Reel Justice Film Series: Just Mercy

The Reel Justice Film Series is a monthly screening and discussion of a film focused on social justice issues. Through engaging with these films and a guided discussion following the screening, students will gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing our society and the role they can play in positive change.

A powerful and thought-provoking true-story, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan might have had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley. One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds-and the system-stacked against them.