Life of a law student is very hectic and stressful. I am on my sophomore year but I am already feeling the stress and the pressure. That is why every time I get a chance to relax and have fun, I always make the most out of it.

One of my most favourite pastimes to relieve stress is to watch movies. I have always been a movie buff. Movies excite me, because they bring me to this other world where I have fun and learn a lot in the end.

Now that I am about to be a lawyer, I have decided to watch movies that are related to my chosen career. I have done my research and found out American Film Institute’s (AFI) top ten law movies ever made.

On the tenth spot is Judgment at Nuremberg. The movie is directed and produced by Stanley Kramer in 1961 and was about the post-World War II Nuremberg Trials. The film depicted the different trials of a number of judges during the Nazi regime in Germany.

A Cry in the Dark is on the ninth spot, a movie directed by Fred Schepisi. This 1988 Australian film is originally entitled Evil Angels but was changed into A Cry in the Dark when they released in the United States. It tells the struggle of Michael and Lindy Chamberlain trying to prove their innocence on the disappearance of their baby daughter Azaria. The movie showcases the progression of the trials and circumstantial evidence presented by the authorities against the couple.

On the eighth spot is In Cold Blood, a 1967 film based on Truman Capote’s novel with the same title. It is directed, produced and written by Richard Brooks. This film follows the trails of two murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock who killed the Clutter family.  After thorough investigation and long trial, the two have been found guilty and were sentenced to death. The story all throughout the movie is told in flashbacks.

Anatomy of a Murder gets the seventh spot of AFI’s top ten great law movies ever made. This 1959 film is directed and produced by Otto Preminger. This is probably my most favorite courtroom crime drama film. The story is based from a novel of Michigan Supreme Court Justice John Voelker, who was inspired by a 1952 murder case where he was a defense attorney.

I love how this film examined the possible fallibility of humans in jurisprudence. The credibility of evidence and witnesses’ testimonies are also given importance here, and being pointed out as the “Achilles heel” of the judicial process. The tricks some lawyers do (even those legal and illegal) are showcased here, especially those from the defense’s end of the story.

The sixth spot goes to Billy Wilder’s 1957 film, Witness for the Prosecution. The film is based on a short story written by Agatha Christie about a man on his trial for being accused of murder of a rich, old woman for money.

 

A Few Good Men takes the fifth slot. This 1992 drama film is based on the play written by Aaron Sorkin (now commercially popular for his work on The Social Network) and is directed by Rob Reiner. It stars famous actors such as Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore. The story revolves around the trial and the drama that surrounds two US Marines namely Private First Class Louden Downey and Lance Corporal Harold Dawson. The two were accused of murdering Private First Class William Santiago, a fellow Marine. The troubles of their defense lawyer as he prepares for his clients’ defense are also showcased here.

The fourth spot goes to The Verdict, a 1982 courtroom drama film directed by Sidney Lumet based on the novel of Barry Reed. The movie talks about the story of an alcoholic lawyer that takes on a medical malpractice case to improve his career but later on realizes that he is doing the right thing.

Kramer vs Kramer is on the third spot. The 1979 film starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep is an award-winning movie with five Academy Awards under its belt (Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director). Directed by Robert Benton, this movie tackles the divorce of Ted, a workaholic advertising executive, and his wife Joanna, who decided to leave her husband in order for her to find herself. They have a kid whom she left to her husband, and later on claims her child back that will ensue a custody battle.

On the second spot is a 1957 American drama film entitled 12 Angry Men. It was directed by Sidney Lumet and was adapted from the teleplay with the same name by Reginald Rose. The film tells the story of a 12-men jury deliberating the guilt or innocence of a defendant based on reasonable doubt. I am thinking that it got AFI’s second spot on the best law films ever made because of its explorations on the difficulties in the process of deliberating, as well as the techniques of consensus-building.

Finally, we are on to the top spot. The best law movie ever made according to AFI’s top ten is To Kill a Mockingbird, a 1962 film adapted from Harper Lee’s novel of the same name. It is directed by Robert Mulligan and starred by great Hollywood actors such as Gregory Peck and Mary Badham. This movie is critically-acclaimed—in fact it has been listed in the National Film Registry and ranked twenty-fifth on AFI’s greatest American films of all time. The story revolves around Atticus Finch and his kids Scout and Jem. The two youngsters learned about the racism and evil prevailing in their town through their father’s work as a lawyer.

Courtroom drama can be such a mess, but it is one of the reasons why I want to be a lawyer. I am actually thinking about trying out in different law firms that I may be part of in the future. I actually want to travel around too, and three of the places I’m dying to practice my profession in are US, UK or Australia.

If I would be in America, I would love to be part of Baker & Mckenzie Lawfirm or probably Jones Day.  If ever I decided to move to United Kingdom, I will definitely try out at Clifford Chance. They were ranked by the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers as the best UK law firm to work for. Linklaters can be a good choice too. However, if I plan to stay here in Australia, I would love to be part of Aitken Partners or Slater Gordon.

 

Wish me luck!