What’s Your Favorite Legal Movie?

Question of the Week

Posted Jul 24, 2008, 08:13 am CST
By Molly McDonough

The August issue of the ABA Journal (online now!) presents a double feature, The 25 Greatest Legal Movies and How I Learned to Litigate at the Movies.

To Kill a Mockingbird was the winner, according to the judges.

But we wondered...

What would be your top pick?

After you've had a chance to vote on your favorites on the top 25 list, we'd like you to share your favorite legal movie. Don't forget to note the scene and let us know if the movie inspired any part of your lawyering.

Answer in the comments below.

Read last week's question and answers about useful info you've read on blogs.

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Posted by k. daerr-Bannon - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 8 hours, 10 minutes ago

Don’t watch many movies but use youTube videos for teaching trials,
Posted by Gary - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 7 hours, 53 minutes ago

“Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys,” a made-for-TV movie from 1976. Great portrayal of the famous 1930’s case, where 9 young black defendants in Alabama were falsely accused of raping 2 white girls.

I also really enjoy “Amistad”, the portrayal of the trials stemming from an 1840s slave ship revolt.
Posted by K. Mayo - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 5 hours, 48 minutes ago

“Murder on a Sunday Morning” is the legal film that moved me the most. It depicts the investigation and trial of a 15 year-old black child being charged for the murder of two white tourists in Florida.
The movie is narrated by the child’s public defender. He goes through the investigative techniques of the police (if you can call them that) and the techniques of the public defender. My favorite part is the PD’s narration of his trial strategy and then seeing his strategy in action during the movie.
Posted by Joel - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 5 hours, 20 minutes ago

Witness for the Prosecution. Riveting drama, excellent storyline and superb acting.
Posted by Ellen A. - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 5 hours, 15 minutes ago

“A Time for a Kill,” with Samuel Jackson, Matthew McConaghy, Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, and Donald Sutherland. An African American father is defended against a murder charge after the rednecks who raped, beat, and left for dead his little girl are acquitted by a Southern, all-white jury. Sutherland, as always, is outstanding in his supporting role as a disgraced attorney.
Posted by Nate - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 5 hours, 1 minute ago

One movie that didn’t make the cut was the Oxbow Incident.
Posted by D.C. St. Clemmons - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 4 hours, 36 minutes ago

I enjoyed “The Firm,” with its star cast, creative story, and Memphis Beale Street roots.
Posted by Michael - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 4 hours, 27 minutes ago

Definitely A Few Good Men, easily the most quotable of legal movies. That said, I’m basically living The Paperchase, so I have to give that a nod as well!
Posted by kate - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 4 hours, 26 minutes ago

i like Primal Fear—

ed norton & richard gere
Posted by Terri - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 4 hours, 23 minutes ago

I loved Presumed Innocent with Harrison Ford. I haven’t seen it in a long time, but it was a good one.
Posted by Anonymous - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 4 hours, 10 minutes ago

“A Few Good Men” with all of its technical flaws in the courtroom, most notably Tom Cruise testifying time after time, is still at the top of the list. One of the few times military lawyers got some well deserved recognition.
Posted by Hanson Reynolds - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 57 minutes ago

Anatomy of a Murder. Robert Welch, Boston lawyer played the judge. Chastised Jimmy Stewart and George C. Scott, the defense lawyer and prosecutor, for unnecessary wrangling. Excellent scene holds up.
Posted by Kristina - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 35 minutes ago

Everyone should watch or rewatch 12 Angry Men every few years. It’s a powerful reminder of how awesome a responsibility the US criminal justice system puts on jurors and on the advocates that inform and educate jurors.
Posted by Hadley V. Baxendale - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 24 minutes ago

Anatomy of a Murder. A close second is “Compulsion” based on the Leopold and Loeb case. I still remember the defense lawyer’s summation to the jury after 50 years. The words were Clarence Darrow’s.
Posted by Tracian Laignel - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 20 minutes ago

Fracture with Anthony Hopkins was fantastic. It is a newer film that came out in ‘07 I believe. After just finishing criminal law last semester I loved the ending and it all clicked!! I don’t want to spoil it but the movie is a must see. Ryan Gosling plays a young attorney just trying to get his dues in for public prosecuting so he can move on to private practice. He is handed a case just before he is ready to leave for private practice and it is Anthony Hopkins accused of murdering his wife ...
Posted by CB - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 20 minutes ago

I have to agree that To Kill A Mockingbird is the best, by far. However, I’ve always had a very soft spot for From the Hip. It’s not a classic like Witness for the Prosecution or 12 Angry Men but I swear it shaped a generation of litigators - at least a little.
Posted by Peter - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 19 minutes ago

Body Heat. One of the few movies involving the rule against perpetuities.
Posted by Mike - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 5 minutes ago

