Netflix And Law: A Legal Realist Analysis Of How Popular Legal Drama Shows Shape Public Understanding Of Justice
- IJLLR Journal
- Dec 24, 2024
- 1 min read
Bhumika Gupta & Meyher Chawla, B.A. LL.B., O.P. Jindal Global University (Jindal Global Law School)
ABSTRACT
Using a legal realism approach, this essay argues that the following three Netflix legal dramas- Suits, How to Get Away with Murder and The People v. O.J. Simpson are popular and shape the average individual's perception of justice and the law. Legal realism places more emphasis on the social and human elements influencing legal practice compared to a formalist viewpoint. This research paper explores how dramatizations of moral dilemmas, power struggles, and courtroom strategies in such shows influence perceptions about justice. The results highlight a clear media effect in popular expectations about legal justice and integrity, and also demonstrate complex yet arguably distorted views of the legal system arising from such dramatization.
Keywords: Netflix legal dramas, Legal Realism, Public perception of justice, Media influence on law
