Legally Blonde at 25: film inspired generation of lawyers

Summarised from BBC Manchester's report · Updated 26 Oct, 08:31 · Archive

Twenty-five years after Legally Blonde's UK release, lawyers say the film inspired their careers.

Twenty-five years ago today, Legally Blonde was released in the UK, showing Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon, enrolling in Harvard Law School after her boyfriend dumps her. The film has since inspired generations of would-be lawyers and solicitors.

Trainee solicitor Olivia Holder, who works for Manchester-based Express Solicitors, said the film definitely inspired the kind of lawyer she wanted to be. The 24-year-old from Macclesfield said she did not have to give up her interests, including wearing pink and driving a pink sparkly car, to be taken seriously in the legal profession.

Holder believes her interests help her advocate for her clients. She said that when clients express concerns about their appearance following scarring, she can empathise with them in a way that helps. Women now outnumber men in the legal industry, and while the 'Legally Blonde effect' may not be the sole reason, lawyers say it has not hurt the cause.

Read the report

• Legally Blonde turns 25: Meet the lawyers inspired by Reese Witherspoon's Elle WoodsTwenty five years after the release of Legally Blonde in the UK, lawyers discuss how the film inspired themBBC Manchester · 26 Oct, 06:25

In this story: Reese Witherspoon · Olivia Holder · Express Solicitors · Manchester · Macclesfield · Harvard Law School

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