# Movies about lawyers doing lawyery stuff **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [October 28, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076 "2020-10-28T00:27:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/21 "2020-10-28T10:56:58Z")
It was quickly forgotten, but I think _The Social Network_ is an excellent legal movie. Most of it takes place in depositions via flashback as opposed to a courtroom, though. Certainly helps that it’s another Sorkinfest. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/22 "2020-10-28T11:40:11Z")
The Social Network is commonly called the best film of the past decade… hardly ‘forgotten’! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/23 "2020-10-28T11:46:45Z")
And Justice For All. “ You’re out of order! You’re out of order! The whole trial is out of order! They’re out of order! That man, that sick, crazy, depraved man, raped and beat that woman there, and he’d like to do it again! He _told_ me so! It’s just a show! It’s a show! It’s “Let’s Make A Deal”! “Let’s Make A Deal”! Hey Frank, you wanna “Make A Deal”? I got an insane judge who likes to beat the shit out of women! Whaddya wanna gimme Frank, 3 weeks probation?” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/24 "2020-10-28T13:46:15Z")
Lawyers doing lawyerly stuff? Not surprising that there are few movies about people sitting in front of computers reading and typing! 😉 And, of course, conducting snappy 5 minute depositions! 😃 One of the most realistic representations I’ve seen on screen was from Better Call Saul, where the associates were in a windowless room doing document review! But, in terms of movies, A Civil Action w/ John Travolta, Robert Duvall, etc., had many realistic aspects IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/25 "2020-10-28T20:25:19Z")
Some less conventional options: _Crime without Passion_ (1934) – Lawyer with contempt for the law Claude Rains concocts an alibi for himself after shooting his girlfriend. Incredible opening montage. _Man of the People_ (1937) – Sinister looking good-guy NY lawyer Joseph Calleia rages against the local political machine while finding romance. At one point, he uses a brilliant “gefilte fish” defense and later exposes a gold mining investment scam with a tomato. You know, real lawyer stuff. _A Matter of Life and Death_ a.k.a. _Stairway to Heaven_ (1946) – Trial in celestial court pits hoarse-voiced neurologist Roger Livesey against hardass Revolutionary patriot Raymond Massey for WWII pilot David Niven’s life. Sadly, no Jimmy Page solo. _Miracle on 34th Street_ (1947) – Santa Claus on trial! _The Lady from Shanghai_ (1947) – Dumb Irish sailor Orson Welles gets involved with corrupt defense lawyer Everett Sloane, Sloane’s wife Rita Hayworth, and Sloane’s über-creepy partner Glenn Anders. Features one of the most absurd and ridiculous - and entertaining - trial sequences ever filmed. _The Caine Mutiny_ (1954) – Naval court martial drama with Jose Ferrer showing up late to steal the show as the defense attorney. _The Phenix City Story_ (1955) – Fact-distorted, but well-made account of lawyer Richard Kiley trying to clean corrupt Southern town of gambling and prostitution. _Paths of Glory_ (1957) – French WWI military trial has pre-war lawyer Col. Kirk Douglas defending his men against charge of cowardice after they were ordered on a hopeless assault which predictably failed. Directed and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. _The Outer Limits_: “I, Robot” (1964) – Lawyer defends robot accused of murdering its maker. _The Advocate_ a.k.a. _The Hour of the Pig_ (1993) – In Medieval France, city lawyer Colin Firth heads to the country to practice law and winds up uncovering uncomfortable truths as he defends a pig framed on a murder rap. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/26 "2020-10-28T21:49:53Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > A Few Good Men (which many claim to be Sorkin’s best work) More recent Sorkin **The Trial of the Chicago 7** on Netflix. Well done. The older movie, **Sleepers** (not to be confused with Woody Allen’s movie. This is the one with Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, Robert DeNiro), spins a trial about murder to a more sordid past. **Miss Sloane** is kind of more about a congressional hearing and lobbying, but it is definitely full of lawyer stuff. If you like Grisham ( **The Firm** ) **The Rainmaker** , **A Time To Kill** and **The Client** have lots of lawyer stuff. **Runaway Jury** is more about a trial, and not so much about the lawyers as I recall (still fun). ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/27 "2020-10-28T21:57:59Z")
> [@Tusculan](#): > > Still such scenes may give a realistic idea of what lawyers actuallly do. Such as in A Civil Action where they are negotiating about the amount of damages, and the consequences of result-based fees (IIRC). I also believe there are some examples of witness selection or preparation of a pleading. _The Verdict_ has been mentioned. It’s been awhile since I’ve watched it, but I recall a lot of stuff that is common such as chasing down witnesses, expert witness selection and preparation, good cross examination, cranky judge, one side has a lot more resources, and some negotiation. Oh, and dealing with emotional clients. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/28 "2020-10-28T22:02:33Z")
