Best Lawyers in Movie History

Though law is hardly considered to be the most exciting professions out there, because of the inherent theatre-like nature of a trial, lawyers have been canonized in film as some of the great unsung heroes, even earning their own genre known as the “courtroom drama.” And though Richard Gere’s role as a tap-dancing lawyer in the 2002 film Chicago might not be as exciting as, say, James Bond blowing up the Eiffel tower (I’m sure he’s done it at some point), there have been plenty of worthy “You can’t handle the truth!” moments in cinema history, which is why we are honoring those select courtroom cowboys with a list of the best attorneys in film.

So sit back and play the jury as we examine the evidence of the greatest lawyers in movie history!

Daniel Kaffee in A Few Good Men

Hailing at just under 5’7, Tom Cruise doesn’t have the most intimidating presence, but he still manages to compensate with some impressive shouting and courtroom bravado in Rob Reiner’s 1992 award-winning film A Few Good Men. In the movie, he plays the novice US Navy lawyer Daniel Kaffee, who is tasked with leading the defense of two court-martialed Marines accused of murdering a fellow Marine at the now-infamous Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.

During the trial, he goes up against the likes of Jack Nicholson who plays the gruff and hardened Colonel Nathan Jessup, who’s credited with having growled the classic line “You can’t handle the truth!”- which essentially scared Tom Cruise into the fetal position.

But even so, Tom Cruise holds his own in the face of military intimidation and Jack Nicholson, earning a place as one of film’s best lawyers and proving once again that size isn’t all that matters.

Vincent “Vinny” Gambini in My Cousin Vinny

Need to hire a lawyer? Vincent “Vinny” Gambini is not that lawyer. Released the same year as A Few Good Men (solidifying 1992 as the golden age of lawyer movies), My Cousin Vinny veered from the courtroom-drama take on law and into the territory of courtroom-comedy. The movie casts the endlessly annoying Joe Pesci as an obnoxious, abrasive and perennially Brooklyn-esque lawyer named Vinny – which, on second thought, fits Joe Pesci perfectly.

Having just passed the bar exam after six previously failed attempts, Vinny finds himself defending his cousin and a friend from charges of a murder they didn’t commit. But in the course of the movie, Vinny redeems his inexperience and thick Brooklyn accent through a series of clever arguments and brash statements that ultimately gives him a fighting chance at winning.

And despite Joe Pesci, the movie itself was well-received, even landing Marisa Tomei an Oscar for best supporting actress- though the argument stands that it might have been awarded out of sympathy for having to play alongside Pesci.

Billy Flynn in Chicago

Though tap-dancing has never been proven to help win a trial in the court of law, that didn’t stop Richard Gere from busting his moves as the sleazy lawyer Billy Flynn in the wildly successful 2002 film adaptation of the musical Chicago.

Starring alongside Gere is wannabe heartthrob Renee Zellweger playing a femme-fatale nightclub dancer named Roxie Hart who is accused of a murder she very much did commit, and which lands her in prison on Murderess’ Row. And in order to regain her undeserved freedom, she resorts to the likes of Billy Flynn in the hopes that he can lie her way out.

What follows is a series of musical numbers and clever court-room deceptions as the two of them scheme their way to victory, the latter of which secures Billy Flynn as one of the best -albeit damnable- lawyers in film.

Erin Brokovich in Erin Brokovich

While not technically a lawyer, Julia Roberts’ landmark role as the spunky and determined paralegal Erin Brokovich battling corporate giant PG&E was nevertheless good enough to earn her a spot on this list.

In this 2000 movie based on true life events, we see Brokovich go from a poor single-mom to an unlikely hero as she fights on the side of a small town that has experienced debilitating illness as a result of PG&E’s pollution of the town’s water supply, eventually resulting in a record-setting $330 million settlement.

The case ultimately served as a wake-up call to corporations everywhere suffering from delusions of omnipotence, and was hailed as a major victory for both Erin Brokovich and consequently Julia Roberts, who won an Oscar for the role.

And Roberts’ performance is made all the more impressive considering her previous film was the 1999 disaster Runaway Bride. Just goes to show you miracles do exist…

Fred Gailey in Miracle on 34th St

Speaking of miracles, this holiday classic from 1947 casts John Payne as the ambitious young attorney Fred Gailey, tasked with the impossible feat of proving that his client Kris Kringle is – in fact – the real Santa Claus.

The story follows Kringle from his job impersonating Santa Claus at the one-and-only Macy’s Department Store in New York City to him eventually revealing that he actually is Santa Claus to the bewilderment of the general public. But following a series of magical moments of goodwill, he eventually wins over the holiday shoppers to the dismay of his bitter and tightly wound boss Doris Walker, who obviously lacks the requisite holiday cheer. She then pursues a campaign of vengeance against Kringle, which finally lands him in a mental institution.

This leaves our heroic attorney Fred Gailey in quite the predicament as he attempts to clear Kringle from charges of insanity by proving that his client is the true Santa Claus. The movie then proceeds to ladle scene after scene of touchingly inspirational court-room moments on to the audience until Gailey finally wins, proving conclusively that Kris Kringle is indeed Santa Claus – and leaving us with a warm and cuddly admiration for good-natured lawyers.

Well, that concludes the list of the greatest lawyers in film, but if you know of a celluloid attorney that you think should have made the cut, feel free to share in the non-legally-binding comments section below! And make sure to read our sister article – The Greatest Lawyers in History!