Not all TV shows are just for entertainment. Some have become a source of education and inspiration for people. The courtroom is a stage for drama filled with high stakes, fights for justice, challenges, and clashing personalities. Legal drama is not just for legal professionals and law students, but for everyone who wants to know and explore more about the complex world of law. Whether you are looking to relax after a long day or just want to dive into the world of law drama, this can be a good start. Dust off your judge’s robe and let’s dive into our list of the Top 15 Best Legal Drama TV Series and Shows of All Time!
Best Legal Tv Series that You Must Watch
We have curated the list of some of the best law drama tv shows that you should watch.
Suits
One of the most popular courtroom drama TV series that captured the audience’s attention. Suit is a legal drama featuring Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle, and Gabriel Macht, is a law drama that follows a brilliant college dropout, Mike Ross who gets a job at a prestigious law firm in New York City despite not having a law degree. In the series he worked in a firm alongside the firm’s brilliant and ruthless attorney, Harvey Specter. The show looks more at the inner workings of the law firm. The show got appreciated for stellar performance, sharp writing, and character development.
The Practice
The Practice is David E. Kelley’s best courtroom drama tv show. This legal drama portrays a small Boston law firm handling high-profile criminal cases. The Practice is much more realistic, and it actually offers something more than just a courtroom drama to its viewers. When it comes to the show, it explores a deep theme of legal proceedings and includes personal morality. It tackles the complex moral and ethical dilemmas while delving into the personal lives of the attorneys.
The Good Wife
Another popular lawyer TV series is The Good Wife. It shows the ground reality of almost every other lawyer. This show is about the wife of a state attorney who goes back into law when her husband is caught in the middle of a scandal. This show is massively influenced by real-life events. The show has an exceptional cast led by Julianna Margulies; the series explores the life of Alicia Florrick. This show delves into the murky ethics of law and politics.
The show has sharp writing, stellar ensemble cast, and the ability to tackle topical issues without sacrificing character depth render.
How to Get Away with Murder
How to get away with murder is another legal drama tv show that is on our list for its theme and story writing. The show spins a web of murder and mystery around Annalise Keating, a formidable defense attorney and law professor portrayed by Viola Davis. The show is set against the backdrop of a prestigious Philadelphia university. An ensemble cast that includes Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King, and Alfred Enoch supported Davis’s powerhouse performance, among others, who bring depth and intrigue to their roles.
The Good Fight
The Good fight is the sequel of The Good Wife, featuring Christine Baranski who reprises her role as Diane Lockhart. The Good fight is a show that expanded the universe of The Good wife and it featured more new characters, including Delroy Lindo’s Adrian Boseman and Rose Leslie’s Maia Rindell. Show was very successful in engaging the audience with its rich tapestry of legal battles and personal dramas. What makes this show stand out from other legal dramas is its boldness in tackling real-world issues with a blend of drama and satirical wit.
Goliath
If we are talking about the best law tv series, how can we miss Goliath, a show starring Billy Bob Thornton as a lawyer? Billy Bob seeks redemption by taking on powerful corporations and corrupt officials in the legal system. The series explores corruption, power dynamics, and the pursuit of justice. This added gripping to the legal drama. Goliath received critical acclaim for its engaging storylines, and strong performances of the characters in the series.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order is the most popular and groundbreaking legal drama. It is a long-running show that centers around the harrowing and complex cases of the New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Unit. The show stars Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, her critical acclaim in the show devoted fans over the show. Her leadership and compassion in the show have driven the series through gripping narratives that tackle issues of the legal world.
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is a series that stands out because of social commentary, unorthodox legal scenarios, and eccentric characters. The show was created by David E. Kelley and stars James Spader, it is a spinoff of The Practice. James acted as the unorthodox and ethically flexible attorney Alan Shore, with William Shatner as his flamboyant mentor, Denny Crane. The main reason why this show is on the list is because it deals with civil rights to political corruption, all while maintaining a sharp wit and a light-hearted touch.
The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the hottest Netflix legal drama tv series. The show is based on the novels by Michael Connelly, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo stars as Mickey Haller. He was a defense lawyer who used to run his law firm in Lincoln Towncar. This series got fast popularity. It is no wonder fans are already eagerly awaiting The Lincoln Lawyer season 3.
Perry Mason
In the iconic legal drama series Perry Mason, Raymond Burr portrays a fictional criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles who has a remarkable talent for establishing his clients’ innocence. This show got a lot of attention from the viewers. Despite being older, the series is an invaluable resource for learning cross-examination strategies, courtroom drama, and the trade of persuasive argumentation.
Better Call Saul
It barely comes as any surprise that Better Call Saul is among the best lawyer shows of them all. Being a descendant of Breaking Bad and taking place before the events of that show, Better Call Saul expands on the criminal underbelly of Albuquerque in ways that weren’t even imaginable. The series showcased how Gustavo Fring built his meth empire. But where this show was better than others is its elements of the courtroom drama.
The show explores the courtroom battle between Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Chuck (Michael McKean), the legal drama aspect of the show is why it was so great.
Damages
Damages is a short legal drama in comparison to others mentioned in the list. But it is one of the most engaging lawyers dramas on this list. Glenn Close is featured in the show as Patty Hewes, each case spans a whole season. This gives views more time to understand and explore the depth of the legal cases. It breaks down the legal proceedings of the courtroom. Another intense thing about the show is that Patty will do anything to win a case, no matter how unethical it is.
Your Honor
Your Honor is a series featuring Bryan Cranston. After becoming a movie star, he came back to television as a judge whose son kills a teenager in a hit-and-run in Your Honor. It is one of those shows that serialized legal dramas. Unlike others, they tend to be procedural weekly case-type shows. Initially, it was created as a miniseries, Your Honor was then back with another season and was highly praised.
Eli Stone
Eli Stone is one of the best courtroom drama TV shows that injects a sense of humor into a complex legal drama. It is a comedy-drama based on the legal world. It follows a San Francisco-based detective as he goes about working on cases that are morally rewarding but have no financial gain. The show is borderline surreal, Stone regularly hallucinates and makes some extraordinarily accurate predictions.
American Crime Story
At last, on our list is the American Crime Story of television titan Ryan Murphy’s. The show looks at real high-profile trials and criminal cases that gripped the public. The series takes a dig at murder and political scandals. The cast includes Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown, and John Travolta. The American Crime Story show displays the most outrageous aspects of the trial, but it is all grounded at the same time.
This list is just a starting point. There are various other lawyer shows on TV. If you are looking to indulge in some legal shows or courtroom dramas, we have listed the best legal drama TV shows above in the blog. So grab popcorn this weekend and start your journey of legal drama.