The Greatest Lawyer Movies

What are the greatest lawyer movies of all time? In online discussions recently, the legal community achieved consensus on 20 that we list here in alphabetic order (and one of our personal favorites, #21). Curiously, the 1950s and 60s produced nearly half of the “greatest lawyer movies”, including two cinematic giants in 1957 — Witness for the Prosecution and 12 Angry Men. So, if you need a movie fix this weekend, look no further than these legal dramas:

1. A Civil Action (1998) – John Travolta
2. A Few Good Men (1992) – Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise
3. Anatomy of a Murder (1959) – James Stewart, George C. Scott
4. And Justice for All (1979) — Al Pacino
5. A Time to Kill (1996; Grisham adaptation) — Samuel L. Jackson
6. Devil’s Advocate ( 1997) – Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves
7. Erin Brockovich (2000) – Julia Roberts, Albert Finney
8. Inherit the Wind (1960) – Spencer Tracy, Frederick March
9. I Want to Live (1958) - Susan Hayward
10. My Cousin Vinny (1992) – Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei
11. Philadelphia (1994) - Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington
12. The Firm (1993; Grisham adaptation) – Tom Cruise
13. The Verdict (1982) – Paul Newman
14. The Wrong Man (1956) - Henry Fonda
15. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – Gregory Peck
16. True Believer (1989) - James Woods, Robert Downey Jr.
17. 12 Angry Men (1957) – Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb
18. The Caine Mutiny (1954) – Humphrey Bogart
19. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) – James Stewart, John Wayne
20. Witness for the Prosecution (1957) - Tyrone Power, Charles Laughton
and …
21. Michael Clayton (2007) - George Clooney, Sydney Pollack