Learn how TV lawyers affect real professions, improve legal knowledge, and dispel the fallacies underlying the courtroom dramas we love to consume.
To be quite honest, I didn’t want to become a lawyer to enforce justice, protect the innocent, or battle systematic corruption.Nope. Harvey Spectre was the reason.I said it. Suits didn’t just make me laugh; they made me want to watch them. The way Harvey came into a room with that bulletproof swagger and took down his opponents with just three words and a smirk was fascinating. And based on what I’ve learnt since, I wasn’t the only one.
A 2023 survey by the American Bar Association found that an amazing 71% of law students said that fictitious TV lawyers helped them decide to become lawyers. Read that again: Seven out of ten prospective lawyers were influenced by characters like Harvey Spectre from Suits, Annalise Keating from How to Get Away with Murder, or Jack McCoy from Law & Order.
These aren’t just entertaining characters—they’ve become legal icons who influence public trust in the courtroom, shaping how people perceive lawyers, the justice system, and even their own career paths.I used to feel silly saying that a made-up person made me want to go to law school. I feel validated now.
What Makes TV Lawyers So Addictive?
Let’s get one thing straight: TV lawyers aren’t popular because they are real. People like them because they are magnetic.
They walk into the courtroom like it’s a stage. They beat their opponents with brilliant logic, drop one-liners that might be in a philosophy book, and they never get their collar dirty. They’re not perfect, they work too much, and their morals are occasionally questionable, but they never, ever lose their edge.
Justice, power, treachery, and redemption are some of the most common themes in legal dramas. They are like real life, but in high definition, with better lighting, hotter characters, and story twists that are hard to believe. But what really interests me is this: they also make us smarter.
Seriously. A research on media psychology at USC in 2022 discovered that people who watched legal dramas scored 34% higher on basic legal literacy tests. That’s right—watching The Good Wife all at once can teach you more about your fundamental rights than a civics lesson.
The Effect Is Real, Even When the Drama Isn’t
I had a bottle of wine and watched Boston Legal again, and something clicked: Lawyers on TV aren’t just for fun.
They are important parts of their culture.
They speak what we want to say when things aren’t fair. They fight when we think we can’t do anything. They take our anger, idealism, and humour and turn it into a 43-minute power session that makes us feel better, even if we’ve never been to court.
And it’s not just a way to let out your feelings. These characters have an effect on the real world:
- From 2016 to 2018, when Suits was at its most popular, searches on Google for “how to become a lawyer” went up by 23%.
- Twenty percent (20%) of law professors utilize excerpts from TV legal dramas to teach ethics in law.
- Law & Order has more than 1,200 episodes in its universe, making it a true cultural encyclopaedia of TV lawyers.
- Legal dramas have made more than $6.2 billion over the world since the year 2000. Take a moment to think about that. These shows are more than simply fun; they’re a business.
- A research published in the Journal of Media Psychology in 2020 found that courtroom scenes can temporarily increase empathy by up to 18%.
If it isn’t a real-world effect, I don’t know what is.
But are TV lawyers really realistic?
- Yes, and a lot of no.
- Let’s get rid of the fantasy.
Myth 1: TV lawyers are always gladiators in court.
In actual life? Only 2% of civil cases proceed to court. What about the rest? Settled. Arbitrated. Mediated.TV just can’t get enough of the drama of a mic-drop cross-examination.
Myth 2: The case is won by one great speech.
In actual life, no judge has ever pounded the gavel and said, “That emotional monologue changed my mind!” Legal arguments are based on proof, not speeches that win Emmys.
Myth 3: They Do Everything by Themselves
TV attorneys do everything, from court to client dinners to research late. A reality check: real lawyers need a lot of help from assistants, clerks, and paralegals. It’s not about being a superhero; it’s about working together.
Myth 4: Law Firms Are Hot, Fast-Paced Battlefields
Most genuine law offices are more like “please don’t spill coffee on the deposition files” than “glamorous glass towers.”
Myth 5: Ethics Are Not Required If You Are Smart Enough
Saul Goodman makes being corrupt look cool. But in real life? You won’t be praised for manipulating clients or coaching witnesses; you’ll be disbarred.
Myth 6: Lawyers Are Either Good People or Bad People
TV favours extremes, like Atticus Finch or Gordon Gekko. But in the actual world, there are many lawyers who are attempting to do the right thing in a system that is very broken.
Myth 7: Your gut feeling wins cases
TV loves “aha” moments. Real law is based on evidence and procedures that are allowed. There is no last-minute flashback hero in court.
Myth 8: You can live like Harvey Spectre
I don’t want to bust your bubble, but top-tier lawyers don’t drink scotch in penthouses; they work 80-hour weeks reading case law.
Myth 9: All lawyers are wealthy
Lawyers on TV drive fancy automobiles. Lawyers in the real world? Many of them start with six-figure debt and make less than $60,000 a year, especially in public interest law.
Myth 10: A single case alters everything.
TV makes every trial a career-defining fight. In actual life? It’s years of hard work behind the scenes, going through motions and mediations.
Representation: Ahead on TV, Behind in Real Life
I was surprised to learn that fictional legal dramas are more diversified than real-life law.
The ABA’s 2023 Diversity Report says that only 18% of lawyers in the U.S. are people of colour. On television? That number goes up to 32%.
And even while shows like How to Get Away with Murder and The Good Fight have strong women and LGBTQ leads, the legal industry still has a long way to go. Only 23% of equity partners in big companies are women as of 2024, and less than 10% are lawyers of colour.
So when we watch these shows, we’re not just watching stories; we’re seeing what the legal world may be like. Yes, it’s hopeful. But also inspiring.
Why We Keep Watching Lawyers on TV
I don’t watch Suits or Better Call Saul for legal correctness at the end of the day. I watch them because they touch on something deeper: our desire for fairness, our love of smart people, and our belief that words can still make a difference.
And I can tell I’m not the only one. More than 1.8 billion people have watched Tik Tok #TVLawyers. Yes, characters like Saul Goodman, Jessica Pearson, and Mike Ross are meme machines, but they are also role models for strength, resistance, and intelligence.
Then there’s Better Call Saul, which has won more awards than any other legal show in history. More than 50 big accolades, like Emmys and Critics’ Choice accolades. Think about it. A show about a con man who becomes a lawyer is now the best legal show on TV.
Why? Saul is a reminder that intelligence still has power, even when it is used for bad things.
Key Things
I loved the idea of law before I knew what it was because of TV lawyers. They made me want to think bigger, ask harder questions, and make stronger arguments. And it seems I’m not the only one: They inspire careers.
- They show us what we can do.
- They make franchises worth billions of dollars.
- At least on television, they move diversity ahead.
- They make us feel like we matter, that we know more, and like we’re a bit braver.
Yes, they are too much. Yes, they are quite dramatic. But in a world that frequently feels unfair, they show us what justice could look like if brains, bravery, and charm were all that was needed.
And maybe that’s enough of a reason to keep observing, learning, and hoping.
So, the next time someone rolls their eyes when you talk about Suits or The Good Wife like they’re the truth, just smile. I think TV attorneys are more than simply made-up characters; they’re fuel.
Additional Resources
- Legal TV Drama Influence Study – Journal of Media Psychology: Explores how courtroom shows like Suits and Law & Order boost empathy, legal knowledge, and shape public perception—even if the stories are fictional.
- How Pop Culture Is Impacting Law Student Career Choices– American Bar Association: Reveals that over 70% of law students are inspired by fictional lawyers like Harvey Specter and Annalise Keating, showing the real impact of TV legal icons.