Top 12 Legal Movies – Free English Vocabulary Activity
Now, the jury is out, and here is our Top 12.
Everyone likes a good legal battle.
And now, in no particular order, here are the movies that you can not miss. These movies are outstanding selections that can help you practice your vocabulary, grammar, structure, and of course, take your mind into a world of intrigue, mystery and justice.
12 Angry Men – 1957
This is a classic courtroom drama directed by Sidney Lumet and sets out the deliberations of 12 men, all of whom are members of the jury deciding the fate of a poor young man who was accused of murder. If found guilty, he will face the death penalty. The movie starts with all jurors except for Juror 8 agreeing that the young man is guilty. Juror 8, played by Henry Fonda, encourages his fellow jurors to discuss the defendant’s case before sentencing him to death. During the discussions, many of the jurors go back and forth, changing their votes as they are forced to confront certain aspects of the case that they initially dismissed.
Philadelphia – 1993
Told by Jonathan Demme, Philadelphia tells the story of lawyer Andrew Beckett, who fights to hide his homosexuality, as well as his positive HIV status, for fear that they will have a detrimental impact on his career at a top Philadelphia law firm. Eventually, his secrets are exposed by a colleague. After losing his job at the firm, Beckett decides he must bring action on the grounds of discrimination. The only lawyer who will back him up with his case is Joe Miller, played by Denzel Washington.
A Few Good Men – 1992
Directed by Rob Reiner and scripted by Aaron Sorkin, A Few Good Men offers the story of military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) as he defends two Marines who were charged with killing another Marine at Guantanamo Bay. Kaffee is convinced by another lawyer, played by Demi Moore, that he should not seek a plea bargain for these Marines. Instead, she convinces him that they were acting on the orders of a commanding officer, Col. Nathan Jessep, who is played by Jack Nicholson.
A Civil Action – 1998
In this movie, written and directed by Steven Zaillian and based on real events, John Travolta plays a personal injury attorney Jan Schlichtmann. Schlichtmann ends up involved in a case that, while seemingly straightforward at first, turns out being incredibly difficult and appears to have the potential to be his undoing. The case revolves around a major company responsible for contaminating a town’s water supply and leading to several of its residents to develop leukemia. At the risk of bankrupting his firm and ending his career, Schlichtmann goes up against a powerhouse attorney lead by Robert Duval in an effort to make things right and hold the company liable.
Kramer vs Kramer – 1979
Written and directed by Robert Benton, Kramer vs Kramer follows advertising executive Ted Kramer (played by Dustin Hoffman) after he finds out that his wife (played by Meryl Streep) is leaving him and his young son. In spite of losing his advertising job, Ted develops a much stronger relationship with his son, helped along by a fellow single parent named Margaret, played by Jane Alexander. This causes problems later when his wife shows up and tries to win back custody. A heated courtroom battle follows as a result and has serious implications for everyone who is involved in the case.
The Lincoln Lawyer – 2011
The Lincoln Lawyer, directed by Brad Furman and staring Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller, a defense attorney who manages his law practice out of the back of a Lincoln Continental. Mick’s clientele is comprised mainly of low-life, petty criminals, but he runs into an opportunity to defend a wealthy Beverly Hills yuppie, playboy by the name of Louis Ross Roulet, played by Ryan Phillippe, who was accused of attempted murder. At first, Mick thinks that the case will be an easy, open-and-closed affair. He soon figures out, though, that it is only the tip of the iceberg and that it is connected with a previous case of his.
Erin Brockovich – 2000
Erin Brockovich sets out the true story of a woman who battled against the giant energy corporation Pacific Gas and Electric after learning about a cover-up that was exposing a local community to contaminated water and leading to serious illnesses. In the film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, Brockovich is played by Julia Roberts. Her attorney, Ed Masry, who eventually brings her aboard at his firm, is played by Albert Finney. It is when she starts working at Masry’s firm that Brockovich discovers medical records related to the case and kicks off her investigation.
The Rainmaker – 1997
The Rainmaker, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, follows a new graduate by the name of Rudy Baylor, who, struggling to pick up work, is forced to take a job under another attorney of questionable morals, played by Mickey Rourke. While working for this him, Baylor meets Deck Shifflet, a paralegal played by Danny DeVito and Dot Black (played by Mary Kay Place), whose insurance provider won’t provide coverage for her dying son. When he finds out about this information, Baylor decides to team up with Shifflet to take on Black’s insurance company and its formidable attorney (played by Jon Voight).
A Time to Kill – 1996
This film, directed by Joel Schumacher, shows Samuel L. Jackson Carl Lee Hailey, a father who shoots the bigoted men who brutally raped his daughter when they are on their way to being tried for their crime. Hailey must then count on the help of defense lawyer Jake Brigance, played by Matthew McConaughey, to get him get acquitted. Brigance feels that the chances of an acquittal are low, due in part to the fact that Hailey resides in a small and segregated town in the South, but he takes on the man’s case regardless of when he shows faith in his abilities.
The Firm – 1993
In The Firm, directed by Sydney Pollack, a young lawyer by the name of Mitch McDeere (played by Tom Cruise) joins the levels of a small and prestigious firm. At first honored to be part of the firm, McDeere soon learns, with the help of a secretary played by Holly Hunter, that there’s more than meets the eye and that the firm is laundering money for the mafia. McDeere finds himself in a hard place when the FBI gets ahold of him to gather evidence about the actions of his colleagues. As a result, he must decide between doing what’s best in the interest of the law and making the decision that will keep him alive.
And our final legal Battle! Which law comedy tops your list?
This battle boils down to My Cousin Vinny and Legally Blonde. This is an easy pick from my side. My Cousin Vinney is one of my favorite all-time movies, so naturally it will win its spot as the top legal comedy on my list.
My Cousin Vinney – 1992
Directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Dale Launer, My Cousin Vinny follows two young New Yorkers, Bill Gambini and Stan Rothenstein, who run into trouble, and are arrested and put on trial for murder while traveling in rural Alabama. The fate of these men rests in the hands of Vincent Gambini (Vinny) a cousin of Bill’s and a lawyer who’s just barely passed the bar exam.
Gambini, played by Joe Pesci, does his best to defend his cousin and his cousin’s friend but makes a number of goofups along the way. Gambini’s fiancee, Mona Lisa, who is played by Marisa Tomei, is developmental in helping him with his defense.
Legally Blonde – 2001
Based on the novel by Amanda Brown, Legally Blonde is a courtroom comedy that stars Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, a sorority girl from California. Elle follows her ex, Warner Huntington III (played by Matthew Davis), to Harvard law school after he breaks up with her on the night when she expects him to propose.
While her initial goal is to win back Warner, Elle soon falls in love with the legal profession as she works to overcome the challenges of being a first-year law student. She goes on to realize that she has the potential to become a great lawyer in her own right.
Phrasal Verbs to Learn
To figure out
To kick off
To run into
To back up
To pick up
To act on
To win back
To break up
To boil down to
To lead to
To turn out
To end up
To take on
To find out
To set out
To count on
To get ahold of
To charge with
To show up
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