My Cousin Vinny- Best of all time!
Posted by Kim M. - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 4 minutes ago

One of my faves is Erin Brockovich. Here was a woman who had no legal experience, and she fought for the sick people of CA and ended up winning one of the highest paid settlements in the US against a major corporation.
Posted by Neil - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 3 minutes ago

I have two, depending on my mood. “Witness for the Prosecution” if I want something truly good, or “My Cousin Vinnie” for fun.
Posted by Jessalyn - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 3 minutes ago

I know it’s far-fetched, but The Devil’s Advocate is my favorite. It shows how the legal profession is a catch-22 a lot of the time, and Al PAcino as the devil makes it believable.
Posted by Brian - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 1 minute ago

While the films on the Top 25 list are all good choices, my own personal favorite is The Sweet Hereafter, a film about a very small town coming to grips with a devastating school bus crash that kills most of the town’s children. As an outsider attorney comes to town in hopes of building a lawsuit, the townspeople find themselves conflicted between a desire to find someone to blame and their traditional reliance on one another in times of tragedy. At the heart of the film is a 16-year-old girl, the sole survivor of the crash, upon whom the success or failure of any lawsuit likely will depend. A haunting film, and a must-see for any attorney, in my opinion.
Posted by Rich - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours, 55 minutes ago

Legally Blonde…the best movie ever!
Posted by Jennie - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours, 51 minutes ago

Serious: To Kill a Mockingbird
Funny: My Cousin Vinny and Legally Blonde
Also have to agree with Peter: Body Heat is a GREAT movie - almost no one else I know has seen it or remembers it!
Posted by Steve Latimer - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours, 50 minutes ago

To Kill a Mockingbird and 12 Angry Men are probably the best, but there is an old Mae West movie, called “She Done Him Wrong” (I think). In the middle of a divorce trial she fires her lawyer and does a smashing cross on the paramour. She then turns to the jury, all middle aged white men and says “How ‘m I doin’ boys” in her own inimitable style—probably one of the best trial scenes ever.
Posted by Charles - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours, 49 minutes ago

The Verdict. Hands down. It’s not close, although My Cousin Vinnie is plenty fun, and oh do I love Marissa Tomei.
Posted by EPW - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours, 41 minutes ago

“You can’t handle the truth!”
Definitely “A Few Good Men.” I’d say it was the movie that pushed me toward my career today as a Judge Advocate.
Posted by barbara res - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours, 29 minutes ago

I think A Civil Action (book was much better) portrays what happens in court most realistically.
It is almost never about who is right.
BR
Posted by twoyouths - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours, 19 minutes ago

My Cousin Vinny
Posted by Lynn - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours, 4 minutes ago

My Cousin Vinny - “They don’t teach procedjah in law school.”

No Vinny, that they don’t!
Posted by Jamie - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours, 2 minutes ago

Oooh, I can’t resist Legally Blond, either.
Posted by Deirdre Healy - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 52 minutes ago

A Civil Action gets my vote. I show it to my students every semester and they love it.
Posted by Tom Cruise II - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 47 minutes ago

Legally Blonde is arguably the most accurate film made of a top tier law school ever. The scene where she interacts with other first year students is indicative of how the kids at top tier schools conduct themselves and behave. The film was brilliantly written and easily ranks above all other “lawyer” type films, including “12 Angry Men,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “The Firm.” And the cute pink outfits, the little dog, and other humorous anecdotes make this film a must-see for all kids matriculating at Harvard Law and other law schools.
Posted by Brinkman - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 38 minutes ago

What about “The Firm”
Posted by knyd - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 34 minutes ago

It didn’t make the list, but I always liked Runaway Jury with John Cusack. Although, I have to say - I can’t watch it now without thinking periodically, “That’s definately grounds for (appeal, retrial, etc.).”
Posted by Eldon Spencer - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 32 minutes ago

Reversal of Fortune is the best for showing the type of hard work that goes into preparing for a trial, and leaving us with the hard reality that the real truth may never emerge from the trial process, no matter how thorough that preparation and how vigorous the advocacy. The characters are well drawn, especially the defendant and the law professor interacting with his enthusiastic law student defense research team
Posted by Crystal - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 30 minutes ago

12 Angry Men
Posted by Allen Madison - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 23 minutes ago

I had planned on going to law school since I was a junior in high school after winning a regional business law competition. After graduating college, however, I put it off. A few years later, I watched “My Cousin Vinnie.” It inspired me to get back to my earlier desire.
Posted by Retired Partner - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 23 minutes ago

Runaway Jury and Primal Fear should have made the list.
Posted by Jason - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 17 minutes ago

Liar Liar
Posted by Dave Hoffman - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 10 minutes ago

I’ve always been partial to “From the Hip.”
Posted by Mary Ellen Burns - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 7 minutes ago

“A Man For All Seasons” is my favorite movie, period, with “To Kill a Mockingbird” coming a close second as top legal movie.

