Who’s your favorite judge from the big or small screen? We found some jurists willing to divulge.

In the movies and on television, judges have played key roles in dramas, comedies and legal thrillers. Everyone seems to have a favorite—from the eccentric Judge Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson) in TV’s Night Court to the serious and strict Judge John Taylor (Paul Fix) presiding over the trial in To Kill A Mockingbird. And just as lawyers are sometimes portrayed with dramatic license, cliché and exaggeration, so too are judges. Yet at the same time, we’ve seen judges who reflect the realities of what it’s like to wear the robe and weight important decisions every day. So we thought: who better to tell us about their favorite television and movie judges than real jurists?

We asked a group of judges along with a law professor to nominate their favorites and then write essays telling us why. We got stories of judges who inspired, demonstrated important values, and showed humanity and humility.