Feeling a bit unprepared for law school? A great way to prep is by sitting back and watching a movie about what scenarios may lie ahead. Most screenwriters would say movies about law school are made up of interesting settings that lead to a great story. There are a few movies that can be the most helpful, each of which are listed below.
The plot of this particular movie is centered around a town whose water supply was contaminated by a major company in the area. Due to the contamination many habitants of the town had been diagnosed with leukemia. The main character of the film is John Travolta, who plays a determined lawyer who wants to bring charges to the company at whatever cost necessary. Because this film is so relatable to small towns dealing with contaminated water supplies today, it’s number one on my list. It’s important to see these scenarios play out, and to see the effect such situations have on human beings.
Legally Blonde made the list because the movie is hilarious, and takes a unique spin on tackling law school. The movie is about a girl who ditches Californian sorority life to follow her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law. While with her boyfriend at law school, she decides to take action in her own life and reinvent herself as a law student. Reese Witherspoon is the stunning young woman called Elle Woods. The movie has many indications of an accurately depicted reality. Elle Woods is intensely prepping for the LSAT in one scene. She received a score of 179, which would be an outstanding score for any law student.
This is about as serious as it’ll get when it comes to law school movies. The Paper Chase intensely captures the dynamic between law professor and student. Academy award winner, John Houseman, gives an outstanding performance in his role as Professor Kingsfield. Professor Kingsfield is like a distillation of every single terrifying ‘bad guy’ turned professor. The Paper Chase is a great movie to get you ready for any type of villainous professors that you might have to study under in law school. Although you may not run into someone as intimidating as a villain hollywood professor, it’s important to be prepared for any type of teacher that may come your way.
Rounders is a film starred by Matt Damon as a poker shark turned law student. He is forced to crawl back into the New York City poker underworld to save a friend. The movie has many notable scenes and characters, including a gangster who goes by the name of Teddy KGB, who is played by John Malkovich, who elevates the movie with his performance.
Starring Paul Newman, The Verdict is a film about a lawyer who is nearing the end of his career, but is determined to make a big impact on the world before he’s finished. He sets his eyes on a medical malpractice case, and rather than taking the easy way out with a settlement, he decides to pursue the case to trial in hopes that justice will prevail.
Of course, this is just a few of many movies centered around law that are beneficial for anyone considering moving into the industry. There is much to gain by exposure from these movies that may help you prepare for real world scenarios.