After some smaller roles in Angels in the Outfield, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Boys on the Side, and the television series Unsolved Mysteries, McConaughey's big break came as the lawyer Jake Brigance in the film A Time to Kill (1996), based on the John Grisham novel of the same name.
Setelah beberapa peran kecil di film Angels in the Outfield, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Boys on the Side, dan dalam serial televisi Unsolved Mysteries, McConaughey mendapatkan peran utama sebagai pengacara bernama Jake Brigance dalam film tahun 1996 A Time to Kill, yang diangkat berdasarkan novel karya John Grisham dengan nama yang sama.