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'Jury Duty' Is A Great Show For Lawyers And Legal Professionals

'Jury Duty' ridicules but also celebrates many parts of the legal profession, and it should definitely be on your watch list.

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As many people already know, Amazon Freevee just released a TV series called “Jury Duty” that is also available for watching on Amazon Prime. At first, I thought this show might be related to the 1995 Paulie Shore movie of the same name, which I watched dozens of times as a kid. However, I later realized that this was a prank series in which actors play court officers, jurors, lawyers, and witnesses to convince one unsuspecting person that he is serving on a jury. The result is hilarious, as the producers put this unsuspecting juror through incredible hijinks, which I will not describe in too much detail here for fear of giving something away. For a variety of reasons, lawyers and other individuals within the legal profession should definitely check out “Jury Duty” since it is particularly entertaining to legal professionals.

I for one do not ordinarily enjoy watching legal shows or movies. I need to deal with legal issues on a daily basis, and I do not usually wish to have the law invade my personal time. One of the only legal shows I watched in the past several years was “Better Call Saul,” which I hope people will agree, is less about the law and more about the criminal underworld. I also watched and wrote an article about the Australian legal show “Rake” a few years ago, but that show is so far removed from the experience of an American lawyer that it was enjoyable to me.

However, “Jury Duty” should definitely be on the watch lists of lawyers because it is so different from the ordinary life of a lawyer and yet it is more relatable to attorneys than others legal shows. This series has genuinely funny comedy against the backdrop of a legal setting that can be familiar and appealing to lawyers. Throughout the series, the show pokes fun at incompetent lawyers, clients doing stupid things, and court officers trying to keep decorum — all things that lawyers see in their work lives. However, the show effectively pokes fun at all of this in a way that can be cathartic for people who practice law and other professionals within the legal arena.

Another thing that lawyers can really appreciate about the show is a certain sense of realism and the quality of acting that is on display in the series. The judge on the show was a practicing lawyer for over 40 years, and he masterfully plays the part. That judge could have been any jurist I have practiced in front of during my career, and the fact that this actor was able to mesh his prior experiences in the law with his acting talents is truly masterful. Moreover, both the actors playing plaintiff’s counsel and defense counsel are or were practicing lawyers, and the actor who played the defense counsel claims that he has numerous real trials under his belt. It is so rare in legal movies and television shows to see actors and actresses who have actual legal training and experience. This definitely makes their performances more believable, which only adds to the comedy, since these performers elicit more significant reactions from the mark who thinks he is serving jury duty.

Some might say that the show makes fun of the legal profession and process, since the law is the backdrop of the prank. Of course, common tropes in legal settings like people wanting to get out of jury duty or jurors not paying attention are part of the hijinks in the series, and they make good fodder for comedy. However, the show also celebrates the legal process in a unique way.

The show’s protagonist takes his job very seriously and wants to render a just outcome notwithstanding all of the comedic circumstances surrounding him. Sure, this might have been because this person wanted to look good in front of the cameras, but it is also undeniable that this might be in small part due to the respect and solemnity people hold for the judicial process. Moreover, it is amazing to see all of the current and former lawyers playing an active role in the show. The legal profession is definitely a wide tent, and it is great to see some of our sisters and brothers of the bar using their talents (legal and nonlegal) to good effect in this comedy.

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In addition, it is always good to laugh at some of the things we as lawyers see in our practices each day. Whether it be the bossy bailiff, the sometimes-odd interactions at courthouse security, or other situations, the show is relatable and especially comedic for people who are connected to the legal process.

All told, prank shows might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and they are a smaller genre of realty television that might only appeal to certain types of audiences. However, “Jury Duty” ridicules but also celebrates many parts of the legal profession, and it should definitely be on the watch lists of people who work in the legal industry.

Rothman Larger HeadshotJordan Rothman is a partner of The Rothman Law Firm, a full-service New York and New Jersey law firm. He is also the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a website discussing how he paid off his student loans. You can reach Jordan through email at jordan@rothman.law.

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