Streaming the Law: Lawyers according to Netflix 

Lawyers have always garnered attention when it comes to reel lives but never in real life. In reel life a lawyer is portrayed as someone who is can melt anyone with his charm including the Judge with his “know-it-all” personality. Shows like “How to Get Away with Murder”, “Suits”, “Hyena”, “Guilty Minds”, “Criminal Justice” and so on have portrayed lawyers in a different ‘avatar’ altogether, which may not at all resemble in real life. 

 

Netflix, which is regarded as one of the most popular online streaming platforms, has provided the audience with a wide variety of legal shows. Most of these shows portray courtroom proceedings as battlegrounds and lawyers as rock stars, which is not always the case when it comes to a real-life courtroom proceeding. 

 

At Presidency School of Law, students are encouraged to critically examine how the legal profession is portrayed. This is how reality differs from reel life: 

 

In reel life a lawyer is portrayed as someone who can work for long hours without any day off, having no work-life balance, etc. Even though he is portrayed as someone who prioritises work over marriage, he is shown as the perfect husband, father and lawyer with no ‘flaws”. He is someone who can “solve every case on his own, and he is the best among his peers. Sometimes, he is even portrayed as a villain in the story who discards every ethical code just to get the job done; shows like “Better Call Saul”, “The Lincoln Lawyer”, and “The Judge” have depicted such a storyline. While this is fun, exciting and suspenseful for a drama or a series, in real life none of the following takes place. 

 

But in real life a lawyer is also a human; he is not perfect as portrayed in these so-called dramas, but he tries to be perfect in justifying his work. While most of the time Netflix often gets it wrong when portraying them on screen, the only thing that they got right is a lawyer's dedication towards his field and his passion for ensuring justice is delivered. 

 

At Presidency School of Law, we instill in our students that same dedication, based on morality, the law, and practical application. 

 

Lastly, as law students, while feeling inspired by these shows is permissible, taking up law as a career on the delusion that what happens on screen is something which must never be advocated for.Thus, instead of being inspired by reel life lawyers it is always better to look up to real life lawyers as role models if your interest lies in law. 

 

So, if you're serious about pursuing a career in law, you should have clarity, dedication, and curiosity towards the field.  

 

You can join the next generation of legal change makers at Presidency University, where we'll help you see the big picture. 

 

 

Written by, 

Ms. Eugratia Marwein 

Assistant Professor, PSOL