The 20 Best Legal TV Dramas of All Time

There is something about the dramatic confessions on the stand or exciting settlement deals that really excites many TV viewers. We often turn to TV to give us the outcomes we aren’t afforded in reality, especially on those “ripped from the headlines” cases.

There is something to be said about legal justice being served in breathtaking, nail-biting ways. Over the years, we have witnessed many great dramas centered on the courtroom.

It is hard to narrow down our top favorites, but we’ve tried. In no particular order here are The 20 Best Legal TV Dramas of All Time:

1. The Practice

In the late 90s, the TV landscape was rife with legal dramas, but one stands out for the sheer talent it boasts. The Practice originally aired on ABC and had acting greats Dylan McDermott, Kelli Williams, Camryn Manheim, and James Spader.

The show centers on a scrappy law firm in Boston with the fascinating cases that the lawyers try each week. This show was an early standout of procedural legal dramas because it had a perfect mix of professional and personal stories to keep audiences engaged with the characters before them.

For 8 Seasons, these characters captivated us and made us believe in the American legal system. After all, there will never again be a dynamic quite like that of Bobby and Lindsay.

2. Suits

Suits focuses on the elite law firm of Pearson Hardman, later to be called a multitude of other names, which only hires associates from Harvard. Mike Ross is a highly intelligent slacker who happens to be in the wrong place at the right time and stumbles into an interview session with the firm’s youngest senior partner, Harvey Spector.

Mike manages to dazzle Harvey with his knowledge of the law and unconventional methods, and Harvey hires him and agrees to cover up the fact that Mike never graduated from law school.

The will they won’t they of Mike’s secret keeps audiences captivated from season to season as more and more people are made known that Mike is a fraud and become convinced to keep his secret. Fans fell for the dramatics of Mike’s trajectory into a legitimate career as a lawyer as well as the fun bromance between him and Harvey.

3. Law & Order/Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Since 1990 Dick Wolf’s creation known as Law & Order has taken audiences by storm. This is why, to this day over 3 decades later, the multiple series franchise is still going strong on NBC. 

First, there is the mothership Law & Order, which has seen many cast members come and go during its current 22-season run, but Sam Waterston’s Jack McCoy still remains strong all these years later. Even with a decade-long hiatus between Season 20 and Season 21, the show captures hearts again and again.

And then the spin-off, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, centers on those who are victims of sexual assault or other sex-related crimes, which has seen Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson kick butt for almost a quarter of a century now.

4. Boston Legal

Years after The Practice started making waves, David E. Kelley creates a spin-off series with James Spader’s Alan Shore at the helm. The new series, which premiered in Fall 2004 on ABC, follows Shore as he continues practicing law. 

Boston Legal has William Shatner and Candice Bergen in the cast, making for a well-rounded leading trio. Their sometimes cantankerous dynamic makes this trio worth watching again and again. After all, Shatner and Bergen are always a masterclass in action. 

The show relies on quick wit and dry humor to engage the audiences in subject matter that can sometimes be hard to muddle through, causing fans of Kelley’s masterpieces to love this show as equally as his other creations.

5. The Good Wife

If you want drama, well then CBS’s The Good Wife will give you that and then some. Julianna Margulies plays Alicia Florrick, the wife of a state attorney who goes back to her career as a lawyer when her husband gets embroiled in a sex scandal.

Based loosely on big news scandals such as that of President Clinton, this series dives into showing women as strong, independent professionals even in the face of terrible personal situations. Alicia never loses her cool in the face of what could be an extremely embarrassing situation for her, making her the lawyer everyone deserves on their side.

Much like other legal dramas that center on fierce female leads, Alicia is out to prove that women can run a man’s world if we’d just let them.

6. Perry Mason

Back in 1957 when Perry Mason first premiered on CBS, there weren’t many TV dramas to speak of. In fact, this series is the legal series that started it all. 

It is the first procedural of its kind that saw the indelible defense attorney trying new cases in each episode and concluding them by the end of the episode. The series set the tone for all the other legal dramas on this list, making it a must-watch for any legal drama fan.

Because of the intense fashion of the titular character’s courtroom reputation, TV viewers start to demand more shows just like it. For the past few decades, this show continues to move and ensnare audiences with its top-quality and stellar performances.

