The Internet naturally devolves to Hitler references. Call it Godwin’s Law. Call it reductio ad hitlerum if you’re into the whole unnecessary use of Latin thing (and you’re lawyers, so you totally are). But with the advent of the Internet, Downfall video became inevitable.
And with bored lawyers seeking Internet-based distractions at their desks (or law library carrels), the legal Downfall video was even more inevitable.
Above the Law has linked to some of these before (for example here and here), but I figured I’d treat the readers to a collection of some of the finer videos here as part of my role as the editor covering the tech beat.
If you have others, link them in the comments. I’m sure someone out there in the middle of a two-week document review somewhere will appreciate it….
If you’re still in law school — and I know some of you are — watch Hitler’s reaction when he finds out that he hasn’t really taken over Poland. Adverse possession is a bitch.
Here Hitler runs us through the vagaries of contract law. You can use this to outline the course. Or not, since it seems to be focused on the modern English legal system. Still funny though.
Some of you may remember that the producers of the original Austrian film Der Untergang tried to put the kibosh on the Downfall video meme by making a mass of DMCA claims. Because the Internet is awesome, here’s its response:
The Stallman reference was glorious.
This meme has even made it into a law firm’s advertising, specifically Seattle-based DUI defense firm Cowan Kirk Gaston.
Breathalyzer tests weren’t admitted into evidence for four years? Just because a lab had issues in 2008? That seems entirely dangerous. Just another reason to hate Washington. Go Ducks.
Finally, this video came to me from a senior lawyer with a document review management company who described it as a dead-on depiction of the business and its sometimes cynical treatment of temp attorneys.
By the way, if you’ve ever watched a Downfall video and wondered what the characters are really saying, this version comes equipped with English language captions you can toggle.
Earlier: Hope For Second Year Law School Students and If Hitler Were a Berkeley 2L