Must add that “Chicago” is one of my least favorite movies of all time!
Posted by sanford - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 4 minutes ago

To Kill a Mockingbird—shows what is most noble about the profession. Also The Verdict; and Body Heat was fantastic entertainment—the lawyer was like some we know—”. . . not too smart.”
Posted by Dan McAuliffe - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 53 minutes ago

How can everybody seemingly ignore “And Justice for All.” Pacino’s opening statement for Judge Fleming may be the best, albeit most unrealistic, lawyer scene ever put on film.
Posted by Retired Partner - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 47 minutes ago

I agree with Ms. Burns. How did “Chicago” make the list, an entertaining movie, but hardly of the caliber of the rest of the list
Posted by Rising 2L - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 42 minutes ago

Adam’s Rib (Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn)

If you haven’t seen it, you should.
Posted by Jeff Asperger - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 35 minutes ago

“My Cousin Vinnie” had realistic cross examinations. I used a tape measure to cross an expert who claimed that taped-over sprinkler heads would not be visible from the ground. Received a $40 million verdict. Thanks, Vinnie.
Posted by Zoomie - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 19 minutes ago

Breaker Morant, followed closely by To Kill a Mockingbird and 12 Angry Men (the Henry Fonda version, of course)
Posted by In-House O&G - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 minutes ago

Witness for the Prosecution. I loved Charles Coburn as the defense attorney.
Posted by Cali Girl - 5 months, 2 weeks, 23 hours, 36 minutes ago

Lawyer movie: My Cousin Vinnie - my Evidence professor used some of the Marisa Tomei testimony scenes when discussing expert witnesses—and when she says “That’s a Fact!” it’s not—it’s an opinion!!
Law School movie: The Paper Chase—should be mandatory viewing for 1L’s.
Posted by Old Man - 5 months, 2 weeks, 22 hours, 44 minutes ago

While I love many of the movies on the list (and would use My Cousin Vinnie for teaching cross-exam techniques), I think three of the most insightful movies related to the legal process, though not “lawyer” movies, per se, are missing from your list: Rashomon, Memento, and Bladerunner, as they go to the heart of what we mean by evidence and justice.
Posted by CB - 5 months, 2 weeks, 22 hours, 3 minutes ago

Lawyer movie: Intolerable Cruelty. The movie is a great commentary on family law that includes great scenes such as the main character speaking at the NOMAN convention (National Organization of Matrimonial Attorneys Nationwide - “What God has put together let NOMAN put asunder”) and attorneys telling their clients who marry without a prenup, “You are so exposed.” I recommend this film to any attorney that needs a good laugh.
Posted by Doneil - 5 months, 2 weeks, 21 hours, 46 minutes ago

Why did everyone forget the classic “I Want To Live” - great acting, geat screenplay, and based on a true story.
Posted by David Kent - 5 months, 2 weeks, 21 hours, 24 minutes ago

Anatomy of a Murder is #1 for me.
Posted by Elle Woods - 5 months, 2 weeks, 20 hours, 19 minutes ago

Legally Blonde was the all time best legal movie, until Legally Blonde 2 came out.
Posted by Linda Newman - 5 months, 2 weeks, 20 hours, 13 minutes ago

To Kill a Mockingbird and Anatomy of a Murder are among the best.
I also loved Body Heat, but one of the puzzles (without revealing the ending) is how the heir manages to convert the estate assets to cash so quickly so that he/she can make off with them to the foreign isle… That part was not believable.
Posted by MaryM - 5 months, 2 weeks, 15 hours, 39 minutes ago

12 Angry Men (the original of course)
Posted by Boraxo - 5 months, 2 weeks, 11 hours, 22 minutes ago

My Cousin Vinny is one of the best. Although marketed as a comedy, it contains important legal lessons such as being hometowned by a judge, calling the right expert witness, etc. Legally Blonde is another one - the douchebag leach of a professor is surpassed by the student who has gone to the trouble to analyze the facts. The cross-exam scene from A Few Good Men is hard to top, though it would never happen in real life.

