Law firms in fiction

Last updated

Law firms are a common element of fictional depictions of legal practice. [1] In legal drama, generally, they create opportunities to depict lawyers engaged in dramatic interactions that are reflective of the real-world drama of the profession. [2] The portrayal of law firms varies by the media in which they are presented, with law firms in novels and in films (many of which are simply adaptations of the novels) being presented in a negative light, while law firms in television series tending to be presented more positively. [2]

Contents

In books and film

The opposing large law firm is a standard villain in legal thrillers and trial films alike. In 2001, UCLA law professor Michael Asimow wrote:

Movies accurately reflect the public's dismal opinion of law firms. During the seventy years of the sound era, filmmakers have often presented lawyers in solo practice as decent human beings and as excellent lawyers, although that is much less true in the last thirty years than in the first forty. Once movie lawyers join together into law firms, however, they are portrayed quite negatively, regardless of the era. In film, lawyers who practice in small law firms are worse than solo lawyers, and big firms are much worse than small firms. Judging by what we are taught in the movies, lawyers in firms (especially large ones) are miserable, bigoted, materialistic people. Despite their wealth and beautiful cars and homes, they have mostly unhappy personal lives and dysfunctional families. As lawyers, they are greedy, heartless, predatory, unethical, and often buffoonish or incompetent. [2]

Because of this perception, law firms are readily represented as places of intrigue and deception, with modern portrayals that "extend from the surreal to the diabolical". [3] Asimow notes that these portrayals have real legal significance because "stories about law, lawyers, or the legal system in film, television, or print" are the vehicle by which "the public learns most of what it thinks it knows about law, lawyers and the legal system". [2]

Although the first film specifically about a law firm, the 1933 film Counsellor at Law , portrays the fictional New York City law firm of Simon & Tedesco as an upstanding practice populated by attorneys who are good-hearted (if occasionally lapsing in their ethical conduct), this type of entity was thereafter typically portrayed on film as a villainous enterprise. [2]

John Grisham, in particular, has displayed a penchant for portraying large firms as evil entities, contrasted against heroic solo practitioners, small firm attorneys, law students, and against their own more ethical young associates. [2]

In television

Fictional law firms that serve as the backdrop for television shows tend to be portrayed in a more sympathetic light. [2] Asimow wrote that it is "striking how much more favorably law firms are portrayed on dramatic television series than in film". [2] This is reflected in the earliest television series depicting a law firm, The Defenders which revolved around the father and son firm of Preston & Preston. [2] Other sympathetic portrayals are found in L.A. Law , Ally McBeal , and The Practice , [2] and Will & Grace (which is not centered on a law firm, but prominently depicts one in several episodes as a title character's place of employment). Each of these shows depict a mid-size firm, rather than an office of a very large firm, and each depicts attorneys employed by the firm as having very different legal specialties and temperaments. [2] These positive portrayals, however, do not extend to larger firms.

Many television programs having law firms at their core have been written or created by David E. Kelley, himself a Boston University School of Law graduate who had worked for a Boston law firm. Kelley was a writer for L.A. Law, and created Ally McBeal, The Practice, and Boston Legal, and also scripted the film, From the Hip , a legal thriller that centered some acerbic attention on the machinations of the lead character's law firm.

List

This list contains notable fictional law firms, being those that exist only as an integral part of a notable work of fiction. They are categorized by the media in which the firm was first introduced.

From books

From films

From television shows

From unknown or miscellaneous sources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal drama</span> Subgenre of dramatic fiction

Legal drama is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice plays a critical role in the film's narrative. Legal dramas have also followed the lives of the fictional attorneys, defendants, plaintiffs, or other persons related to the practice of law present in television show or film. Legal drama is distinct from police crime drama or detective fiction, which typically focus on police officers or detectives investigating and solving crimes. The focal point of legal dramas, more often, are events occurring within a courtroom, but may include any phases of legal procedure, such as jury deliberations or work done at law firms. Some legal dramas fictionalize real cases that have been litigated, such as the play-turned-movie, Inherit the Wind, which fictionalized the Scopes Monkey Trial. As a genre, the term "legal drama" is typically applied to television shows and films, whereas legal thrillers typically refer to novels and plays.

<i>The Rainmaker</i> (1997 film) 1997 American legal drama film by Francis Ford Coppola

The Rainmaker is a 1997 American legal drama film written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola based on John Grisham's 1995 novel of the same title. It stars Matt Damon, Claire Danes, Jon Voight, Mary Kay Place, Mickey Rourke, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, Roy Scheider, Virginia Madsen, and Teresa Wright in her final film role.

<i>L.A. Law</i> American legal drama television series (1986–1994)

L.A. Law is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons and 172 episodes on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal thriller</span> Fiction genre

The legal thriller genre is a type of crime fiction genre that focuses on the proceedings of the investigation, with particular reference to the impacts on courtroom proceedings and the lives of characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law firm</span> Business entity formed to practice law

A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other matters in which legal advice and other assistance are sought.

