Why So Many Cop Shows? Hollywood Loves Criminal Justice
There is a long history of police and legal programs on television; from 24 and Bones to the numerous CSI’s and various Law and Orders, we love our legal dramas. We are used to seeing people with careers in criminal justice on all our favorite shows. As a society, we look to television to mirror back to us what the current trends are, and criminal justice has certainly captured not only our hearts, but merits huge ratings as well. Hollywood has capitalized on our current love affair with all things criminal justice and now airs an expansive amount of both legal and FBI dramas and reality-based law enforcement programming choices. Dramatic dialogue that explores criminal psychology, compelling and relevant story lines and tense courtroom interactions all make for an undeniably entertaining hour of television.
Many of the famous TV shows with a flair for all things legal have followed the exploits of many renowned fictional attorneys such as Perry Mason, Matlock, and Ally McBeal or Federal Agents like Seally Booth. However, many of the newly televised legal television programs are showcasing the unsung hero of the legal profession, the mysterious paralegal. Careers in the paralegal field are one of the fastest growing in the entire legal industry. As attorneys realize that their own workload continues to skyrocket, they increasing are seeking the help of competent paralegals to assist them. Not only does the paralegal play a vital role in assisting the lawyer with their caseload, but their involvement also saves the client a great deal of money. These factors have caused the role of the paralegal to grow exponentially, with no real end in sight.
Although paralegals are infrequently involved in felony courtroom dramas, they play an essential, albeit under-recognized, role in interworking of the legal profession as legal assistants. The television networks have struck a goldmine, and are portraying paralegals with increasing frequency on all three major networks, and of course, cable channels as well. Here is a brief list of some of the paralegals currently gracing the boob tube:
Medium – While the majority of Allison Dubois’ talents in law enforcement arena are displayed by her psychic ability to solve criminal cases, the District Attorney first hired her to perform the duties of a paralegal associate.
Sherri - Sherri Sheppard plays a standup comic, mother, wife, and yes, paralegal trying to balance a very busy and demanding home life with her rewarding career in law.
How I Met Your Mother – In a very popular episode, the lead actor Ted Mosby takes Mary the paralegal on a date. He misunderstands her knowledge of the law and assumes she must be skilled in breaking the law, not upholding it. Of course, hilarity ensues.
The emerging love affair between Hollywood and paralegals has been equally influenced by the number of now famous stars that began their professional careers as a real paralegal. One of the most famous “former paralegals” is definitely a household name; comedian and newest American Idol judge, Ellen DeGeneres. Starting your journey into becoming a paralegal might not get you on television, but it will mostly certainly offer a rewarding and stable new career in criminal justice.
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