I know that I am not the only one who has recently been plagued with the question, "Do you watch Suits?" While yes, I do indulge in the overdramatic legal series, I have found it intriguing to consider how the legal profession is portrayed on television, and in turn, how this effects a non-lawyer's perception of what lawyers really do.
Right before law school I binge watched "How to Get Away with Murder." One can't help but wonder if a first year criminal law course is going to be as intriguing as Annalise Keating's course. Although common sense tells us that students aren't involved in all kinds of crimes and cover ups with their law school professors, there is still something to be said about how the show portrays law school. The students are constantly stressed, on the phone with their professor at all hours of night, and scrambling to get jobs post-graduation. While this can be true to an extent, the intensity shown for the TV is far too dramatic.
Going back to Suits, it is clearly unrealistic that an unlicensed lawyer would be working as a practicing attorney. But still, since the recent resurgence of the show, I have been asked several times if what they do and how they work on the show is what I will be doing as a lawyer. The show features several high profile cases where the lawyers often scheme, yell, and pull tricks in the courtroom. This is the show's attempt to portray a big law firm in a big city. This, however, is not reality- at least for most of us. While there are intense moments in the legal world, it probably does not amount to the harsh situations portrayed on the show. All within 2 episodes, a crazy high-profile case will be assigned and settled, still loaded with drama in between. Things simply do not work that fast.
Maybe somewhere out there, 15 new associates are crammed into a small file room immersing themselves in 5,000-page legal encyclopedias, but from what I know, that's all on the computer. The process in which the attorneys operate is not realistic- which might be the point. But it is interesting to think that people who are not in the legal profession see that as reality.
As much as I would love my future firm to have a carbon copy Louis Litt for the ongoing antics, including a live mock trial to argue over who gets a cat, that is probably not going to happen. (If you haven't seen the show I know that this does not make sense)
Legal dramas continue to rise in the ranks as popular shows. They are an exciting type of TV to watch, but for us, it is clear that the excitement does not necessarily ring true in the real world.
This always happens to me too! All of my friends who watch legal dramas are always asking me if it's accurate and they really think that's what it's like in the courtroom.
ReplyDeleteI just started watching the show after everyone told me I needed to see it and asked me if it was accurate. After watching just the first season, I can confidently say it is not realistic, but some of it is true. I had a Louis Litt I worked under at one of my firms, and I think that part is the most relatable to me. It is a good show, but it is certainly not how I envision our legal careers will be.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure in every 1L class there is at least one person whose only perception of legal practice is TV. I, too, had binged HTGAWM at one point, but still expected law school to be different. Nonetheless, I was personally shocked at how quiet day-to-day law practice is for many lawyers.
ReplyDeleteKaliope,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you bringing up this point as I too have indulged in watching Suits. It is enjoyable as a TV, but I agree that it is not at all an accurate reflection of what our day to day will look like in the legal field. Wouldn't we all want a Harvey and Mike duo in our firm taking on high profile cases, but their antics are just not reality as a practicing attorney.
When I was a young lawyer, there was a popular TV show called "LA Law." I thought initially it overly dramatized the practice of law. Then I noticed that many of the outrageous things on the show were actually happening in real life, and sometimes in my own firm. The divorce lawyer on the show was a guy named Arnie Becker. In a deposition, the wife in a divorce case pulled out a gun and shot the husband, wounding Arnie in the process. About a month later, one of my firm's divorce clients did exactly the same thing during a deposition, but fortunately missed hitting anyone.
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