The author looks at ways in which fictional and fictionalised legal stories shape popular attitudes to the activities of lawyers, judges, police officers, other legal actors, and the functioning of the justice system. Considering scenes from courtroom films as cultural artefacts that that can serve as teaching tools, the author examines how one might analyse films’ impact on their audiences. Article by Paul Bergman, Professor of Law Emeritus, UCLA Law School - published in Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and its Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London.