Full Editorial
Television legal dramas remain popular with viewing audiences across the country. However, what they portray often differs significantly from what actually happens in actual law offices. These six characteristics highlight the differences between real life attorneys and TV lawyer characters.
1. Specialization
Many times, TV legal dramas portray lawyers as handling a wide variety of cases. In reality, attorneys typically only specialize in one or two areas of the law. They also only handle cases that fall within their specialties.
2. Drama
TV shows also show their lawyer characters as delivering emotional, high-drama speeches in court and engaging in contentious back-and-forth examinations of people on the witness stand. In real life, much of the legal work involving a case happens outside of the courtroom. Many cases also involve mediation and do not go before a judge or jury.
3. Speediness
People watching legal dramas often get the impression that cases only take a few days or weeks to resolve. In fact, a case can take months, if not a year or longer, to conclude. The legal process often marches along much slower than the pace of fictional cases in TV shows. Lawyers sometimes need substantial amounts of time to investigate, compile a case, and determine the best course of action to defend a client.
4. Appearance
TV lawyers are often impeccably dressed and wear highly tailored, expensive outfits in court. In reality, many lawyers do not look like they just stepped out of a fashion magazine. They may not even wear a suit jacket or dress when they work in their offices. They may simply don business casual and look far less formal than how their TV counterparts look on screen.
5. Financial Aspects
TV lawyers also appear to live in the lap of luxury, driving fancy cars and dining out at five-star restaurants. Many attorneys in real life earn far less than fictional TV attorneys. Their incomes reflect the number of clients they handle and the expenses of running their own law firms. Many live more modestly than what TV shows would have viewers believe.
6. Client Interaction
Finally, TV shows often portray lawyers as having close interactions with their clients. People who view these shows believe that they will meet often and work closely with their attorneys when they have actual cases that need handling.
Many attorneys in real life, however, delegate casework to their paralegals, secretaries, couriers, clerks, and other legal employees. They often meet with clients during an initial consultation and when they prepare people to go to work.
Otherwise, people typically communicate with their lawyers via the staff in the office or by email. They do not have in-depth meetings and form close relationships with their lawyers as fictional characters in legal dramas often do.
These six differences highlight the disparities between fictional lawyers in TV legal dramas and real life attorneys. Cases can often take more time and entail mundane work that law office staff handle. Understanding these differences can help clients in real life anticipate what to expect if they need to hire legal counsel.
