The Artful Jurist

My last post regarding the change in lawyer protagonists on fictional legal TV shows sparked a little feedback from a friend who suggested it might also be interesting to note how lawyer characters in the movies have changed over the years.  I haven't done anything resembling a formal study on the topic, but I have my own perception based on what I've seen.

Unlike TV, which as I said in the last post has mostly turned its back on the lone wolf lawyer (e.g., Ben Matlock) in favor of shows about big law firms (e.g., Boston Legal), my observation is that movies still favor the solitary underdog rather than the corporate machine.  So it seems to me that the lone lawyer is still the Hollywood filmmaker's favorite.

It's hardly a recent film, but the example I'm always reminded of comes from the film, The Verdict, in which Paul Newman's solo lawyer character goes up against the mega machinery of James Mason's top flight law firm.  There's a sequence in which the film cuts between Mr. Newman and a friend sitting in a little law library thumbing through books to research their case while Mr. Mason's army of lawyers churns out the kind of legal production that will bury the little guy who dares go up against the might of the big firm.  We, the audience, can't help but root for the little guy when the odds are so unfairly stacked against him.  That's pretty much always been the movies' take on the David and Goliath story.  TV may have taken a liking to Goliath, but film has always been in David's corner.

Perhaps part of the reason film hasn't taken to Goliath law firms is that, with just 90 minutes to two hours to tell a story, there isn't the opportunity to get to know all the various quirky legal professionals in a big firm.  Getting to know a bunch of characters is something better performed in a genre that continues week after week (i.e., television programs).  If you've only got one shot at telling a story and drawing an audience in with a rooting interest in its outcome, it's easier to focus on a solitary protagonist.

If film lawyer characters have changed over the years, I think the biggest change may be in the courtroom speeches.  Old movies had lawyers making grand speeches throughout a trial.  That just doesn't happen in real life.  Lawyers get an opening statement and closing argument, but the rest of the time is spent questioning witnesses.  No speechmaking permitted.  Modern day courtroom drama films aren't usually really true to life, but they do seem to have cut down on the mid-trial lawyer speeches.