The People's Court, Judge Judy, Judge Mills Lane, Power of Attorney. The television courtroom shows are proliferating unbelievably. Even though they are staged events, they are based on reality: a genuine dispute is resolved in a courtroom before a judge, and sometimes with lawyers, all in 30 minutes. And then there's Court TV, which shows a variety of real criminal and civil trials. And then of course there are the lawyer shows that have been around: Law and Order, LA Law and, for some of us, Perry Mason.