Well, at least it was a lot better than "Boys Beware", which isn't saying much about those little educational projects of the 1950's-1960's. I can't and won't discredit the makers of "Why We Respect the Law" for their initial concept of showing law and ethics to the youth of that era because it's all valid. What causes conflict today is the format, the conduction and the quality of the material presented. It just doesn't work. Forced acting, a reduced notion of why is important to follow rules in order to avoid complications with the law, or a brief notion lacking in greater context about the difference between right and wrong.
Might have worked in the 1950's but today, it's a lot more complicated than what's presented. In fact, to show this short film to a class of teens would get only laughs and scorn right at the first scene, which revolves around this lawyer hearing a boy confessing a "minor" theft to help his mate with a game and then comes the lecture....those long boring lecture with some exaggerated examples (the small crime that becomes an addiction to more dangerous crimes). I know it happens but really...from stealing pennies to rob a bank? It's pointless to discuss what more goes on with this "film".
Interesting faces from the cast (acting wasn't their best ability) but it's not the kind of project an actor would put as part of his resume to get more acting jobs, so they vanished from the screen or probably ended up doing more stuff like this. Obvious reasons all the way. It's corny, cheap and with some twisted values - not necessarily this particular film, but some from the series are truly hurtful and lame specially today, since the majority of those flicks consists of prejudicial, racist, homophobic, xenophobe and contrarian politics remarks. All wrapped in a delicate and lovely facade that didn't seem to improve all that much the American Way of Life. 3/10