The serious ones are great
Posted by Walt Auvil - 5 months, 2 weeks, 2 hours, 2 minutes ago

Many good choices, but I was glad to see The Verdict in the top ten. Counsel’s panic at the disappearance of the star expert is all too real. Plus the supporting cast is fantastic, as is the Mamet screenplay.
Posted by JJ - 5 months, 1 week, 6 days, 23 hours ago

On the humorous side, the courtroom scenes in Ghostbusters 2 are underrated. But the the all time funniest skit is the “Shut up, Judge” skit by Kids in the Hall.
Posted by Julie - 5 months, 1 week, 6 days, 22 hours, 54 minutes ago

Legally Blonde - “Do you know what ‘subject matter jurisdiction’ is? I didn’t think so.”
Posted by Penni Livingston - 5 months, 1 week, 6 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes ago

While I enjoy most lawyer movies (except Reagrding Henry where the lawyer character has to get shot in the head and lose his memory to become a human being), my favorite is A Few Good Men. Everything about it is perfect. To Kill a Mockingbird and Twelve Angry Men are tops with me as well. AMC just did a two hour movie special and listed the top ten courtroom drama films. To Kill a Mocking Bird with Gregory Peck was number one. Also Adam’s Rib with Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn made the list of top ten comedies or some catagory. Good movie. Comedies like My Cousin Vinny are also quite memorable.
Posted by jdh - 5 months, 1 week, 6 days, 17 hours, 4 minutes ago

The Devil’s Advocate is my favorite, though it didn’t make the list. Its theme is corporate lawyers selling their souls by representing the rich and powerful. However, because of its supernatural and horror aspects, the judges probably considered too lowbrow. Civil Action and Erin Brockovich were also excellent and are true stories.
Posted by Michael N. - 5 months, 1 week, 6 days, 15 hours, 42 minutes ago

I’m currently studying for the Bar Exam this week (well, taking a break, I suppose) and I must have watched 10 legal movies this summer to ‘get in the mood’ (or at least, 10 movies with a legal scene). I’d have to say I’m partial to Costner’s closing in JFK just ahead of Cruise’s examination of Nicholson in A Few Good Men. I can handle the truth…
Posted by A Real Blond - 5 months, 1 week, 6 days, 14 hours, 38 minutes ago

I actually just watched Legally Blond again for about the thirtieth time yesterday, and my FAVORITE part is where Elle scores a 143 on her practice LSAT, and somehow manages to get a 179/180 on the real thing, allowing her to get into Harvard. Just cracks me up every time.
Posted by Alice - 5 months, 1 week, 5 days, 1 hour, 48 minutes ago

“Trial and Error” with Michael Richards and Jeff Daniels is another good movie, wherein Richards (portraying an actor) has to step in to “act” as an attorney at a trial when his pal Daniels (the real attorney) is badly hung over from his bachelor party. Read the review at The New York Times web site to learn more about it.
Posted by Steve - 5 months, 1 week, 5 days, 55 minutes ago

You need more humor. My Cousin Vinny was great, but do you remember Adam’s Rib?
Posted by John Banker - 5 months, 1 week, 4 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes ago

Best primer on British jurisprudence: “A Fish Called Wanda.”
Posted by Ken R - 5 months, 1 week, 4 days, 22 hours, 56 minutes ago

I have to say Absence of Malice with Paul Newman, Sally Field and Wilford Brimley, although I admit that most of my enjoyment comes from the exposure of the press’s hypocrisy. I have always wished that the Wilford Brimley character actually existed in our Justice Department.
Posted by J Cunyon Gordon - 5 months, 1 week, 4 days, 20 hours, 54 minutes ago

My favorite is A Soldier’s Story, a completely overlooked drama from a play by Charles Fuller. In WWII a black Army soldier is killed in the Louisiana town where he is stationed, and white racists are suspected. A black officer (whom few black soldiers have ever seen or heard of) is dispatched to investigate. The 1984 film’s cast is studded by today’s black screen stars (Denzel is just a mere private), but Howard Rollins’s portrayal of the dignified lieutenant and Adolph Caesar’s self-hating drill sergeant bring chills and tears even today. It’s about the story, every time.
Posted by Joyce - 5 months, 1 week, 4 days, 20 hours, 5 minutes ago

Legally Blonde of course! Elle Woods get 2 snaps from me!
Posted by RL - 5 months, 1 week, 3 days, 21 hours, 31 minutes ago

I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the trial scene in the Marx Brothers movie “Duck Soup”. Groucho’s cross exam of Chico and Chico’s off topic responses make for one of the most bizarre trial scenes in any film.
Posted by Lisa - 5 months, 1 week, 3 days, 21 hours, 1 minute ago

To Kill a Mockingbird and The Devil’s Advocate to evidence what is both good and bad in the legal profession.
Posted by moviebuff - 5 months, 1 week, 1 day, 3 hours, 24 minutes ago

One of my all-time favorites that has not yet been mentioned is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, with Kevin Spacey, John Cusack and Jude Law. Very entertaining!
Posted by jdsquared - 5 months, 1 week, 21 hours, 24 minutes ago

What about The Caine Mutiny?

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