FRS 001S —
Sec. 001 —
(1 unit) — CRN 45490 — M 5:10 – 6:00 pm — 91
King Hall
Reel Lawyers: A Look at Lawyers, Their Ethics, and Law Practice
Through Film
Instructor: Rex Perschbacher, School of Law
Description: Trials and the lawyers, clients and
jurors involved
in them are a favorite subject of the movies. Trials have an inherent
drama that
makes them appealing as a narrative. Apart from cinematic values, the
movies tend
to reflect deeper societal views of lawyers, the legal profession,
and the relationship
of justice in the larger society to that at issue in a trial. This course takes
a look at the changing portrayals of lawyers in film over the past
half century,
requiring students to view the assigned films before class each week, submit a
brief paper on each before class, participate in class discussion, and choose
a film of their own to write a final paper drawing upon the themes developed in
the class. The emphasis throughout is not on film criticism but on the lawyers,
whether they are presented as hero, victim, virtuous, or corrupt;
with some study
of their ethical obligations; and fuller discussion of the relationship of the
lawyers and their work to the larger social fabric. My hope is to introduce the
seminar members to lawyers and their work through a readily
accessible and entertaining
medium; to teach a bit about the ethical obligations lawyers are
under; to critically
examine the world of law practice, including inducing some skepticism over how
lawyers are commonly portrayed in both movies and television; and to ask what
role(s) we want lawyers to play in the political, economic, social, and moral
life of the nation.
Format: Films will be assigned most weeks. If
students have difficulty
renting or viewing the assigned film, I will attempt to schedule a viewing at
the Law School on the weekend before class. After viewing the
assigned film, the
students will prepare a one-two page write up answering questions
about the role
of the lawyer(s) and others central to the film, their portrayal
(hero, villain,
dupe, etc.);and how the lawyers’ role was viewed in the context
of the broader
society. In several cases, I will ask students to concentrate on
issues of a lawyer’s
ethics. Grading: Class attendance and participation in
the discussion is expected. Viewing the films is required as are the
weekly summary
papers. These papers will count for 1/3 of the final grade, with the remainder
of the grade based on the final paper. I will look for critical thinking about
the subject and judge papers’ content on how well the writer has learned
the basic ethics of lawyers’ work. Reading will be kept down to around 10
pages or less a week, including selections from the Model Rules.
About the Instructor: Professor Perschbacher is a
lawyer, member
of the Law School faculty for 23 years, and currently Dean of the Law School.
He teaches legal ethics and civil procedure, and has published books
and articles
on both subjects, including a casebook on Civil Procedure, and two
ethics texts,
as well as a book used to introduce law students to law and law
school: The United
States Legal System: An Introduction (with M. Johns). He (mostly)
enjoys watching
lawyers on television, in novels, and on film.