There is no other show quite like it.

7. Judging Amy

Corporate lawyer turned family court judge Amy Gray finds herself juggling the demands of her job and personal life as a newly minted single mom. Judging Amy first premiered on CBS in 1999 with the incomparable Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly at the helm.

The great thing about this show is the main cast of three generations of Gray females, leaving very little space for the male narrative. In the late ’90s, this show was breaking ground on showing a female-centered narrative where the main character got to have a family and a career.

The stories give more focus to cases that tear at our hearts and make us want to hug our families close. The way Amy Gray navigates the legal system on one side while her mom juggles another is what good dramas are made of.

Amy Gray teaches all young women that they can indeed have it all.

8. JAG

If you are a fan of NCIS and shows of that nature, chances are you are aware of the hit 1995 NBC/CBS drama JAG. This legal drama focuses solely on cases involving members of the US Military.

The series follows certain military members trained to be lawyers, known as Judge Advocate Generals, as they try cases in accordance with military operational law. These procedural episodes are often “ripped from the headlines” and over-dramatized real events to make for exciting television.

It gives a whole different perspective to the beloved legal drama genre. There aren’t any other courtroom procedurals that focuses on how military law sometimes conflicts with American law which gives this show its opportunity to stand out.

9. Ally McBeal.

Another David E. Kelley production, Ally McBeal, made waves when it first premiered on FOX back in 1997. In a legal drama pool saturated with male protagonists, Ally set out to show the world that women can be strong, successful lawyers too.

What really sets this series apart from the rest on this list are the fantasy sequences and flashbacks of what Ally is really thinking while surrounded by sexually driven men. She has to navigate her new environment while also contending with her ex-boyfriend and others who feel she doesn’t have what it takes.

Who can forget the infamous dancing baby scene?

To this day, the show stands out as being one-of-a-kind and boasts some of the biggest female names to date: Calista Flockhart, Jane Krakowski, Lisa Nicole Carson, and Courtney Thorne-Smith.

10. Matlock

While Andy Griffith was first made famous by his self-titled show, many fans remember him for his exciting legal drama Matlock. This series ran for nine seasons, first on NBC and then on ABC, only to end up in syndication for decades to come.

This down-home character is both the detective and the lawyer for each of the cases presented, which makes everything that much more exciting to watch. After all, most legal dramas had multiple characters doing the actions that Matlock does all on his own — iconic.

This legal drama has endured the test of time due to the kind yet fair nature of Matlock’s interpretation of the law. Most tv viewers have a soft spot for this show because they either watched it growing up or one of their family members did giving it a nostalgia factor.

11. Silk

In 2011, BBC One aired a new drama called Silk. This series focuses on the lives of barristers on the front lines of British criminal law. 

For three seasons, this series gave audiences an inside scoop into the minds of those tasked with following the law to the letter. Martha Costello finds herself questioning her own faith in the legal system she swore to protect as case after case tests her in new ways.

For American TV viewers, this show gives us an inside look into the courtroom procedures within Great Britain, which are vastly different than our own. Additionally, Costello’s struggle is one that all audiences can relate to — the disillusionment of something you believe in.

12. Accused

The only one of this kind on the list, Accused is a recent FOX drama that is an anthology — each episode is a new story with new characters. In other genres, there is something engaging about the idea of visiting a different world with each episode, and this legal drama shows it’s no different.

The show garnered major popularity amongst viewers because it doesn’t shy away from taking on stories that can be highly controversial and create mixed opinions.

Each episode is like a reset button for the viewers because they get to engage with new characters that they haven’t previously met. Making each case that much more exciting as it unfolds.

13. Your Honor

While most of the legal dramas on this list are considered procedural dramas, Your Honor stands out as being one of the few that are serialized. It is a limited series that stars Brian Cranston as a judge whose son gets in trouble with the law.

The beauty of this show, apart from Cranston’s triumphant return to television, is that it gets to the heart of what makes Judge Michael Desiato tick. He isn’t the most honorable judge, despite what his reputation might have people believe.

While it’s not a legal drama in the same sense as these other “courtroom dramas” are, Showtime’s hit series shows the darker side of the legal system and how corruption can lead to destruction. 

