Once Again, TV is Not Like Real Life (I Hope!)

The latest TV drama featuring lawyers and their lives is The Deep End. The show has gotten lots of press and comments from everyone, including the legal community. Fellow blogger Lynne DeVenny has written about the paralegal on the show and how far that character is from most paralegals. Texas Lawyer also recently had an article featuring new associates' take on the show.

What struck me when watching the previews as well as reading the press and comments is that this show has at least one thing in common with most other law-related TV shows and movies: The characters are severely ethically challenged. (Many of the characters are also morally challenged, but that's not a topic for this blog.) While these shows may be entertaining, they are also wonderful examples of what "not" to do.

That might make a great assignment for a paralegal ethics class: Watch "The Deep End" and name the ethical violations. Perhaps a follow-up assignment could be to offer examples of how to handle those ethical violations if you came up against them in real life. Even the show's title could serve as a reminder to mind your ethical Ps and Qs.

So, if legal dramas and movies fill your DVR, enjoy! Just remember real life should NOT imitate TV, at least where the legal field is concerned.