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Since the invention of cinema, many different stories have been shared on the silver screen. The law is no exception. Through the decades, movie lovers have enjoyed tales of thrill, crime, courtrooms, and more that have become some of the greatest classics.
From comedies to drama. From corporate intrigue and scandal to family and criminal law. From original scripts to tales inspired by true stories or books – thanks, John Grisham – the legal genre has been a popular film theme since the days of black and white television. With each new release, new fans are drawn into the legal world.
Yes, some creative licenses are often taken in the film. Yes, sometimes the “true stories” are not even that accurate. And yes, practicing lawyers often have said, “That is not how it works at trial!” Even when Hollywood tries to get the story close to reality, they sometimes fall short.
Films are meant to entertain, even when they educate. They help you forget about the real world, even if the world on the screen is the same world in which we work and live. That’s the beauty of the movies.
Through the magic of movies, audiences around the world have cheered for the prosecution or the defense. They have hated witnesses, laughed at judges, and maybe even learned a thing or two. Through film, new generations have been exposed to great trials, great arguments, and the law.
Now, it’s your turn to take a cue from Hollywood and take a break from your daily duties. Explore this list of 20 great (though not necessarily the best), legal movies. Some are classics, some are newcomers, and some are not so famous. While we are sure many more legal classics were snubbed, we can’t list them all. So, if you don’t have any further objection…enjoy!
12 Angry Men
Plot: During a murder trial, the jury must decide whether a young man is guilty of murdering his father. The matter is framed as a detective story, where the jury is forced to reconsider the evidence, casting doubt on each of the jurors’ own prejudices and preconceived notions about the accused, but most of all about each other.
Notable Cast: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and Martin Balsam.
Director: Sidney Lumet
Year: 1957
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
Memorable Quote: “It’s always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don’t really know what the truth is.”
A Few Good Men
Plot: In this Courtroom Drama, a young Navy lawyer, Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, must defend two Marines accused of murder. Lt. Kafee and his team suspect the accused men may have acted on orders from higher-ranking officers, so they embark on a mission to prove that top officials were involved in and responsible for the crime.
Notable Cast: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Kiefer Sutherland.
Director: Rob Reiner
Year: 1992
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
Memorable Quote: “You can’t handle the truth!”
A Time to Kill
Plot: After finding out that men responsible for attacking his daughter would be set free, Carl Lee Hailey, a Black man living in a largely segregated Mississippi town, takes justice into his own hands. At his trial for these actions, Mr. Hailey’s life depends on Jake Brigance, a young lawyer faced with threats from the KKK, convincing the all-white jury that he is not guilty.
Notable Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Spacey, and Kiefer Sutherland.
Director: Joel Schumacher
Year: 1996
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
Memorable Quote: “If you was on that jury, what would it take to convince you to set me free?”
…And Justice For All
Plot: Lawyer Arthur Kirkland has a history of trouble with Judge Henry T. Fleming. When Judge Fleming is charged with a crime and Mr, Kirkland is tasked with his defense, Mr. Kirkland is haunted by the Judge’s previous conviction of his client on a technicality, causing him to face a moral, ethical, and legal dilemma.
Notable Cast: Al Pacino, Jack Warden, and John Forsythe.
Director: Norman Jewison
Year: 1979
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
Memorable Quote: “Being honest doesn’t have much to do with being a lawyer.”
Dark Waters
Plot: In this film based on a true story, a corporate lawyer agrees to help a friend of his family with an environmental lawsuit. While investigating the case, he discovers the dark secrets of the well-known chemical company, DuPont, and decides to expose the truth.
Notable Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, and Victor Garber.
Director: Todd Haynes
Year: 2019
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Memorable Quote: “Our clients have the right to avail themselves to the law.”
Erin Brockovich
Plot: In this film based on a true story, a young, struggling single mother working as a legal assistant discovers that the Pacific Gas & Electric Company may be responsible for polluting the city’s water supply and poisoning nearby residents. After making this discovery, she and the law firm she works for decide to take action by suing the corporation.
Notable Cast: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, and David Brisbin.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Year: 2000
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
Memorable Quote: “For the first time in my life, I got people respecting me. Please, don’t ask me to give it up.”
I Am Sam
Plot: Sam Dawson is a single father with an intellectual disability raising his 7-year-old daughter. When his daughter is taken away from him and he is in danger of losing his rights due to his disability, Sam enlists a lawyer to help him fight for custody. In the process, the lawyer learns a lot about the value of family, love, and care.
Notable Cast: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Dakota Fanning.
Director: Jessie Nelson
Year: 2001
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
Memorable Quote: “…you don’t know what is like when you try, and you try, and you try, and you try, and you don’t ever get there!”
Just Mercy
Plot: In this film based on a true story, Bryan Stevenson, a new lawyer and recent Harvard graduate, moves to Alabama and takes the case of a death row inmate, Walter “Johnny D.” McMillian. During his investigation, Stevenson discovers evidence indicating Mr. McMillian was wrongly accused and fights to prove his innocence.
Notable Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson.
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Year: 2019
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Memorable Quote: “You always taught me to fight for the people who need help the most.”
Legally Blonde
Plot: Often referred to as one of the greatest legal comedies of all time, this story follows Elle Woods, a Malibu Girl who decides to attend Harvard Law to win back her boyfriend after being dumped. Once enrolled in law school, she is inspired to focus on even bigger goals and discovers her true potential.
Notable Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Victor Garber, and Ali Larter.
Director: Robert Luketic
Year: 2001
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
Memorable Quote: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.”
Loving
Plot: This film follows the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the couple behind the landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia. In the 1960s, Virginia forbid interracial marriage, and the Lovings were forced to fight in court and against historic prejudices for their rights to be recognized as a married couple.
