How To Get Away With Murder is an American Drama, mystery, and thriller series aired in 2014. The show focuses on the expertise of the criminal defence attorney and professor, Annalise Keating, and her cases with her students. The show has a total of six seasons and ended in May 2020.
If you're a law student dreaming of becoming a lawyer, the show is entertaining to watch and unpacks many lessons anyone can learn from. You'll also learn many tips and skills from the defence attorneys and criminal lawyers on the show on how to defend clients and win a case for their benefit.
One episode of 'How To Get Away With Murder' is around forty to sixty minutes, which depicts happenings from the past, specifically before a murder case happens and transitions to the present and how Annalise and her students handle the case. Because the show is full of mysteries and learning points, it's impossible to resist it.
If you're considering watching 'How To Get Away With Murder' or are a lawyer but hesitant to start the show, here are seven lessons from HTGAWM that might just be helpful to your law career.
1 - Every action, good or bad, has consequences.
People say that the job of a lawyer is to lie. In simple terms, it's a frank and straightforward description of how lawyers fulfil their duties to defend their clients. The thing is, as they do their duty, the actions they'll take will lead to consequences that could affect their clients, their careers, and other people.
Whether criminal lawyers or defence attorney wins their client's case, it will have a result that could and would affect them and the other party. Also, whatever the outcome, it could make or break a lawyer's reputation, especially if it's a sensitive case like a criminal offence.
2 - A client's actions, offences, and reasons could be rooted in childhood experiences.
Many scenes in the show depict how broken some characters are that they decide to kill other people to save themselves. In real life, the same is true as to why we have criminal cases and criminal lawyers to handle those cases. A study shows that one of the reasons people end up doing heinous actions is rooted in their unresolved childhood traumas and experiences.
As a lawyer or law student, you know people's intentions when sharing their stories. And if the case starts to get too overwhelming, or you can't seem to get solid support or evidence from your client, understanding their childhood can be helpful.
3 - Concealing someone's lie will only put you in a difficult situation.
There are many cases in 'How To Get Away With Murder' where Annalise Keating and her students end up in challenging situations because of concealing someone's lie to protect them. But in the end, it always puts them in a more difficult position and ruining other people's lives.
It is one of the most challenging parts you'll deal with as a lawyer. Whether you like it or not, there comes a point where you have to conceal a client's lie, regardless of its gravity, to successfully fulfil your duty to them. But as I said in my first point, every action and decision you make as a lawyer has consequences, regardless of the intention. And whether the lie is for the best, it can put you in a difficult situation.
4 - Never let the other party get into your head.
My fourth tip applies more to the clients you represent. Since they're fighting the real battle with the other party, anything they say and do can trigger and affect a client. There are cases when this applies to lawyers if their rival lawyer represents the other party's case.
When the testimonies in the court seem false and mean to tear your client down, the other party can get into your head unconsciously. You start becoming irrational when you let the other party's words and claims get to you. As a lawyer, this should be your ultimate advice to your clients to help them keep their composure and rational thoughts despite the heat in the court.
5 - Plaintiffs will file anything to put the defendant in jail.
There are many cases when people automatically assume that the plaintiff is the victim and the defendant is always at fault. But the thing is, that is only sometimes true. Some people file lawsuits against someone to put the blame on someone else and protect another person. Others are, unfortunately, just bad.
As a lawyer, you know that other lawyers will file anything to help their clients. This strategy is helpful to the real victims that are suing their offenders. But for innocent ones with unfair lawsuit charges, this is something their lawyers should expect. Remember that plaintiffs, real victims or not, will file anything to put their defendants in jail.
6 - Lies can become a snowball that can be your downfall.
I mentioned in my third point that Annalise and the Keating Five always tell lies to defend others and themselves. Aside from concealing lies, one lie could lead to another and another until it piles up until you can no longer keep track of what's real and what's not.
If your client keeps telling lie after lie, and you can tell that their statements no longer match their initial claims, it's time to inform them that the snowball could be their downfall. In most cases, winning a case based on lies is impossible unless there's corruption and bribery involved. If you have a client like this and feel it's impossible to get the truth out of them, re-assess the case and know when to walk away.
7 - Politics cannot save an innocent defendant.
There are many scenes in HTGAWM where the DA office and other government offices are involved in a case ruling. Even though the show is fictional, it shows that even the government cannot save an innocent defendant from an unjustified case.
Regardless of what business type or office, politics can happen. And if the other party has tight relations with an office, injustices are possible.
And many more.
Aside from these seven points, more lessons await you to learn from the series. Even though these seven points lean towards realisations about life and the heartbreaking happenings from the show, these will help you win a case once you understand them. As a lawyer, these lessons will help you make better, rational, and accurate decisions for your client-and avoid hurting innocent people.
Written by Bianca Banda