14. For the People

Fans of legal dramas that focus on cases centered on high-profile topics will love ABC’s drama, For The People. This show premiered in 2018 and ran for only 2 seasons, but managed to win hearts just the same.

This series stars talents such as Britt Robertson, Wesam Keesh, Regé-Jean Page, and Jasmin Savoy Brown. Following the hectic professional lives of first-year lawyers as they fight for both the prosecution and the defense, this series tears at our heartstrings week after week.

Some of the cases covered by these somewhat naive but still passionate lawyers are ones that other shows haven’t been able to successfully handle. There is a bit of “fighting for the little man” that comes across in many of this show’s cases, which makes these lawyers stand out even more.

15. All Rise

One of the more recent shows on this list, All Rise premiered back in 2019 on CBS but moved to OWN for Season 3. 

This show has a diverse cast and is considered an ensemble show. It centers on the professional lives of judges, lawyers, clerks, and bailiffs at a Los Angeles County courthouse. 

The show’s attention to all professions within the law gives each episode a more rounded story to tell. Most legal dramas only focus on the lawyers and the judges, but All Rise makes sure that everyone has a voice, which this genre needs a bit more of.

16. Damages

Anyone who was watching TV during the late ’00s remembers the wave that Glenn Close created with her role as Patty Hewes on FX’s Damages. She took viewers by storm with her character’s willingness to stop at nothing to get the outcome she desires, even if it breaks the law she’s supposed to be defending.

Another series that is more serialized than procedural, Hewes’ cases often spanned a whole season versus the usual one to two-episode arc. This makes for more dramatic moments and allows the show to dive into legal procedures more than other shows.

Despite Hewes coming off as a villain, many fans love her because she has the drive to do whatever it takes that audiences can relate or aspire to. She has become one of the most talked about female leads in the legal drama genre.

To this day, Damages remains a highly binge-worthy show despite having fewer than 100 episodes.

17. How to Get Away With Murder

At this point, the name Viola Davis is synonymous with high-stakes drama. How to Get Away With Murder is the ABC legal drama that really made Davis’ Annelise Keating a household name.

This serialized legal drama makes everyone’s favorites list because of the way Keating mentors a group of young, scrappy, dysfunctional law students to become the best lawyers they can be. All while helping them cover up various murders that seem to happen around them.

Sometimes the dramatics of the show goes a bit over the top for the genre as a whole, but that’s what fans love about it. You never know who to trust and which side to believe. 

18. The Guardian

In the 2000s, Simon Baker was everywhere on TV and brought with him a sort of charm that everyone loved. It all starts with CBS’s 2001 drama, The Guardian.

Baker plays a down-on-his-luck lawyer, Nick Fallin, who is forced to take on child advocacy cases as part of his community service.

Meanwhile, he also continues to help his father’s law office make the big bucks in corporate cases. On this journey, he learns that the smaller cases aren’t always such a bad thing, despite not making him the money he thought he always wanted.

Over the course of three seasons, this series broke our hearts time and time again, only to have us fall deeper and deeper for Nick. After all, he is a bad boy made good by the nature of his new clients.

19. This Life

The BBC drama This Life is one of the first major roles for Andrew Lincoln. Back in the mid-90s, he was a no-name actor trying to make his way as an actor on British TV.

The show follows the lives of newly minted solicitors and lawyers as they try to live together and make a name for themselves at one of London’s top law firms. The charm of this show is that it centers both on the law as well as the humans practicing the law — switching back and forth between their shared apartment and the courtroom.

Focusing more on the personal nature of these cases and the stories being told gives viewers an inside look into the stresses of taking on the law as a career. It is memorable for how much it doesn’t actually feel like a legal drama in the traditional sense.

20. Eli Stone

First premiering in 2008 on ABC, Eli Stone is one of the few on this list that deserved more airtime than it actually got. 

The titular character of this show works in San Francisco on cases that are morally necessary but don’t end up with major payouts. Ultimately, what makes Stone so great is he’s in it to do actual good for the people around him.

This show relies on fun elements such as Stone having hallucinations that accurately predict things and a bit of humor to spice up the heartbreak surrounding his cases. These elements plus the talents of Victor Garber, Jonny Lee Miller, and Loretta Devine are a major reason why people still watch the show on streaming to this day.

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These are our picks for the top legal TV dramas, did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

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