Boston Legal是我特别喜欢的一部律政剧。故事发生在我最爱的城市Boston。讲述了这家最顶级的事务所里的各种离奇古怪的案件。喜剧向，白左倾，估计是民主党funded的电视剧。律师是美国收入Top 2的职业，本剧展示了中产阶级的语言表达和思想。每一集里的closing argument都特别出彩，也是编剧们最用心的部分。不仅语言严谨、逻辑清晰，更重要的是，作为说服陪审团或法官的演讲，这其中包含了很多煽动人心的演讲和心理学技巧。通过学习并朗读这些语段，有助于口语的练习，同时可以加强对美国文化的理解。
E01 Head Cases
有意思的是，第一季第一集里，虽然总共讲述了两个case，但没有一个进行到closing arguments这一环节，但好句好段还是有的。以下内容出自于Alan Shore 的case，一个黑人小女儿因为种族原因没有被音乐剧《Annie》选用。精彩的演讲源自于一位黑人Reverend Al Sharpton:
I heard about this matter. I would like to address this court on what I consider. I have standing as American citizen speaking up on a civil rights violation. I have standing as Bobby Kennedy had standing on the steps of the courthouse in Alabama. You may think this is a small matter. But this is no small matter. This child is being denied the right to play an American icon because she doesn’t match the description. Those descriptions were crafted 50 years age! We’re supposed to be in a different day! You talk about racial equality, how we’re making progress. The problem with that progress is it’s always a day away. Tomorrow, tomorrow—you love that!—because it’s always a day away. I’m here to stick out my chin today! Today! Give us an African-American Spider Man! Give us a black that can run faster than a speeding bullet and leap over tall buildings in a single bound! Not tomorrow—today! Today! The sun needs to come out today! Not tomorrow, you Honor! God Almighty! Give the American people a black Orphan Annie. It’s just not good enough to say she doesn’t look the part.
E02 Still Crazy After All These Years
本集主要的两个case都很弱，主要体现了Title中的“Crazy”的戏剧部分，以及Danny Crane的中年危机。作为战无不胜的王者，Danny Crane用他的诡辩赢得了motion，而这诡辩里是强大的心理学分析和具有感染力的演讲功力。以下是他如果说服得法官：
This is pretty powerful stuff. I can see Mr. Ripley’s a very powerful man. And that’s a big thing with lawyers, isn’t it? Power. Fear of feeling weak. I’ve seen it before. Attorneys coming up against Denny Crane. They jump and stomp and shake their fists and bellow with impassioned rage. It makes quite a demonstration, doesn’t it? When you cut through the merits, this lady has alleged in her complaint loss of consortium. Legal terms meaning sex and affection. And if she’s enjoying sex and affection, it’s relevant. It’s a mitigating factor. I’m entitled to explore it. Mr. Ripley may not like it, but it’s legitimate. And I may add, that I conducted my probe in the relative privacy of a closed conference room. Mr. Powerful Man made it much more public with his impassioned chest-thumping in a courtroom. Go ahead and pound the table. I’ll tell you what I object to. We have an offer on the table you so love to pound. An offer I can’t discuss because the settlement talks have been sealed. Suffice it to say it’s on the high side, the extreme high side, considering the fact that liability is not certain. Mr. Lansing had a preexisting heart condition. But instead of taking the offer, powerful guys like Mr. Ripley want to go to trial. Why? Because I’m the opponent. It’s a coup to beat the big guy. Well, what if you don't? You demean the profession, Mr. Powerful Guy. You’re using your client to get a notch. You’re making Carrie Lansing go through the ordeal of a trial for your own ego. Atrial you may lose, in which case she gets nothing. But if you're loud enough, forceful enough and strong enough, she me never realize that you blew it.
