On the twenty- sixth episode of ATFT, my good friend, law student Katherine Jakeway, joins me in comparing and contrasting the 2001 film Legally Blonde with the reality of being a law student!
Legally Blonde, directed by Robert Luketic, follows Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) as she is first getting ready to go on a big date with her boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis), convinced he will propose to her but, the date takes a surprising turn when he tells her he wants to break up in anticipation of him going to Harvard Law. A devastated Elle soon has an epiphany: she will follow him to law school and get him back. Elle too gets accepted into Harvard Law, much to the surprise of her fellow law students and professors. She is belittled and underestimated by most at Harvard Law but slowly but surely earns their respect. What started as a plan to get her boyfriend back, turns into a self- journey of realization as she sees that she has more to offer the world than just her looks. The film also stars Selma Blair, Luke Wilson, and Jennifer Coolidge. Since the film’s release over twenty years ago, Legally Blonde has been inspiration to many, specifically women and, even more specifically, law students. Reese Witherspoon has said many people have told her that Elle was their inspiration to attend law school. Katherine watched Legally Blonde at a young age and while she wouldn’t say this film is the specific reason behind her venture into law school, it was certainly a formative film in her life.
This is Katherine’s second appearance on ATFT but her first appearance on the wide release of this show! She previously joined me for an episode on Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar last year! Katherine and I have been friends for approaching eight years now! We met in our TV production class in our junior year of high school and have remained friends ever since! I am truly grateful that I can consider her one of my closest friends. She has always challenged me to think outside the box and continues to inspire me through her hard work and strength. Katherine came up with this topic idea maybe about two years ago now and, for a while, I couldn’t figure out how to go about it. I had kept the topic in mind and eventually came up with the structure and what kinds of questions I could ask her. It’s a little strange to interview a friend of eight years so between that and me being in unfamiliar waters with the legal jargon, I was quieter than usual. Although I do cringe at my poor banter in this episode, I am thrilled with the results and I think you all will be too. Katherine has been an inspiration to me and all those who know her… it is nice to know that a wider audience will likely become inspired by her as well. This episode was recorded on July 27, 2024.
This month marks the beginning of Katherine’s third year at SMU Law in Dallas. She is currently on the Executive Board for the International Law Review Association. This past summer, she had an internship with Zelle, LLP. As an undergraduate at SMU, Katherine was apart of the tennis team. All of this is just some of her accomplishments and it is guaranteed there will be more to come for Katherine in the future.
In this episode, Katherine debunks law school stereotypes portrayed in Legally Blonde while also discussing points in the film. Katherine and I also talk about having interest in pursuing a career in law at an early age, the nature of cold- calling in class, and the importance in believing in yourself while Katherine shares her advice for those contemplating attending law school. All this and more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!
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