The Lincoln Lawyer Accurately Describes the Life of a Criminal Attorney.

The Lincoln Lawyer accurately describes the life of a criminal attorney.

My mother-in-law was a big fan of this movie and she advised me to watch it, as I am a fan of legal thrillers; she was right.  It’s a great film and is one of Matthew McConaughey’s best performances.  He stars as Mickey Haller, a hot shot criminal lawyer in Los Angeles who lost his driver’s license and is chauffeured around by his friend and sidekick Earl, played by Laurence Mason.  Mickey agrees to represent a young defendant – played by Ryan Phillippe – in a sex assault case.  The defendant’s mother – a shady character – is portrayed by Frances Fisher.  Mickey is drawn into the case with a $100,000.00 retainer.  Once the investigation begins, he starts to regret taking this case.

I found that this movie is a very accurate depiction of a criminal lawyer in terms of the discussions that attorneys have with their clients.  It stresses the difficulty of explaining the legal situation to the client when they do not understand why it may be difficult to get certain pieces of evidence before a jury.  It also shows the balance between doing what the client wants versus what is in their best interest and how that is not always the same thing.  For example, there is a scene where Mickey pressures Jesus Martinez to take a plea deal for a murder that he did not commit.  He continued to pressure Jesus until he agreed to take the deal so he could potentially be released in 15 years versus trying the case and getting the death penalty.  While Jesus wanted to try the case, Mickey explained that it was in his best interest to take the deal.  The difficulty, as in this case, is that the client does not always want to do what is in their best interest but would rather take the risk of a trial and a harsher punishment.

What makes The Lincoln Lawyer stand out among legal thrillers is that its central conflict is not merely whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. Instead, it explores the ethical obligations imposed upon criminal defense attorneys. Mickey Haller is forced to navigate competing duties of loyalty, confidentiality, and zealous advocacy while remaining faithful to the professional rules that govern lawyers. Those ethical dilemmas create much of the film's tension and distinguish it from a typical courtroom drama.

Another aspect of the real-life criminal lawyer that is depicted in this film is the constant driving from courthouse to courthouse all over the county.  This is very accurate.  Most lawyers try to schedule several clients in one court on the same day, in order to not waste time going to the same court every day for a week.  However, when you get a new client that can pay the retainer, their next court date may not fit easily into your calendar.  Therefore, you have to run from courthouse to courthouse in order to maintain the clients that have paid and seal the deal on the newer clients.

I loved watching this movie.  I think they got a really good grasp on what a defense attorney does and the difficult conversations they have with their clients.  The characters are interesting and fun.  If you enjoy legal thrillers with authentic courtroom strategy and ethical dilemmas, The Lincoln Lawyer is well worth your time. 

TF’s NOTES:  While this movie embraces the real-life criminal attorney and some of the constant hustle required to maintain clientele and to represent them to the best of your ability, the movie is also inaccurate.  First, Mickey had an obligation to stop representing his client because there was a serious breakdown in the attorney-client relationship that threatened Mickey's ability to provide effective representation.  If an attorney’s client threatens the attorney or steals from them then there is a strain on the relationship creating a conflict.  In order to give the client the best representation, Mickey had to remove himself from the case.  Second, throughout the end of the movie, Mickey is in possession of an illegal gun.  While I cannot speak for all 50 states, I do know that possession of an illegal firearm is a felony and is likely to require a period of incarceration.  Therefore, while Mickey remained cool throughout his representation of Louis, Mickey was risking a felony conviction, losing his license to practice law, and jail time in order to protect himself with that gun that was not registered.