Legal Blog
Things TV Shows Get Wrong About Lawyers
One of the most successful TV show genres is the one that explores the lives of various lawyers – usually fancy corporate lawyers. In short, crime/legal TV shows are very popular nowadays.
With such popularity, you may think that they'd accurately depict lawyers – but most of them don't. Because of that, people who want to work in a court of law get the wrong idea on how it's like being a lawyer.
That's why, in the following lines, we thought of showing you some of the things that TV shows get wrong about lawyers – let's begin!
Lawyers Getting Fired Up in Court
Most TV shows and movies shift the focus on one of the two lawyers present in a case in one main way. Namely, they have the lawyer get heated and fired up in court. The result is usually hostile behavior towards a witness or a raised voice towards the jury and so on.
In fact, lawyers are much more calculated in the court of law. This is because any exaggerated behavior could be considered as contempt of court, which could end in a fine. Even if you're not guilty, don't expect criminal defense lawyers to get all emotional about your case and try to get some tears out of the jury.
Good Lawyers Represent Only Innocent People
Many TV shows make it look like good and morally correct lawyers will only represent innocent people. Naturally, this implies that bad and shady lawyers get to represent the bad guys.
Obviously, this is not correct!
A lawyer's job is to represent. It doesn't matter if they defend innocent or guilty people as long as they are doing their jobs.
Lawyers ALWAYS Have a High Salary
Many of us chose their careers based on their depictions in movies and TV shows. This is why we think that lawyers make a lot of money, even if they are first-year associates. TV shows imply that fresh lawyers make six-figures, own a mansion, and have nice cars right after getting their degree.
The harsh truth is that first-year associates are usually rounding up roughly $60k a year!
Lawyers Crack a Case All Alone
Even TV shows that depict lawyers and their lives fairly accurately still get one thing wrong. Namely, they imply that lawyers work all alone when trying to solve a case – and that they're usually able to crack it.
Naturally, that's not the case in real life. As we've seen in Suits and The Good Wife (2 decent depictions of lawyers and their lives), lawyers need an entire team behind their back to solve the case.
For example, they usually need paralegals, investigators, common office staff, and clerks to find evidence, verify it, and then make it presentable for the court.
The Bottom Line
All in all, the lawyers' life is extremely exciting – but just not as exciting as the one depicted in today's TV shows.
Keep in mind that, for almost any job or field of work out there, TV shows will keep only the appealing part in, so to say. Everything boring and usually predominant is taken out as it holds no real value to the show!
References and Sources
https://www.looper.com/149432/things-movies-always-get-wrong-about-lawyers/
https://www.quora.com/What-do-TV-shows-and-movies-get-wrong-about-lawyers
https://www.directexpose.com/things-movies-tv-shows-wrong-lawyers/
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