13 More Movies All Law School Students Should Watch
Three years ago, FindLaw put together a list of the top five movies law school students should watch. By now, all those law students will have graduated. They're either consumed by panicked bar study, or living it up as greedy associates. That means it's time for a new batch of films for a new class of students.
While we've got our favorite lawyer flicks, it always helps to get an outside perspective. Since it takes a village to make a good listicle, our talented social media team reached out to FindLaw's Facebook followers for ideas. The suggestions we got were great, even if we already picked a few of them. But, following your advice, here's 13 more films law students should watch:
Grab That Popcorn and Get Ready to Binge
If you're planning on working through the list, it will take well over twenty hours, so either get ready for a long movie binge or consider sprinkling the films out over a week or four.
Three films were repeatedly nominated -- and for good reason. These top three are inspiring, thrilling, humorous takes on what it means to practice law.
1. "12 Angry Men": If any film is the standard for courtroom dramas, it's "12 Angry Men." The black and white classic follows Henry Fonda as Juror 8, the lone "not guilty" vote in a murder trial. Watching the jurors hash out the case will not only give law students a peak into deliberations, but will remind all legal professionals of the high stakes and lasting consequences of their work.
2. "The Lincoln Lawyer": Mathew McConaughey plays a criminal defense attorney whose practice is based out of the back of a black Lincoln Town Car. Yep, the movie is named after the car, not the President. When McConaughey represents the son of a wealthy L.A. businessman, he is torn between his duty to his client and his own desire to see justice.
3. "My Cousin Vinny": Hands down, one of the best lawyer movies ever made. Joe Pesci plays Vincent Laguardia Gambini, a fast talking New Yawker who heads down to Alabama to defend his cousin, though Pesci isn't exactly the most skilled lawyer just yet. He's joined by the gum-smacking Marisa Tomei, who won an Oscar for her performance.
Ten More to Keep You Busy
The list doesn't end with those three. Here's ten more suggestions for your viewing pleasure.
- "The Devil's Advocate"
- "Anatomy of a Murder"
- "To Kill a Mockingbird"
- "A Lawyer Walks into a Bar"
- "A Few Good Men"
- "Erin Brockovich"
- "A Time to Kill"
- "Kramer vs. Kramer"
- "Runaway Jury"
- "O Brother, Where Art Thou"
Got any more ideas? Let us know and be sure to follow FindLaw for Legal Professionals on Facebook and Twitter!
Related Resources:
- Top 100 Movies of All Time (Rotten Tomatoes)
- 5 Movies That Make Lawyers Look Awful (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Top Ten Movies to Watch Before Law School (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Movie Review: "A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar..." (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
