Jesus Portrait Dispute Highlights Litigation Finance Questions

Akiane Kramarik shot to fame as a 9-year-old for painting a famous portrait of Jesus. Now, she’s at the center of a lawsuit raising an entirely secular question: What role does money play in tipping the scales of justice?

Funding Secured: Kramarik received $500,000 in funding for the suit from Legalist, which says the artist, now 26, is the type of small-time plaintiff who can only pursue allegations of theft and copyright infringement thanks to an infusion of capital.

David v. Goliath: But the target of the lawsuit says she is the “David” in this battle against a plaintiff with ...