Legally Blonde (2001)
The Sleazy Lawyer: Professor Callahan, a Harvard law professor who takes a shine to pert young blonde student Elle Woods. Late one evening while brainstorming case ideas, he makes his move on the impressionable young woman.
Defending: Brooke Taylor Windham, a celebrity fitness instructor who is on trial for the murder of her much older boyfriend.
Did They Win? Yes, but no thanks to Callahan. Instead, Elle holds court and manages to prove her client’s innocence by inadvertently coercing the victim’s daughter into confessing to the murder.
Fatal Flaw: Pretty young students – which is a bit unfortunate seeing as he’s a professor and all that.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
The Sleazy Lawyer: Vincent LaGuardia ‘Vinny’ Gambini, not quite as sleazy as the other lawyers on this list, but still a brash, offensive, loud-mouthed fella who could be taken down a peg or two.
Defending: His cousin Billy, and Billy’s friend Stan, who have both been put on trial for the murder of a convenience store clerk. In reality, they just forgot to pay for a tin of tuna and were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Did They Win? Yep, all charges are dismissed when Vinny surprises everybody by becoming a surprisingly adept lawyer.
Fatal Flaw: Abrasiveness. He’s just a bit much, really, isn’t he?
The Verdict (1982)
The Sleazy Lawyer: Frank Galvin, an alcoholic Boston lawyer who once showed signs of great promise, but now spends his days chasing ambulances in search of cases.
Defending: A young mother who is now in a coma after allegedly being administered the wrong kind of anaesthesia. Despite being offered a large sum of money by the hospital, Galvin refuses it, spying the chance to finally crack a case the way a real lawyer should.
Did They Win? And then some, the jury awarding far and above the sum that Galvin suggested as compensation.
Fatal Flaw: Alcohol, of course.
Presumed Innocent (1990)
The Sleazy Lawyer: Rozat ‘Rusty’ Sabich, a good man at heart but one who gave in to the temptations of the flesh by having an affair with Carolyn Polhemus (Greta Scacchi), one of his female colleagues.
Defending: Both Carolyn and himself, as he’s accused of her murder. He hires a lawyer himself in the form of Sandy Stern (Raúl Juliá), a formidable defence attorney.
Did They Win? Sort of. Rusty destroys evidence that could solve the crime in order to protect his wife and son. Instead, it’s classified as ‘unsolved’.
Fatal Flaw: Duty. To his family, his lover and his job. A man can only be pulled in so many directions.
Carancho (2010)
The Sleazy Lawyer: Sosa, an Argentinean lawyer who spots a potential client in every victim he encounters – no matter where he finds them. He specialises in trawling the A&E and police stations for potential clients.
Defending: The patient of new love interest and doctor Luján, who’s currently fighting for his life. Sosa wants the dying man as a client...
Did They Win? The film’s not out over here yet, so that information’s officially TBC.
Fatal Flaw: Greed; Sosa just doesn’t know when to stop.
Michael Clayton (2007)
The Sleazy Lawyer: Clayton, a defence lawyer with a serious gambling addiction. As a sneaky little eel, Clayton is relied upon to find loopholes in the law in order to get his clients off the hook. He also owes serious cash to a loan shark.
Defending: The general public against U-North, an agricultural products company who are planning on selling and using a weed killer that they know is dangerous. Clayton’s boss is killed in the crossfire.
Did They Win? Yep, Clayton uses his wily ways to record U-North’s boss Karen (Tilda Swinton) admitting to his boss’ death.
Fatal Flaw: Self-control. He hasn’t got any.
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
The Sleazy Lawyer: Nick Rice, who has the potential to become as sleazy and greasy as most of those on this list, but settles for merely being corrupt.
Defending: Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler), whose wife and daughter were raped and murdered. Nick strikes a deal with one of the murderers that will help him receive a lesser sentence, while the other is condemned to death.
Did They Win? Ish. Clyde meets his maker in a fiery way, but he’s happy that Nick – now the acting District Attorney – has managed to change his ways.
Fatal Flaw: Nick wants to do right, but feels constricted by the justice system.
Wild Things (1998)
The Sleazy Lawyer: Kenneth Bowden, a cut-price lawyer who uses unorthodox methods to win his cases. (To Bill Murray’s credit, he plays it like he's in a broad comedy, not a pretentious thriller, which works in his favour).
Defending: Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon), a high school guidance counsellor who’s accused of rape by two of his young students. The girls are exposed as liars, and their families rinsed for $8.5m. But it’s all really a scam masterminded by the threesome, who want the money.
Did They Win? Suzie (Neve Campbell) wins in the end after dispatching her competition. Bowden takes her the money and tells her to “be good”. Which he should have told the makers of this movie, as well.
Fatal Flaw: We’re not sure he has one – he’s pretty awesome.
