Lawyer Movies About Real Lawyers

Lawyer movies about real lawyers are hard to come by. Many lawyer movies feature plots too dramatic to be real. However, if you are looking for a glimpse into the life of a real lawyer, check out the following lawyer movies about real lawyers. 

1. "Erin Brockovich" "Erin Brockovich" stars Julia Roberts as a paralegal taking on lawyers representing Pacific Gas and Electric Company. The plot involves a small town where many of the residents have been poisoned by chemicals put into the water be the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. The film even features a cameo by the real Erin Brockovich (she appears as a waitress).  
2. "Amistad" Many people don't think about "Amistad" as a lawyer movie about real lawyers. But "Amistad" tells the true story of African slaves who mutiny from a slave ship. The film focuses on the courtroom scenes, which are based on real court cases featuring real lawyers and judges.
3. "Young Mr. Lincoln" No list of lawyer movies about real lawyers would be complete without the mention of a movie about the most famous lawyer of all, Abraham Lincoln. "Young Mr. Lincoln," directed by John Ford, focuses on Abraham Lincoln and his early years as a lawyer and his defense of two men charged with murder.. 
4. "Ghosts of Mississippi" Directed by Rob Reiner, "Ghosts of Mississippi" tells the story behind the trial of a white supremacist accused of murdering the civil rights activist Medgar Evers. Alec Baldwin plays the real-life prosecutor who brings the charges against the white supremacist in this lawyer movies about real lawyers. 
5. "North Country" "North Country" is a lawyer movie about real lawyers which focuses on the Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co. case. The case was the first class-action sexual harassment lawsuit in the United States and was filed on behalf of Lois Jenson, played by Charlize Theron, who was sexually harassed in the male-dominated company. The case was led by real-life attorne Paul Sprenger, played in the movie by Woody Harrelson. 

-Ian King