed to help her. Later, Paul added Jeffrey Coho to the team. Despite all the heavy-hitting legal power on the case, it was Claire Simms' new assistant, Clarence Bell, who came up with the best angle of attack - to sue the cell phone manufacturer. After the CP&S team's first meeting with the company's attorneys, the manufacturer made a quick (and surprising) settlement offer in the amount of $75,000.

Loretta Devine
Houston native Loretta Devine is an award-winning performer on stage and screen. One of her prominent stage roles was as one of the leads in the Broadway production of Dreamgirls in the early 1980s (she also has a smaller role in the 2006 film version). Devine's extensive list of television credits includes an episode of Murphy Brown (1990) with Candice Bergen and episodes on David E. Kelley's Picket Fences (1995) and Ally McBeal (2000). Undoubtedly, her most memorable television role was as the brash, outspoken Marla Hendricks on another Kelley show, Boston Public (2000-5). Devine won three NAACP Image Awards for the role and was one of only three actors (along with Chi McBride and Anthony Heald) to appear in every episode of the show. Devine also has had a successful film career, winning acclaim for her supporting roles in several popular movies, including Waiting To Exhale (1995), The Preacher's Wife (1996), and Crash (2004).

Loretta Devine at the Internet Movie Database
Loretta Devine at Wikipedia