Editing Legal drama (section)

== Themes ==
Legal dramas typically portray [[moral dilemmas]] that occur with the practice of the [[law]] or participating in the justice system, many of which mirrors dilemmas in real life. The [[ABA Journal|American Bar Association Journal]] has interpreted the public's enjoyment of legal dramas occur because "stories about the legal system are laced with human vulnerability."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/why_the_movies_love_lawyers|title=Why Hollywood loves lawyers|work=ABA Journal|access-date=2018-07-16|first1=Thane |last1=Rosenbaum |date=August 1, 2015 |url-access=subscription |language=en}}</ref> Indeed, even though "there are no car chases [and]... [g]uns are never drawn", legal dramas retain strong followings because of their presentation of moral intrigue in a setting that actually reflects what occurs in the world.

Legal dramas may present stories of the [[Miscarriage of justice|miscarriages of justice]], such as persons wrongly convicted of a crime they did not commit. At times, stories may involve the moral implications of [[police misconduct]], such as placing or [[tampering with evidence]], such as in the 1993 film ''[[In the Name of the Father]]''. More often, legal dramas focus on the attorneys' point of view when faced with these difficulties. For instance, in ''[[The Practice]]'', a television legal drama series revolving around a firm of criminal defense attorneys, a common theme presented is the difficulty of defending clients known or believed to be guilty.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Practice|title=The Practice |website=Wikiquote |language=en|access-date=2018-07-16}}</ref>

Finally, many legal dramas present themes that reflect politicized issues. In the 1960 film, ''[[Inherit the Wind (1960 film)|Inherit the Wind]]'', the politicized issue portrayed was the legality of a Tennessee statute that made it unlawful to teach the [[Evolution|theory of evolution]] in a public school. As laws and public policy opinions change, so do the themes presented in legal dramas. The 1992 film ''[[A Few Good Men]]'' explored the psychology of [[superior orders]], e.g. excusing criminal actions because they were only committed from 'following orders'. The film ''[[Philadelphia (film)|Philadelphia]]'' (1993) addressed [[homophobia]], and the discrimination and public fear of HIV/AIDs carriers. In 1996, ''[[The People vs. Larry Flynt]]'' portrays the early years of ''[[Hustler Magazine]]'' and issues of obscenity and freedom of speech. ''[[You Don't Know Jack (film)|You Don't Know Jack]]'' (2010) is a fictional biographic film about [[Jack Kevorkian|Dr. Jack Kevorkian]] and the legal actions he faced as a result of providing [[euthanasia]] services to terminal patients. [[Racism#Legal|Racial injustice]] remains a common theme from as far back as ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird (film)|To Kill a Mockingbird]]'' in 1962 to the 2017 film ''[[Marshall (film)|Marshall]]''.