Notable Cast: Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, and Will Dalton.
Director: Jeff Nichols
Year: 2016
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
Memorable Quote: “You realize this case could alter the Constitution of the United States?”
My Cousin Vinny
Plot: Two young New Yorkers, Bill and Stan, take a road trip to the Deep South where they find themselves caught up in an unfortunate case of mistaken identity and are charged with murder. Facing the death penalty, Bill calls his cousin, Vinny, who is a new lawyer. The bad news? Vinny has little legal experience and has never been to trial.
Notable Cast: Joe Pesci, Ralph Machio, Marisa Tomei, and Fred Gwynne.
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Year: 1992
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Memorable Quote: “The next words out of your mouth better be guilty or not guilty. I don’t want to hear commentary, argument, or opinion. If I hear anything other than guilty or not guilty, you’ll be in contempt.”
Nothing But The Truth
Plot: In this film that is loosely based on a true story, Rachel Armstrong, a political journalist, publishes a story about a government scandal that exposes a covert CIA agent. When she refuses to divulge her source, she is charged and tried for actions risking national security.
Notable Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga, and Angela Bassett.
Director: Rod Lurie
Year: 2008
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Memorable Quote: “I think you are confusing your rights with your power, Mr. Dubois.”
Philadelphia
Plot: Andrew Beckett is an associate who hides his positive HIV status from the rest of the law firm out of fear that it would put his career at risk. After apparently discovering Mr. Beckett’s HIV status, the firm fires him. Beckett ultimately partners with attorney Joe Miller to take his former employer to court for discrimination.
Notable Cast: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, and Jason Robards.
Director: Jonathan Demme
Year: 1992
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Memorable Quote: “What I love the most about the law? It’s that every now and again, not often but occasionally, you get to be a part of justice being done. That really is quite a thrill when that happens.”
Runaway Jury
Plot: Nick Easter is called for jury duty in a major case against a gun manufacturer and, despite his best efforts, is not excused from serving. As the trial commences, the signs seem to indicate that Nick has a hidden agenda and may be attempting to influence the outcome of the trial.
Notable Cast: John Cusack, Rachel Weisz, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman.
Director: Gary Fleder
Year: 2003
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
Memorable Quote: “Gentlemen, trials are too important to be left up to juries.”
Sleepers
Plot: After a prank gone wrong, four friends from Hell’s Kitchen are convicted and sent to a juvenile detention center. Inside the detention center, some of the corrections staff abuse the kids. Thirteen years after being released from the detention center, two of the boys get revenge on one of the guards. The other two boys find themselves in the unique position of being able to expose the guards and help their friends get away with their crime…in a court of law.
Notable Cast: Brad Pitt, Jason Patric, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, and Kevin Bacon.
Director: Barry Levinson
Year: 1996
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Memorable Quote: “Because you never know when someone might want more than your word.”
The Client
Plot: 11-year-old Mark Sway and his brother are in the wrong place at the wrong time when they witness a lawyer’s suicide and inadvertently discover some dark secrets from the mob. When the District Attorney’s office tries to use the boys to take down the mob, Mark seeks a lawyer that can help him and his family.
Notable Cast: Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, and Brad Renfro.
Director: Joel Schumacher
Year: 1994
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Memorable Quote: “Alls I ever wanted was a white house with a walk-in closet”.
The Lincoln Lawyer
Plot: Mick Haller, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, is hired to represent the son of a wealthy realtor in an assault case. Though Mick’s client maintains he is innocent, Mick discovers evidence that implicates this new client not only in this current matter but also as the culprit in one of Mick’s old cases. Bound by his duty as an attorney but grappling with his morals, Mick is forced to determine how to proceed.
Notable Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, and Ryan Phillipe.
Director: Brad Furman
Year: 2011
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
Memorable Quote: “I checked the list of people I trust and your name ain’t on it.”
The Rainmaker
Plot: When a new attorney, Rudy Baylor, has the opportunity to represent an elderly couple against a corrupt insurance company, he takes the case. Fighting against unscrupulous corporate lawyers and corrupt judges, Rudy must overcome multiple challenges to defend his clients’ interest.
Notable Cast: Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Jon Voight, Danny Glover, and Claire Danes.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Year: 1997
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Memorable Quote: “Every lawyer, at least once in every case, feels himself crossing a line that he doesn’t really mean to cross. It just happens, and if you cross it enough times it disappears forever.”
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Plot: In August 1968, a group planned protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. As a result of some violent confrontations with local authorities, they are arrested and charged with inciting a riot. The defense is then faced with a difficult, and seemingly unfair, trial.
Notable Cast: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron-Cohen, Frank Langella, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Year: 2020
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Memorable Quote: “Because this is my courtroom.”
To Kill a Mockingbird
Plot: In this film based on the classic novel by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch, an attorney in a rural Alabama town, defends a Black man against serious criminal charges and fights back against the prejudice of the small town. By watching her father and his legal practice, Atticus’ young daughter learns valuable lessons about the law, prejudice, and the difference between right and wrong.
Notable Cast: Gregory Peck, John Megna, and Frank Overton.
Director: Robert Mulligan
Year: 1962
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Memorable Quote: “The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is. Now, gentlemen, in this country, our courts are the great levelers. In our courts, all men are created equal.”
Final Thoughts: Why Should You Care?
Legal movies may not directly tie in to your practice…or technology or marketing. But once in a while, everyone deserves to take a break, even when that break means watching movies that touch on your day job and responsibilities. Plus, if you find the time to relax and enjoy a movie or two, you can give your brain a rest and maybe even find some inspiration to help you reach that next goal you are working towards.
