2013 was the year that made the legal, judicial and political scenarios in “The Good Wife,” “Homeland” or “House of Cards” look, well, plausible.

Government shutdowns and congressional showdowns further drove down the country’s estimation of its elected officials. We saw record highs — a $13 billion Department of Justice settlement with JPMorgan Chase & Co. and, unrelated, the merging of 83 law firms. And we saw record lows — the smallest incoming law school class since 1975.