It is a question that has divided law offices and torn apart friendships. Who is the best fictional lawyer of all-time?
And now we have the technology to answer the age old question in the most democratic way possible – an NCAA-BuzzFeed style tournament.
Round 2: Here is where things get serious. The round one winners in the Movie and Sitcom categories will do battle to move on to the sweet sixteen.
There were a few surprises last round: Inherit the Wind’s Henry Drummond made an early exit (black and white movies are dead) and Will and Grace’s leading man was victorious over Night Court’s Dan Fielding – the 4th sitcom seed (looks like #MeToo may have finally caught up to Dan).
Oh, and the real Erin Brockovich has some thoughts
Hearts will be broken this round.
Forget who the fictional lawyer is? Click the links for a video reminder.
Download the up-to-date PDF here.
Voting for this round closes on December 23rd at 5pm
Atticus Finch vs. Lesra Martin
Atticus Finch fought a system of institutionalized racism in the 1962 film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. He may carry come baggage following the publication of Go Set a Watchman in 2015. But there is no question Finch was a powerful voice for justice.
Lesra Martin attend Dalhousie Universit’sy law school and is most famous for securing the release of Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter in 1985 after he served almost 20 years in prison. Canadian content!
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Lt. Daniel Kaffee vs. Vinny Gambini
Lt. Daniel Kaffee, a son of a US attorney, has the legal pedigree and the courtroom skills to back it up. The only way he could win his biggest case was to take a run at a high ranking officer on the witness stand. You want answers?! I want the truth!
Vinny Gambini steps up to defend his cousin who is accused of murder. Except Vinny is a personal injury lawyer, newly admitted to the bar, and with no trial experience. He broke a dozen rules of professional conduct but he won the case.
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Mick Haller vs. Elle Woods
Mick Haller prefers to work out of his Lincoln Town Car (with NTGUILTY licence plates) instead of an office. Haller is a true criminal defence lawyer who takes on big cases and also works pro bono.
Elle Woods might have gone to law school for a boy but she quickly demonstrates some serious legal chops and was able to exonerate a sorority sister accused of murder.
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Joe Miller vs. Erin Brockovich
Joe Miller overcame his own prejudice and fear to take on the case of Andrew Beckett who was fired from his job after contracting AIDS.
OK, OK, OK Erin Brockovich is not a lawyer (and remember that we are looking at the movie depiction not the real person). But despite her lack of formal education in the law she was instrumental in building a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and kicking some legal butt.
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Barry Zuckerkorn vs. Jackie Chiles
Barry Zuckerkorn is the Bluth family’s incompetent defence attorney. He may have had his own problems with the law but he always has a trick or two up his sleeve (“You can’t charge a husband and wife for the same crime.”)
Jackie Chiles is a bespectacled, mustachioed, well-dressed, lawyer with penchants for grandiose vocabulary. He is most famous for his representation of Kramer in a series of personal injury cases.
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Clair Huxtable vs. Will Truman
Clair Huxtable has been a role model for a generation of female lawyers. As a high power lawyer and mother of five kids Clair is able to achieve a perfect work/life balance.
Will Truman attended NYU School of law and was on track to make partner, but decided to quit and start his own practice. He also has worked at the Coalition of Justice, a business providing legal support for marginalized and impoverished clients.
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Marshall Eriksen vs. Jeff Winger
Marshall Eriksen is a lawyer of deep principle. He quit his job as a corporate lawyer at Goliath National Bank to pursue his dream of saving the world through environmental law. Marshall also coined the use of the word “Lawyered” whenever he makes a point in an argument.
Jeff Winger was a very successful defense attorney specializing in DUI/DWAI/DUID cases, traffic offenses, and juvenile crimes until his fraudulent academic credentials were exposed. He then enrolled in Greendale Community College and is now a professor at the school.
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Sophia Perez vs. Christine Sullivan
Sophia Perez is a New York City criminal defence lawyer who finds herself entangled in a relationship with man-child police officer Jake Peralta.
Christine Sullivan is a Public Defender in Manhattan Municipal Court. Sullivan is sometimes honest to a fault and somewhat naïve but in her battles with Dan Fielding she always comes out on top.
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And with that round two (part 1) is done. Check back on December 23th to vote in round two (part 2): cartoon lawyers and hour-long drama lawyers.
