Legal-themed films are Hollywood mainstays. The best of these films both entertain and educate viewers about legal issues and society as a whole.
Part of the reason why legal themes are at the center of so many films is the nature of storytelling.
“The central requirement in any story is conflict, and you immediately have conflict in law,” says Nell Minow, attorney and contributing editor for RogerEbert.com.
Adding to legal films’ appeal is that one of the characters is typically an underdog. Everybody roots for an underdog to win and see the conflict resolved, Minow says.
Lawyers love to argue, including about what should be on the definitive list of best law movies. But these are some legal films you won’t want to miss.
’12 Angry Men’ (1957)
This film depicts a jury’s deliberation over the fate of a young man accused of murder. Henry Fonda, as the one juror who votes “not guilty,” leads the cast. But the plot is secondary. The movie’s true focus is to cast the audience in the role of the 13th juror.
While some of the film now seems dated, it remains an excellent depiction of jury deliberations and how jurors and trial figures’ race, economics and professional backgrounds impact decisions, says Jonathan Hafetz, Seton Hall Law School professor and host of the “Law on Film” podcast.
One irony: New audiences may have seen so many homages before watching this iconic film that they may miss the film’s original power.
Stream it on Tubi, Amazon, Apple+ and other platforms.
‘Anatomy of a Murder’ (1959)
Jimmy Stewart stars as a defense attorney for a Navy sailor on trial for murdering the man who allegedly raped the sailor’s wife. “I think it’s an extremely accurate depiction of a criminal trial,” Hafetz says.
There are no heroes here. The characters are often morally suspect or otherwise untrustworthy, and trial testimony often seems more about posturing than facts.
The film critiques the very notion that a criminal trial is a search for truth, says Hafetz.
Its 2023 descendant “Anatomy of a Fall” offers a modern, equally close examination of how facts are revealed, and distorted, during a trial.
Stream it on YouTube, Apple+, Amazon and other platforms.
‘A Few Good Men’ (1992)
Tom Cruise, Demi Moore and Kevin Pollack play young Navy attorneys struggling to defend two Marines accused of murdering a third. The film’s courtroom denouement, when Cruise’s character clashes with Jack Nicholson as an antagonist Marine Colonel, is arguably one of the most famous moments in cinema. But the time leading up to their confrontation is also compelling drama.
It would be remiss to fail to acknowledge the influence of “The Caine Mutiny.” This earlier film carries some of the same elements, including its patriotic music during the opening and the pivotal testimony by its angry commander, Humphrey Bogart.
Stream on AMC+,Apple+, Amazon and other platforms.
‘Erin Brockovich’ (2000)
Based on a true story, “Erin Brockovich” is the story of a single mother who, while working for a personal injury attorney, helps hundreds of families find legal redress after being poisoned by a nearby power plant.
An Oscar-winning star turn for Julia Roberts, the film is well done, particularly in showing that it’s not just lawyers who can make an impact in the law. Sometimes, it’s someone who hasn’t been treated well by lawyers or society who ends up helping others, Minow says.
For another compelling film about a true class action case, check out “A Civil Action,” starring John Travolta.
Stream on Netflix, Amazon, Apple+ and other platforms.
‘Inherit the Wind’ (1960)
This highly stylized film is a fictionalized version of the “Scopes monkey trial” and the teaching of evolution in schools. Stars Spencer Tracy and Frederic March debate the right of people to think for themselves in schools and elsewhere, the tension between faith and science, and the responsibility leaders bear when leading their flock.
It’s a film that demonstrates that the courtroom is where we decide what we know and how we know it, Minow says.
Stream on Amazon, Pluto, Apple+ and other platforms.
‘Judgment at Nuremberg’ (1961)
“Nuremberg” tells the true story of three judges tried for remaining on the bench as the Nazi government took over Germany. With an all-star cast led by Spencer Tracy and Burt Lancaster, the film is as much an indictment against all those who don’t stand up against institutional corruption and moral wrongs as it is for those on trial.
The movie powerfully explores the challenges in punishing mass atrocities in ways that are relevant today, Hafetz says.
Stream on Pluto, Tubi, Amazon and other platforms.
‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ (2011)
This film tells the story of a slick criminal defense attorney hired to defend a scion against a rape charge. A thriller in pacing and plot, the movie’s real chills come from the ethical decisions that attorneys face when defending clients — especially the despicable ones. Star Matthew McConaughey is terrific at playing an attorney with equal parts charm, smarts and slime.
Stream on Vudu, Apple+ and other platforms.
[How Lawyers Can Find and Evaluate Continuing Legal Education Courses]
‘Marshall’ (2017)
This gripping film depicts one of Justice Thurgood Marshall’s cases from early in his career when he was the NAACP’s sole litigation attorney. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as the defendant faces prison, Marshall and his co-counsel, Sam Friedman, face threats to their physical safety and professional lives, and the NAACP may end its entire legal defense program if they don’t win.
The charismatic Marshall is played by Chadwick Boseman. Josh Gad is winning as Friedman, and Sterling Brown delivers a heartrending performance as the defendant.
Stream on Netflix, Apple+, Amazon and other services.
‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947)
In this fable, a New York City court must decide whether Santa Claus exists and, if so, whether Macy’s Kris Kringle is the genuine elf. The chemistry between Edmund Gwenn’s Kringle and Natalie Wood’s Susan, the only child in New York who doesn’t believe in Santa, is a delight. But “Miracle” makes the list because it could have descended into a zany farce, but instead, it’s played straight, offering a wry commentary on how commerce, politics, media and personal agendas shape the legal process.
Stream on Hulu, Disney+Apple+ and other services.
‘My Cousin Vinny’ (1992)
This fish-out-of-water comedy stars Joe Pesci as a Brooklyn-tough-guy-turned-rookie-litigator defending his cousin who is accused of murder in an Alabama small town. And Marisa Tomei turns in an Oscar-winning performance as Pesci’s wisecracking and underestimated fiancée.
It’s amazing to make a comedy that is so accurate in terms of the courtroom testimony, the rulings and the strategy, Hafetz says.
Stream on Amazon, AMC+, Apple+ and other services.
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ (1962)
In this adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel, Gregory Peck plays Atticus Finch, the Depression-era white attorney defending a Black man charged with rape of a white woman in a segregated Georgia town.
Since the story is told through the eyes of the attorney’s young daughter, most of the law is limited to one long courtroom sequence. But in that sequence, Finch demonstrates the character and legal brilliance that lawyers aspire to.
Stream on Amazon, Apple+, Vudu and other platforms.
‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ (2020)
Writer-director Aaron Sorkin tells the story of the prosecution of political activists who planned protests at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention. Told predominantly through courtroom testimony and flashbacks, the film brings new life to infamous events of modern political history while offering a devastating indictment of the trial itself.
The film is a good example of how some cases are about prosecuting a crime, while others — such as this one — are really political in nature, Hafetz says.
Stream on Netflix.
‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (1957)
Billy Wilder directed this classic whodunit, an adaptation of an Agatha Christie play. Charles Laughton stars as a British barrister who is just released from the hospital and, against medical advice, decides to defend a new client accused of murder. Tyrone Power evokes charm and pity as the accused, while Marlene Dietrich is Power’s mysterious war bride.
The plot, characters and crackling dialogue mean that few courtroom films have rivaled this movie in the almost 70 years since it was made.
Stream on Apple+, Roku and other platforms.
More from U.S. News
What Is the Future of Big Law?
What to Know About Diversity and Inclusion at Law Firms
Law Films You Won’t Want to Miss originally appeared on usnews.com
