The law is fascinating.
At least, that’s what Devin James Stone, better known as the YouTuber LegalEagle, wants people to think.
In 2008, Stone graduated from UCLA School of Law, and he has more than a decade working in the courtroom. In 2017, Devin began his YouTube channel, the videos of which focus primarily on all things law. Originally, Stone was simply uploading advice for those in or considering law school. But soon, he switched to a wider plethora of videos surrounding legal topics.
Some of LegalEagle’s more popular content involves Stone analyzing legal cases within entertainment to explain how realistic (or utterly unrealistic) they are, using films such as My Cousin Vinny, The Social Network and even The Bee Movie. In addition, the channel provides legal insight into popular real-life cases or legal issues, such as those involving Kyle Rittenhouse, Alec Baldwin and Michael Avenatti.
LegalEagle provides a concise review of many court cases and legal issues, both real and fantastical. The content is educational, explaining legal terms, concepts and processes in order to provide the best overview of each law or case LegalEagle covers. When a court case needs more context, the channel spends a few minutes providing the history of legal decision which led up to the case, and LegalEagle’s graphics help in summarizing important terms. While viewers won’t leave feeling like they’ve just gotten a degree in law, they will have learned a lot more about how the judicial system works.
Of course, even a cursory glance at legal issues will reveal cases centering around unsavory topics. For instance, LegalEagle has covered court cases dealing with abortion, and Stone has reviewed cases surrounding school shootings. In one video, a brief headline regarding a case refers to a man whose candles smell like female genitalia, and another video focuses on controversy behind Cardi B’s explicit song “WAP” as well as allegations of STDs, prostitution and drugs.
Additionally, Stone will often interject his videos with brief clips from television shows such as South Park or The Simpsons. Though he isn’t afraid to give a fair account for legal issues on both sides of the political spectrum, he has occasionally posted videos expressing his personal views and disdain for certain topics that might not be shared by the viewer.
Because LegalEagle reviews cases from television shows and movies, there will often be swear words that pop up, though LegalEagle will typically censor them. However, other words will still be heard, such as “ho,” “h—” and “p-sses.” Additionally, Stone uses Jesus’ name inappropriately in a video, and other instances of this in cases he reviews are also not censored.
Legal Eagle provides viewers with an educational way to begin learning about court cases and concepts, both real and fake. Each video helps its audience leave feeling like they know just a little bit more about how the judicial process works. However, due to the inherently political and at times unsavory nature of many cases, parents will want to be aware that some covered topics may not be appropriate for their children.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
