Shadowing Practice: And Justice For All - Opening statements scene - FULL SPEECH - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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So it's really very simple.
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Thank you.
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We have a judge, the symbol of justice here.
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Thank you.
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who was accused of raping and brutally beating this young girl right here.
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Now, we can do something about it.
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We can do it today.
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Thank you.
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and we can do it together.
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Now let's make this our goal line stand.
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has given me a verdict of gilding.
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I need your help.
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Thank you.
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Ross Cunha has completed his opening statement.
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Thanks, counsel.
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Ready?
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Yes, Your Honor.
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Thank you.
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Your Honor, Mr. Foreman.
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Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my name is Arthur Kirkland.
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and I am the defense counsel.
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for the defendant.
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Judge Henry T.
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Fleming.
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Thank you.
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Now that man over there, he's the prosecuting attorney.
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And he couldn't be happier today.
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Yes.
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He is a happy man today because today he's going after a judge.
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And if he gets him, If he gets him, he's gonna be a star.
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He's gonna have his name in this month's law review.
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Centifold.
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Lawyer of the month.
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Now, in order to win this case, He needs...
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You.
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Naturally.
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You're all he's got, believe me.
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So he's counting on tapping that emotion in you which says, Let's get somebody in power.
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Let's get a judge.
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However, these proceedings are not about that.
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These proceedings are here to see that justice is done.
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And justice is, as any reasonable person would tell you, the finding of the truth.
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And what is the truth today?
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Thank you.
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One truth, a tragic one, is that that girl has been beaten and raped.
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Another truth is that the prosecution doesn't have a witness.
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does not have one piece of substantiating evidence other than the testimony of the victim herself.
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Another truth is that my client Voluntarily, and the prosecution is well aware of this fact, voluntarily took a lie detector test...
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Jackson, Your Honor, that's inadmissible evidence!
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- What?
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- Come on, Arthur!
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- Tell the truth!
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The jury will disregard that remark.
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Polygraph tests have not been proven 100 % reliable, therefore inadmissible in a court of law.
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Sorry, Your Honor.
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Let's get back to justice.
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What is justice?
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What is the intention of justice?
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The intention of justice is to see that the guilty people are proven guilty and that the innocent are freed.
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Simple, isn't it?
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Only it's not that simple.
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However, It is the defense counselor's duty to protect the rights of the individual,
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as it is the prosecution's duty to uphold and defend the laws of the state.
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Justice for all.
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Only we have a problem here.
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Thank you.
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You know what it is?
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Both sides.
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Wanna win?
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Thank you.
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We want to win.
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We want to win regardless of the truth.
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And we want to win regardless of justice, regardless of who's guilty or innocent.
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willing Thank you. is everything.
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Thank you.
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That man there wants a win so badly today, it means so much to him.
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He is so carried away with the prospect of winning, the idea... that he forgot something.
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That's absolutely essential to today's proceedings.
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He forgot his case.
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He forgot to bring it.
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I don't know.
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I don't see it. Do you?
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The prosecution's case.
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He's got to have one.
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Not a witness!
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Not one piece of substantiating evidence other than the testimony of the victim herself.
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Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a case...
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The end of our case is...
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I have witnesses for my client.
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I have character references, testimonials that are...
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backed up from here to Washington, D .C.
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I got lie detector tested.
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Objection!
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Objection!
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Objection!
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Sit down, Frank.
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Mr. Kirkland, you are out of order!
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One thing.
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Thank you.
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that bothered me.
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The one thing that stayed in my mind and I couldn't get rid of it, that haunted me, was why.
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Why would she lie?
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What was the motive for lying?
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If my client...
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is innocent, she's lying.
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Why?
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Thank you.
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Was it blackmail?
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No. Was it jealousy?
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No. Yesterday.
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I found out why.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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She...
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Doesn't have a motive.
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You know why? Because...
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She's not lying.
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And ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Thank you.
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Thank you.
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The prosecution is not gonna get that man today.
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No. Because I'm gonna get him!
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My client!
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The Honorable Henry T.
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Fleming should go right to fucking jail!
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The son of a bitch is guilty!
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That man is guilty!
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That man is a slime!
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He is a slime!
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If he's allowed to go free, then something really wrong is going on.
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Mr. Franklin, you are out of order.
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You're out of order.
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You're out of order.
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The whole trial is out of order.
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They're out of order.
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That man, that sick, crazy, defrayed man, raped and raped that woman there.
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And he'd like to do it again.
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He told me so.
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It's just a shot.
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It's a shot.
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It's a shot.
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Let's make a deal!
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Let's make a deal!
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Hey, Frank!
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You wanna make a deal?
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I got an insane judge who likes to beat the shit out of women.
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What do you wanna give me, Frank?
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Three weeks probation?
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Damn it!
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You...
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You're sick!
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Son of a bitch, you!
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You're supposed to stand for something!
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You're supposed to protect people, but instead you'll fucking murder them.
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Shut him up!
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You killed McCullough.
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You killed him.
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Hold it.
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Hold it.
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I just completed my opening statement.
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Oh, shit.
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Understanding the Scene: A Legal Drama for Real-Life English
The video captures a gripping opening statement from a legal drama, where a defense attorney challenges a prosecution’s case against a judge. This high-stakes dialogue is packed with persuasive language, emotional appeals, and formal courtroom terms—making it a goldmine for learners who want to learn English with YouTube while exploring real-world communication styles.
5 Must-Know Phrases for Daily & Formal Talk
- "We can do it together": A versatile phrase for motivating teams or friends—perfect for work or personal chats.
- "counting on tapping that emotion": Learn to express reliance on others’ feelings (e.g., "I’m counting on tapping your creativity for the project").
- "substantiating evidence": A formal term for "proof"—great for debates or explaining ideas clearly.
- "voluntarily took a lie detector test": Practice past tense and adverbs with this real-life example.
- "Let's make this our goal line stand": A sports metaphor for "standing firm"—adds flair to casual conversations.
Master the Dialogue with a Shadowing Guide
Want to nail the rhythm and tone? Try shadowspeak—a technique where you mimic the speaker’s pace, intonation, and stress. Here’s how:
- Watch once for context: Focus on the story first—don’t stress about words.
- Break it into 5-second clips: Use a shadowing app to loop short sections. Pause, then repeat aloud (this is shadow speech!).
- Match the energy: The attorney uses pauses and emphasis ("Thank you") to connect—copy that to sound natural.
- Record yourself: Compare to the video. Notice gaps? That’s progress!
- Practice daily: Even 5 minutes with shadow speak builds confidence fast.
With tools like a shadowing app and this video, you’ll turn legal drama into real English skills—no classroom needed. Ready to start? Hit play and let’s shadowspeak your way to fluency!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was accused · is done · has been beaten |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has given · has completed · has been beaten |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.