<i>The Firm</i> (novel) 1991 novel by John Grisham

The Firm is a 1991 legal thriller by American writer John Grisham. It was his second book and the first that gained wide popularity. In 1993, after selling 1.5 million copies, it was adapted into a film of the same name starring Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman and Jeanne Tripplehorn. Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, came into prominence afterwards due to this novel's success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker McKenzie</span> Multinational law firm

Baker McKenzie is one of the largest international law firms, headquartered in Chicago. Founded in 1949 under the name Baker & McKenzie, it has 77 offices in 46 countries and employs 4,809 attorneys and approximately 13,000 employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foggy Nelson</span> Fictional character in Marvel comics

Franklin Percy "Foggy" Nelson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as part of the supporting cast of Daredevil ; Foggy is Matt's best friend and, for most of the series, his law partner. The character was created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett.

<i>A Civil Action</i> (film) 1998 American film

A Civil Action is a 1998 American legal drama film directed and written by Steven Zaillian and starring John Travolta with Robert Duvall, James Gandolfini, Dan Hedaya, John Lithgow, William H. Macy, Kathleen Quinlan, and Tony Shalhoub. Based on the 1995 book of the same name by Jonathan Harr, it tells the true story of a court case about environmental pollution that took place in Woburn, Massachusetts in the 1980s. The film and court case revolve around the issue of trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent, and its contamination of a local aquifer. A lawsuit was filed over industrial operations that appeared to have caused fatal cases of leukemia and cancer, as well as a wide variety of other health problems, among the citizens of the city. The case involved is Anne Anderson, et al., v. Cryovac, Inc., et al.. The first reported decision in the case is at 96 F.R.D. 431. Duvall was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.

Shyster is a slang word for someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law, sometimes also politics or economics.

L.A. Law: The Movie is a 2002 American made-for-television drama film based on the 1986–1994 television series L.A. Law which reunited most of the original cast, although not all prominent cast members returned, including Blair Underwood, Jimmy Smits, Amanda Donohoe and John Spencer. The film aired on NBC on May 12, 2002.

Trial films is a subgenre of the legal/courtroom drama that encompasses films that are centered on a civil or criminal trial, typically a trial by jury.

<i>Suits</i> (American TV series) 2011–2019 American legal drama television series

Suits is an American legal drama television series created and written by Aaron Korsh. It premiered on USA Network on June 23, 2011, produced by Universal Content Productions.

<i>Suits</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of the American legal comedy-drama Suits was ordered on August 11, 2011. The season originally aired on USA Network in the United States between June 14, 2012 and February 21, 2013. The season was produced by Hypnotic Films & Television and Universal Cable Productions, and the executive producers were Doug Liman, David Bartis and series creator Aaron Korsh. The season had six series regulars playing employees at the fictional Pearson Hardman law firm in Manhattan: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty, and Gina Torres.

<i>Suits</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of the American legal comedy-drama Suits was ordered on October 12, 2012. The third season originally aired on USA Network in the United States between July 16, 2013 and April 10, 2014. The season was produced by Hypnotic Films & Television and Universal Cable Productions, and the executive producers were Doug Liman, David Bartis and series creator Aaron Korsh. The season had six series regulars playing employees at the fictional Pearson Darby, later Pearson Darby Specter and Pearson Specter, law firm in Manhattan: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty, and Gina Torres.

<i>The Firm</i> (1993 film) 1993 legal thriller film by Sydney Pollack

The Firm is a 1993 American legal thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack, and starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Hal Holbrook, David Strathairn and Gary Busey. The film is based on the 1991 novel of the same name by author John Grisham. The Firm was one of two films released in 1993 that were adapted from a Grisham novel, the other being The Pelican Brief.

<i>Suits</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of the American legal comedy-drama Suits was ordered on October 22, 2013. The fourth season originally aired on USA Network in the United States between June 11, 2014 and March 4, 2015. The season was produced by Hypnotic Films & Television and Universal Cable Productions, and the executive producers were Doug Liman, David Bartis and series creator Aaron Korsh. The season had six series regulars playing employees at the fictional Pearson Specter, later Pearson Specter Litt, law firm in Manhattan: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty, and Gina Torres. Both Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams made their director debut this season, with Macht directing the eleventh episode while Adams directed the 14th episode.

<i>Gray Mountain</i> (Grisham novel)

Gray Mountain is a legal thriller novel by John Grisham, published in hardcover on October 23, 2014. The book is set in Appalachia after the Great Recession and follows third-year associate Samantha Kofer after the Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, when she becomes a legal clinic intern in Virginia's coal mining country.

<i>Suits</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of the American legal comedy-drama Suits was ordered on August 11, 2014. The fifth season originally aired on USA Network in the United States between June 24, 2015 and March 2, 2016. The season was produced by Hypnotic Films & Television and Universal Cable Productions, and the executive producers were Doug Liman, David Bartis and series creator Aaron Korsh. The season had six series regulars playing employees at the fictional Pearson Specter Litt law firm in Manhattan: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty, and Gina Torres.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Terry White, Justice Denoted: The Legal Thriller in American, British, and Continental Courtroom Literature (2003).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Michael Asimow, Embodiment of Evil: Law Firms in the Movies, 48 UCLA L. Rev. 1339 (2001).
  3. ↑ Margaret Raymond, On Legalistic Behavior, the Advocacy Privilege, and Why People Hate Lawyers, 55 Buffalo L. Rev. 929 (2007).
  4. ↑ van Heugten, Antoinette (September 29, 2010). Saving Max . Mira. pp. Book Jacket. ISBN   978-0-7783-2963-3.
  5. ↑ "Quotes from "Animal Crackers"". IMDb .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.