Films for Law Students and Lawyers

I am a bit of a Tom Cruise fan. If you liked Tom Cruise in the 1992 film “A Few Good Men,” you will like him in the legal thriller made in 1993 called “The Firm.” In the film “A Few Good Men,” Tom Cruise plays the role of Lt. Junior Grade Daniel Kaffee, who is a lawyer representing two Marines that are responsible for the death of a comrade. Who can forget the famous line “I want the truth,” and Jack Nicholson, who plays the role of Lt. Colonel Nathan Jessup who responds “You can’t handle the truth.” The term “Code Red” is used. The accused stated they were just doing their job. In the film, here you have the law and the military tied together.

In the 1993 film “The Firm,” Tom Cruise portrays a lawyer named Mitchell Mc.Deere who is a law school graduate who is hired in a law firm in Memphis, Tennessee. He is soon working long hours. He begins to realize the firm is involved in unsavory behavior. He realizes the FBI is investigating the firm. He is torn between attorney-client privilege and doing the right thing. Attorney-client privilege is where anything discussed between a person and their attorney is confidential. The rule of attorney-client privilege applies, even when that attorney is no longer representing that person. Also noting, gives a good portrayal of being a lawyer.

I have several friends that are lawyers. Just because you get out of law school with a degree, does not mean you are automatically cut loose. You have to come up under another attorney who has practiced for years. When you join a law firm upon graduating law school, you are deemed an associate until you pass the bar of the state you are in. Another thing lawyers have to pass is the character and fitness test. You have to have a strong decent and moral character to practice law. I recommend the movie “The Firm,” for those who like a good legal thriller that is intended to keep them guessing. I also recommend this film for those who are in law school, considering law school, or who are recent graduates of law school. This film is recommended for those who like a movie that portrays life in a city like Memphis. I loved the barbeque scene. For those of you who are Memphis natives, you know it is known for having a lot of barbeque restaurants.

The two films each illustrate doing what we are told to do by our boss or in the military, a commanding officer. But when do we exercise our own values or morals? For those of you who have or currently serve in any branch of the military, you know you must obey your commanding officer, or you will face trouble for insubordination. With respect to “A Few Good Men,” if the accused had committed the crimes they were accused of in the civilian world, this would automatically make them responsible. The movie “The Firm,” attorney client privilege is also noted. Attorney-client privilege will not be applicable if there is intent to conceal or further a criminal offense. Between the two films I recommend “A Few Good Men,” if you like a portrayal of military life. You can see where the law and the military collide. Usually people in the military who are accused of any criminal offense are court-martialed. Also, the movie gives a good representation of how a court-martial works. The movie “The Firm,” gives a good idea of what it is to be a law student, as well as what it is like to start after law school. If it were up to me, I would pick “A Few Good Men.”