Americans are fascinated by the legal system but people often confuse what they see on television with what actually happens in real court cases including how long it takes for cases to be resolved and about how the law is actually applied. Television shows and movies offer unreal expectations, from how long it takes to get evidence through the court system to what cases actually go to trial.
Several years ago the American Bar Association Journal ran a contest to name the 25 Greatest Legal TV Shows. Recently television show creator David E. Kelley talked about the public’s love affair with legal shows including his recently launched show Harry’s Law as well as his other law inspired shows Boston Legal and Ally McBeal. The Yale Law Review studied whether watching shows such as CSI may have an effect on potential jurors but was unable to scientifically determine a direct link. Now, Morgan Fairchild is set to co-star in an independent comedy pilot called “Workers Comp,” about a family insurance company that handles all kinds of strange claims.
Legal TV shows make the law look romantic as well as resolve every case in less than an hour rather than the months or years it can normally take to try a case.