Heroes and Villains: The Lawyer's Narrative in Fact and Fiction

Storytelling is not a metaphor for legal advocacy. It is legal advocacy itself. This course uses a single book and fictional stories about lawyers in film and television to understand what narrative is, why it is so effective in conveying information and persuading others, and how lawyers can improve their use of narrative in every aspect of their profession.Each class session will screen, analyze, and discuss a law-related fictional work, focusing on the rhetorical elements of the narrative and particular problems of legal ethics, the practice of law, issues of substantive law and public policy. Students will be assessed on class attendance and a short take-home final exam. The course is only offered pass/fail.