In case you haven’t seen them yet, there are three new recipes on my SaladDays website this month. This morning’s veggie cocktail is especially good if you’re looking for something of a kick. I’m also particularly fond of the Chickpea Almond Salad. It fills a sandwich void left by mayo-laden tuna and egg salad. Finally, because almonds are such an amazing superfood, there’s a Celery Almond Salad.
Bon appetit!
Deliberation time. The prosecution and defense each have rested. The fate of the defendant is now in the hands of the jury. The suspense of a courtroom drama heightens. Guilty? Not guilty? That is the question.
The legal movie genre is filled with courtroom drama, action, thrillers and humor. And while the movies don’t always reflect what happens in real life, they can nonetheless provide a glimpse into the legal profession. If you’ve seen more hours of Law & Order than I’ve spent in law school (and who hasn’t?) I’d like to offer you a list of movies that might serve as an alternative to the TV drama. Some of them are purely entertaining. A good number of them will teach you something about the profession I’m about to embark on. So, in no particular order (except for the movies in spots 1 & 2) I offer you my list of must-see legal movies:
27. The Ox-Bow Incident - A Western lynching drama made under the shadows of WWII. A good contrast to the type of justice we strive for.
26. Intruder in the Dust - Nowadays almost every movie involving racism, murder, lawyers, and infuriated crowd ends up in the court in an endless trial. This one does not; everything happens in a small south town or in the country around.
25. A Dry White Season - Donald Sutherland plays a South African school teacher, and Marlon Brando a human rights attorney hired to investigate the death of a school employee’s son.
24. Call Northside 777 - Based on a true story of a Chicago reporter who proved that a man who has been in prison for murder was wrongly convicted.
23. Young Mr. Lincoln - Henry Fonda stars in this true-story portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in a courtroom drama.
22. Adam’s Rib - B&W portrayal of women in the law.
21. The Sweet Hereafter - Shows the complexity of the lawyer character, not the glamorized image of the lawyer’s power.
20. North Country - a fictionalized account of the first successful class-action sexual harassment lawsuit in the U.S.
19. A Time to Kill - Even though the defendant committed premeditated murder, it’s hard to condemn him.
18. My Cousin Vinny - Funny and fun to watch because of the rules of evidence and the cross-examination techniques that it demonstrates.
17. The Firm - Glorification of the entry-level attorney who outsmarts his employers, the mob and the FBI.
16. A Few Good Men - A dramatic, but inaccurate representation of military justice, full of hot-shot courtroom antics.
15. Class Action - A stark reminder of the devious and sometimes abusive discovery tactics sometimes used in big cases.
14. Presumed Innocent - Full of surprising plot twists and rules of evidence.
13. ...And Justice for All - Al Pacino shakes the legal system to its foundations, the integrity of the judges and their ability to deal out true justice.
12. Murder in the First - The true story of a 1941 trial that shows a now-popular “criminal as victim” defense.
11. The Thin Blue Line - The flaws in the justice system may leave district attorneys more worried about prosecuting someone than about prosecuting the right person.
10. Erin Brockovich - A movie about the kind of heroism, perseverance, and skill required to take on high-paid corporate attorneys.
9. The Paper Chase - Terrific portrayals that law students can show to friends and family who don’t believe you when you say law school is really, really tough.
8. Inherit the Wind - Outstanding in its portrayal of one of the most famous and controversial trials in American history. Good representations of the voir dire process and illustrates what can happen when a fair trial is impossible.
7. The Verdict - Paul Newman’s character is in a lot of trouble. Not only does he have an alcohol problem, but in the course of the film he also makes all kinds of mistakes that could get him disbarred.
6. The Accused - One of the few movies to tackle “criminal solicitation” which is inciting another person to commit a crime.
5. Michael Clayton - This film shows the legal ethics dilemma some lawyers face in their responsibility to their clients and society.
4. Kramer vs. Kramer - A Best Picture winner, this movie illustrates the now largely defunct “tender years” rule, which once almost guaranteed mothers custody of young children.
3. Anatomy of a Murder - Dramatic, hard-edged trial movie replete with dedicated attorneys, a wise and reasonable judge, and a surprise ending.
2. Twelve Angry Men - An in-depth exploration of the concept of reasonable doubt and realistic insights about how the jury system works.
1. To Kill a Mockingbird - A moving story about right and wrong and an attorney who lives up to the highest ideals of his profession.
One of the greatest things about growing older is the increasing number of long-time friends you can accumulate. Kelly and I have known each other for more than 10 years, and I think she is one of the most thoughtful, present, kind-hearted women I know. It had been way too long since I last saw her, so when she was looking for a hiking companion today, I jumped at the chance. We took Samba and Alice up West Tiger 3 which gave us plenty of time to catch up on graduate school, urban chicken ownership, dogs & kitties, overcoming the Seattle winter blahs, and plans for the future.
Click on the image to view the other pictures of today’s biking adventure with Mark & Michelle. No Alp d’Huez climbs, just pretty flowers!
Bentley hasn’t been getting a lot of photo love these days. That’s because it’s prime hunting season, and he’s not around much. (The birds are back, but don’t know yet to watch out for the black death machine.) When he remembers to come home, it’s because he’s in need of some serious slumber, preferably nestled in the flannel comforter on our bed.
Nothing about his cuteness here excuses the fact that he bit me on the leg this evening, though. I picked up his wet food dish, retrieved the can of wet food from the fridge, and then got lost in conversation with Nick. When his near constant meowing didn’t result in any wet food being set on the floor, he decided a little chomp was in order. Who taught him that this was okay?! Sheesh…