the lincoln lawyer ? (the book was good anyway) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/29 "2020-10-28T22:20:14Z")
If you will accept TV shows, you could try [Murder One](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112086/) from 1995. Season 1 was a 23 episode arc concentrating on a single murder trial. It went into great detail with every aspect of pre-trial work, jury selection, prosecution evidence, defence evidence and verdict. Season 2 was three shorter arcs of several episodes each, much less detail, and they lost the star. Not as good. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/30 "2020-10-28T23:04:47Z")
_ **Kramer vs Kramer** _ (1979). Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep in an ugly divorce/custody case. Further proof (if any more is needed) that marriage is **EVIL!** 👹 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/31 "2020-10-29T05:06:20Z")
Not a movie, but tons of lawyering: _ **Better Call Saul** _ ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/32 "2020-10-29T05:27:24Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > the lincoln lawyer ? > (the book was good anyway) The book was great. The movie really disappointed me. The part where he called on his biker gang clients for protection was so tense and momentous in the book–he knew he’d opened Pandora’s box by accepting a favor, and his sense of dread was palpable. Even though they didn’t end up needing to commit any violence on his behalf, he knew he’d crossed a line and felt rather sick over it. In the movie, it was played rather flippantly–oh, I’m just gonna pop my shades on while I casually stroll away and remind my goons to only beat this guy _half_ to death, lulz! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/33 "2020-10-29T05:33:50Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > If you’re interested in good old fashioned British lawyers, there’s the classic _Rumpole of the Bailey_ TV series and books. For an interesting take of Leo McKern (ie Rumpole) behaving badly as a lawyer (Thomas Cromwell) and Paul Scofeld behaving well (Thomas Cromwell), see: > **[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Man_for_All_Seasons_(1966_film))** > > A Man for All Seasons is a 1966 British historical drama film directed and produced by Fred Zinnemann, adapted by Robert Bolt from his play of the same name. It depicts the final years of Sir Thomas More, the 16th-century Lord Chancellor of England who refused both to sign a letter asking Pope Clement VII to annul Henry VIII of England's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and to take an Oath of Supremacy declaring Henry Supreme Head of the Church of England. > Paul Scofield, who had played More in... (Both eventually meet the same fate in real life, although Cromwell survives the movie.) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/34 "2020-10-29T05:36:10Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > #### Breaker Morant > > A military court martial set in 1901 during the Boer War. Excellent movie! As recited by one of the accused when half-drunk: “There was a young man from Australia, Who painted his arse like a dahlia. The sketching was fine, The colours, divine! But the scent - ah, that was a failure!” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/35 "2020-10-29T07:48:35Z")
_The Winslow Boy._ Probably. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/36 "2020-10-29T09:21:54Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > What about [The Paper Chase](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070509/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1), about people on the way to becoming lawyers? This must be repeated. It is difficult to become a lawyer–it’s not something you do because you led the class in English Lit, or History. As Professor Kingsfield said in the movie, “You teach yourselves the law, but I will train your minds.” And that’s just what happens. As a lawyer who attended a law school which followed the Langdellian system, yes, I’ll agree that you teach yourselves the law, but your professors train your minds. Watch _The Paper Chase_, and then watch any other movie cited so far, and you’ll understand why lawyers do what they do. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/37 "2020-10-29T11:11:09Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Watch _The Paper Chase_ , and then watch any other movie cited so far, and you’ll understand why lawyers do what they do. I saw the movie and then the TV series. Loved both. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/38 "2020-10-29T15:03:07Z")
Scofield as Cromwell? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/39 "2020-10-29T15:06:25Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > But, in terms of movies, A Civil Action w/ John Travolta, Robert Duvall, etc., had many realistic aspects IMHO. I was going to mention this one. I loved the book, but the movie was a little _too_ much like watching lawyers doing lawyery stuff, so not the most interesting movie in the world (imo). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076/40 "2020-10-29T16:35:25Z")
Thomas More. My bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-lawyers-doing-lawyery-stuff/924076.md?page=3)