25 Greatest Legal Movies Plus 25 Honorable Mentions

Created by eiriknielsen.
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What would Hollywood do without lawyers? In a town built on copyrights and cosmetic surgery, lawyers have done far more than pen the small print in studio contracts or post bail for hollow-eyed stars on the way to and from rehab. From the incisive Henry Drummond and the droll Mr. Lincoln to the callow Danny Kaffee and the regal Atticus Finch, lawyers have provided some of Hollywood’s most memorable cinematic heroes and some of its most honorable and thoughtful films.
Earlier this year, the ABA Journal asked 12 prominent lawyers who teach film or are connected to the business to choose what they regard as the best movies ever made about lawyers and the law. We’ve collated their various nominees to produce our jury’s top picks.
Together these films represent 31 Oscar wins and another 85 nominations as befits the best work of some of the greatest actors, writers and directors of their time.
So quiet, please. A rap of the gavel, a pull of the curtain, and ‘Hear ye! Hear ye!’ for the 25 greatest law films ever made.
Plus 25 honorable Mentions
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1 new
To Kill a Mockingbird
1962, in 18 top lists Check -
2 new
12 Angry Men
1957, in 30 top lists Check -
3 new
My Cousin Vinny
1992, in 0 top lists Check -
4 new
Anatomy of a Murder
1959, in 14 top lists Check -
5 new
Inherit the Wind
1960, in 4 top lists Check -
6 new
Witness for the Prosecution
1957, in 11 top lists Check -
7 new
'Breaker' Morant
1980 — a.k.a. Breaker Morant, in 5 top lists Check -
8 new
Philadelphia
1993, in 4 top lists Check -
9 new
Erin Brockovich
2000, in 8 top lists Check -
10 new
The Verdict
1982, in 7 top lists Check -
11 new
Presumed Innocent
1990, in 2 top lists Check -
12 new
Judgment at Nuremberg
1961, in 8 top lists Check -
13 new
A Man for All Seasons
1966, in 14 top lists Check -
14 new
A Few Good Men
1992, in 3 top lists Check -
15 new
Chicago
2002, in 7 top lists Check -
16 new
Kramer vs. Kramer
1979, in 8 top lists Check -
17 new
The Paper Chase
1973, in 1 top list Check -
18 new
Reversal of Fortune
1990, in 1 top list Check -
19 new
Compulsion
1959, in 0 top lists Check -
20 new
...and justice for all.
1979 — a.k.a. And Justice for All, in 0 top lists Check -
21 new
In the Name of the Father
1993, in 7 top lists Check -
22 new
A Civil Action
1998, in 0 top lists Check -
23 new
Young Mr. Lincoln
1939, in 8 top lists Check -
24 new
Amistad
1997, in 0 top lists Check -
25 new
Miracle on 34th Street
1947, in 7 top lists Check -
26 new
The Accused
1988, in 0 top lists Check -
27 new
Adam's Rib
1949, in 8 top lists Check -
28 new
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
1956, in 3 top lists Check -
29 new
The Caine Mutiny
1954, in 3 top lists Check -
30 new
Class Action
1991, in 0 top lists Check -
31 new
The Client
1994, in 1 top list Check -
32 new
Counsellor at Law
1933, in 0 top lists Check -
33 new
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell
1955 — a.k.a. One Man Mutiny, in 0 top lists Check -
34 new
The Devil's Advocate
1997, in 3 top lists Check -
35 new
The Firm
1993, in 2 top lists Check -
36 new
The Fortune Cookie
1966, in 1 top list Check -
37 new
Ghosts of Mississippi
1996, in 0 top lists Check -
38 new
Intolerable Cruelty
2003, in 0 top lists Check -
39 new
Jagged Edge
1985, in 1 top list Check -
40 new
JFK
1991, in 13 top lists Check -
41 new
Legally Blonde
2001, in 1 top list Check -
42 new
Liar Liar
1997, in 4 top lists Check -
43 new
Michael Clayton
2007, in 2 top lists Check -
44 new
Music Box
1989, in 1 top list Check -
45 new
North Country
2005, in 0 top lists Check -
46 new
The Pelican Brief
1993, in 2 top lists Check -
47 new
The People vs. Larry Flynt
1996, in 2 top lists Check -
48 new
Primal Fear
1996, in 0 top lists Check -
49 new
The Rainmaker
1997, in 1 top list Check -
50 new
A Time to Kill
1996, in 1 top list Check
Last updated on Jun 2, 2021; source