At around the one hour mark, Biegler (James Stewart) lights a darn cigarette inside the courtroom!!! I mean, goodness sake, smoking inside a courtroom???
And lawyers aren’t able to approach witnesses so freely
In the late 1950s smoking was not prohibited in some courtrooms. Up until at least the late 1970s, smoking was allowed in grocery stores, restaurants, libraries, doctors' offices, hospitals, and most workplaces.
shareIn 1992, I smoked in the hallway outside of my classrooms in law school.
As for apparently relaxed standards for approaching the witness, it's artistic license.