Conventional Wisdom: The Courtroom Trial in American Popular Culture
Marquette Law Review, Vol. 82, P. 472, 1999
Posted: 28 Aug 1999
Abstract
This article has three parts. The first establishes the ubiquitous image of the courtroom trial in popular American literature, film, and television. The second explores the core features of this common pop cultural convention. The third critiques the courtroom trial convention and comments on its ramifications. What does the convention tell us about the courts, the legal profession, and American society in general? How should we think about the courtroom trial the next time we encounter it in a novel, a movie, or a television show? How should we respond to the "conventional wisdom" of the courtroom trial in American popular culture?
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