The ABA Journal recently updated its 2008 list of “The 25 Greatest Legal Movies”. The new 2018 list was again chosen by a panel of lawyers, law professors and judges. It includes all the classic courtroom dramas from Judgment at Nuremberg to 12 Angry Men, as well as newer legal-themed films, such as Spotlight (2015). This Best Picture winner follows a team of Boston Globe reporters investigating accusations of sexual abuse and cover-ups that led to criminal and civil litigation against the Roman Catholic Church.
The ABA’s top 25 may not include all your favourites.
We would have liked to see Flash of Genius (2008) included. Based on a true story, the film stars Greg Kinnear as college professor Robert Kearns, inventor of the intermittent car windshield wiper. Kearns pays a heavy price for his stubborn and protracted legal battle with Detroit auto giant Ford over recognition and royalties for his invention. Why do we like this film in particular? Of the many movie scenes filmed in the Great Library over the years, this is perhaps the only movie so far to portray our library as a law library!
Here are some other “best legal movie” lists:
- Ted Tjaden’s Law-Related Movies (last updated: March 2017)
- The Telegraph’s The 20 Best Courtroom Films (20 May 2016)
- IMDb’s Best Legal Movies of All Time (21 Jan 2014)
Whether you agree or disagree with the selections, these legal movies make for great late summer entertainment. Happy viewing!
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