Movie Therapy for Law Students – Book Review

Movie Therapy for Law Students by Sonia Buck is, how shall I put it, one of the more niche titles that you’re likely to come across.

Its chief aim is simple: to bridge the gap between legal study and the watching of legally-themed films.

Confused? It’s simple really.

Law students, being a fastidious and conscientious bunch, tend to feel pangs of guilt when they put leisure time above studying. Well, something like that. With the help of this book, law students should be able to freely engage in some movie-watching downtime without being unduly encumbered by their consciences.


The book considers 33 films, listed in chronological order – all of which have a legal theme running through them. The list spans a diverse spectrum, from the 1962 dramatisation of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird right through to the comedy Liar Liar. Like I said – diverse.

For each movie listed, the book provides details of the plot, the lead actors featured, as well as a couple of key quotes from the script. It then moves on to consider the main areas of law associated with the plot, with helpful extracts of relevant sources of law alongside. Substantive areas of law are considered - such as contract law, the law of tort or criminal law - as well as ethical conundrums affecting the rules relating to professional conduct. In addition to all that, the author provides valuable tips for exam success, along with some ideas for further reading.

Inevitably, a book such as this cannot possibly provide a thorough commentary on each area of law that’s discussed. But the book never sets out to do that. Instead, it succinctly guides the reader in thinking critically about some of the legal issues going on beneath the surface in the various films it considers. Readers will be stimulated by a whole host of thought-provoking questions and ‘what ifs’, which will leave them cogitating long after the film has ended.

Admittedly, the book is focussed on US law and the extracts of source material provided reflect that. Nevertheless, that’s not to say it won’t appeal to law students based elsewhere given that many (if not most) of the thinking points apply regardless of the jurisdiction concerned (it’s just the answers that’ll be different).

To the extent that critical analysis and the practical application of law can be combined with the watching of movies, this book does it well.

As an aside, when I was studying for my A levels, I remember a classmate who seemed to honestly believe that watching previous episodes of Ally McBeal constituted valid exam revision. I think that was a stretch too far but the approach taken by the author in this book makes a damn good attempt at genuinely combining legal study and the watching of movies.

Whilst some might prefer to keep studying and film-watching entirely separate, students should never be encouraged to pass up opportunities for critical reflection on legal issues. As clichéd as it sounds, it’s all part of the process in which students learn to think like lawyers.

And if this book helps in that process, surely it’s earned its place on the bookshelf?

Publication Review: From Goods to a Good Life

From Goods to a Good Life by Prof. Madhavi Sunder examines how, for the greater good, hard-edged commercialism in intellectual property law can (and should) be tempered by a healthy dose of social conscience and culture.

From the very outset, the author recognises the enormity of her task; challenging the centuries-entrenched focus of commercial endeavour that lies at the heart of international IP law sounds like an impossible task. Still, it a task Sunder takes on with gusto.

She poses an uncomfortable series of questions in which the value and composition of a “good life” are broken down and micro-analysed. Many readers may find the observations made by the author painful. The shallow materiality of the typical western way of life can be a difficult truth to acknowledge.

Sunder’s arguments focus on the need for intellectual property to be reconceptualised so that it takes better account of a plurality of stakeholders, social and cultural factors and various other 21st century considerations.

The author weaves a compelling web of arguments which span culture, commerciality, and philosophy – as well as the complex interplay between them. A colourful array of analogies and anecdotes add weight to her arguments and a richness to the text.

While it is pitched predominantly at the US market and legal system, the vast majority of points and arguments hold equally true for UK readers.

The book provides a refreshing, stimulating and thought-provoking read which is, for the most part, well-argued. It is let down only occasionally by a needless verbosity which can detract from the arguments being made and the flow of the text.

Every lawyer needs the chance to step away from black letter law and reflect on broader societal issues from time to time. From Goods to a Good Life provides exactly that opportunity.

It would make an excellent gift for any lawyer – past, present or prospective – as well as anyone who shares an interest in intellectual property law and its effect on the way we all live our lives.

From Goods to a Good Life was published on 23rd August 2012.