After spending a significant portion of my life in front of the tube, I now present the top 5 movies that inspired me to enter law school.
1. The Paper Chase (1973) - Alright, I never actually saw this movie but I did see the trailer -- and it blew me away. In fact, I don't even recommend prospective students to see this movie until after your first semester at law school. I'll concede that the storyline is cheesy and the plot is obscure. However, the movie's portrayal of every 1L's nightmare, on a pure intimidation factor, is brilliant. All this from just watching the trailer.
2. A Few Good Men (1992) - Call me a military buff. I 
remember seeing A Few Good Men when I was in middle school and the idea of being a JAG officer was forever ingrained in my dreams. The combination of two great professions, law and military service, just pulls together the best of both worlds. What more can you say about the law than the scene where Lt. Kaffee (Tom Cruise) slams his hand on the table and shouts, "I WANT THE TRUTH!" To which Col. Jessep (Jack Nicholson) responds, "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" Plus, chicks dig uniforms.*
*However the T.V. show JAG is just blasphemous.
3. The Rainmaker (1997) - Ah, the story of an ambulance 
chaser who ascended to become the society's hero against the plights of corporate injustice. John Edwards? No, just Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon). The movie reflects every law student's ambition to fight for the little people. Sadly, $100,000 of student debt pushes most of us, including me, towards the dark side. Somebody has got to be the villain.
4. Jerry McGuire (1996) - "Show me the money! Show me the 
money!" At last, a movie that gets to the heart of the law. It's all about the bling. But the movie also has a more prominent underlying message about the client-attorney relationship. When the client wins, the attorney wins -- and vice versa. I've given some thought about becoming a sports agent or representing actors, but I've neither the charisma nor the enthusiasm for such a melodramatic field.
5. My Cousin Vinny (1992) - For the most part, I could care 
less about the lawyer aspect of this movie, instead I recommend fast forwarding to the scenes with Judge Chamberlain Haller (Fred Gwynne, most notable for his characterization of Herman Munster). Here we have a Yale Law School graduate serving as a county judge in Alabama. He's not a very patient man but he is understanding. His mere presence is a symbol of integrity, with a side of humor. One memorable quote from Judge Haller, "It appears to me that you want to skip the arraignment process, go directly to trial, skip that, and get a dismissal. Well, I'm not about to revamp the entire judicial process just because you find yourself in the unique position of defending clients who say they didn't do it."
6. Legally Blonde (2001) - I included this movie out of spite 
against the Elle Woodss (Reese Witherspoon) at law school. I may be no better than the Warner Huntington IIIs (Matthew Davis) but I have yet to see a dolled-up sorority ditz stand-up and deliver in class. Maybe they'll magically blossom into stellar attorneys, but until then, these are the girls that you tear up in court room. At least they can still be transaction lawyers, paralegals, or receptionists.
For a listing of law-related movies, click here.
Top 5 Movies with 6 entries.....
Posted by: Anne | February 27, 2005 at 11:49 PM
Yeah ... but technically, I haven't seen "the Paper Chase," so 5 - 1 plus Legally Blonde = 5. Since Legally Blonde blows so hard, its not really even a #6.
Posted by: Jack | February 28, 2005 at 11:58 PM
Have you seen The Verdict or A Civil Action?
Posted by: Ronnie | March 03, 2005 at 02:33 AM
How about "12 Angry Men" or "To Kill a Mockingbird"?
Posted by: Ronnie | March 03, 2005 at 02:35 AM