Category: The Courtroom in the Movies

The Courtroom in the Movies Trial

Should You Quiz Jurors Whether They Watch Law and Order?

The Wall Street Journal recently mentioned a UC Irvine doctoral student who “worries,” in a forthcoming academic paper, that realistic police procedural dramas (i.e., cop shows) significantly impact potential jurors. Specifically, he’s “concerned the…

September 11, 2013
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The Courtroom in the Movies

“I Am Shiva!”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzhpP07Hhms&w=420&h=315]Michael Clayton was an under-appreciated legal thriller. I will admit it took me multiple viewings to fully appreciate it. But I’ve really come around. Tom Wilkinson, George Clooney and, especially, Tilda Swinton do…

January 29, 2013
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The Courtroom in the Movies The Craft of Lawyering Writing

The Hyperbole of Hyperbole

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2EirLJqghA?rel=0&w=420&h=315] I wrote last about credibility in the context of preserving one’s reputation for honesty. I doubt many lawyers will argue with the importance of reputation. However, at a more granular level, there are…

August 2, 2012
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The Courtroom in the Movies

Et tu, Brute

https://youtu.be/IIQbd3SF17k?t=1m22s You don’t want to “cross” Omar. The fun begins at about 1:22.

July 18, 2012
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Evidence The Courtroom in the Movies The Craft of Lawyering Trial

“Officer On Deck!” Great Cross/Great Re-Direct

https://youtu.be/fgIBG8q1Gjc In this clip from A Few Good Men, two Marines are on trial for a murder on their training base. The Marines’ defense is that they were ordered by officers to give the…

June 30, 2012
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