Annual Institute on Mineral Law
Abstract
The dark cloud in any silver lining for lawyers is that some contend that their negative portrayal in contemporary cinema and television is a reflection of how they are viewed by society. This alone might not be so bad, were it not for evidence suggesting that the primary way people learn about lawyers is by watching fictionalized portrayals of them, and concern that Hollywood may even influence the views of young lawyers and law students as to acceptable professional conduct. These concerns also exist in the business world. "Big business" has suffered its fair share of movie villains over the years, with one commentator suggesting that vilifying senior management and elevating working stiffs sells more tickets. In that respect Hollywood does not discriminate, as negative portrayals may be found in a variety of business sectors as well as the government. In fairness, not all portrayals of the legal profession and big business are negative. Even where they are, they often provide entertaining case studies for spotting issues in the areas of ethics and professionalism. This article will consider an extended sampling of film offerings from that perspective.
Repository Citation
Johnson, Arnold J.
(2012)
"Ethics and Professionalism Through Hollywood Eyes: The Sequel,"
Annual Institute on Mineral Law:
Vol. 59, Article 15.
Available at:
http://digitalcommons.law.lsu.edu/mli_proceedings/vol59/iss1/15