ATL March Madness: Television And Chaos

There were some surprising upsets in the first round of these brackets.

Now we turn to our greatest legal television show and greatest legal “media potpourri” brackets. Results remain reasonably predictable, but there were some exciting upsets in the first round in both of these regions.

As a reminder, you can continue to vote for our Movie and Book Region competitors here.

You have until 9 a.m. on Friday, March 23 to vote.

(1) Law & Order vs. (8) Matlock — The Grandpa Simpson set showed up to save Matlock in a dogfight with L.A. Law. Law & Order didn’t need any help destroying its fellow “parent of terrible spinoffs” when it obliterated JAG. Now we’ve got a classic prosecution vs. defense throwdown.

Greater Work Of Legal Fiction

  • (1) Law & Order (76%, 117 Votes)
  • (8) Matlock (24%, 36 Votes)

Total Voters: 153

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(2) Boston Legal vs. (10) The Practice — It’s an all-David E. Kelley showdown after Boston Legal demolished Franklin & Bash and The Practice upset another show Kelley helped create in Goliath.

Greater Work Of Legal Fiction

  • (2) Boston Legal (64%, 85 Votes)
  • (10) The Practice (36%, 47 Votes)

Total Voters: 132

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(14) Perry Mason vs. (6) Damages — If my faith in the Above the Law readership was ever in doubt, it’s been restored. Perry Mason clobbered law school murderfest HTGAWM. Now Mason faces another female-centric legal drama in Damages.

Greater Work Of Legal Fiction

  • (14) Perry Mason (65%, 90 Votes)
  • (6) Damages (35%, 49 Votes)

Total Voters: 139

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(4) Better Call Saul vs. (5) The Good Wife — If we hadn’t just had a contest decided by a single vote, I’d wager this would be the closest matchup of the competition. Two shows that are both immensely popular and wildly different.

Greater Work Of Legal Fiction

  • (5) The Good Wife (50%, 76 Votes)
  • (4) Better Call Saul (50%, 75 Votes)

Total Voters: 151

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(1) To Kill A Mockingbird vs. (9) Folsom Prison Blues — Now this is getting interesting. To Kill A Mockingbird cruised through the first round, but will the Go Set A Watchman effect haunt Atticus Finch going forward? Meanwhile, Johnny Cash has emerged as something of the anti-Finch, with his children underscoring his commitment to racial justice in a strong denouncement of a neo-Nazi seen wearing a Cash shirt. Apparently, they didn’t get the memo that there were fine people on both sides.

Greater Work Of Legal Fiction

  • (1) To Kill A Mockingbird (88%, 126 Votes)
  • (9) Folsom Prison Blues (12%, 17 Votes)

Total Voters: 143

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(2) Suits vs. (7) Law & Order: SVU — Witness for the Prosecution pushed Suits to the limit, but the basic cable all-star managed to get through to face Law & Order: NY Post.

Greater Work Of Legal Fiction

  • (7) Law & Order: SVU (52%, 75 Votes)
  • (2) Suits (48%, 68 Votes)

Total Voters: 143

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(3) My Cousin Vinny vs. (6) Chicago — I was stunned that Chicago slipped by 99 Problems. I really thought Jay-Z’s anthem had a strong shot for an 11 seed. Chicago really only ended up so high because we had to give it some kind of Best Picture cred. Now they run face first into the buzzsaw that is My Cousin Vinny, a film that has to be considered the dark horse favorite to win this whole competition.

Greater Work Of Legal Fiction

  • (3) My Cousin Vinny (87%, 123 Votes)
  • (6) Chicago (13%, 19 Votes)

Total Voters: 142

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(5) Erin Brockovich vs. (13) I Fought the Law — I Fought the Law beat the dickens out of Bleak House to become the second song in the second round. Half of the songs made it through despite all being seeded as underdogs. Now it faces a challenge it hadn’t faced before: someone who fought the law and won.

Greater Work Of Legal Fiction

  • (5) Erin Brockovich (80%, 110 Votes)
  • (13) I Fought The Law (20%, 27 Votes)

Total Voters: 137

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Earlier: ATL March Madness: Second Round Of Greatest Legal Books And Movies


HeadshotJoe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.