30 Best Lawyer Shows & Legal Dramas Of All Time, Ranked

With so many in-depth legal dramas on TV these days, any long-time viewer could end up feeling like a lawyer themselves after binge-watching some of the best lawyer shows. Some legal dramas spend less time than others on the law aspect, whereas others have clearly spent months researching and working with real-life defense attorneys. Many lawyer TV shows feature a different case each week, but the very best legal dramas go further than the procedural nature of the genre and take some major risks.

These shows are also nothing new to television and go back almost to the beinning. In 1957, Perry Mason made his first appearance on television in a role that Raymond Burr stretched out for a decade. Matlock followed in a role that lasted just as long in the 1980s. Soon, things changed to show groups of attorneys in the best lawyer shows that focused on both the police and the attorneys investigating and defending the cases. These days, every network and streaming service has an addition to the genre of lawyer shows, although not all match up to the best.

30 Accused (2023- )

Court Cases From The Accused’s Point Of View

Howard Gordon (Homeland) brought the American version of the British legal drama series Accused to Fox in 2023. The original series aired for two seasons from 2020 to 2012. It follows characters accused of crimes and then tells the story of their crimes (or supposed crimes) and what led them to this point while also showing the different parts of the trial. Much like the British version, the American series brought in some major stars to play the roles in an anthology format.

Featured in the first two seasons were names like Michael Chiklis, Megan Boone, Aaron Ashmore, Rachel Bilson, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Whitney Cummings, Rhea Perlman, Jason Ritter, Abigail Breslin, Meaghan Rath, and Felicity Huffman. What makes this courtroom drama stand out is that it goes into the stories about the accused and shows that not all the people are guilty, and there are often circumstances that cause the crimes to happen that often take the stories in never-before-seen directions.

29 All Rise (2019-2023)

A Courtroom Drama In Los Angeles

All Rise debuted on CBS in 2019 and was a quick critical hit for the network. The series had court cases, but it mostly followed the personal lives of judges, prosecutors, and public defenders in the Los Angeles courthouse. Simone Missick leads the series as Lola Carmichael, a former prosecutor who is a newly appointed judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She then uses her new role to push boundaries and challenge expectations of her role as a judge.

CBS canceled it, but OWN saved it and allowed it to play out for a third and final season

The series lasted for two seasons before CBS canceled it, but OWN saved it and allowed it to play out for a third and final season in 2022 and 2023. While the critical reviews were average at best, it had a huge fanbase, which explains why OWN saved it after the initial cancelation. It won an ASCAP Screen Music Award in 2020 for Joey Newman and was nominated for several awards at the Black Reel Awards and NAACP Awards in 2020 and 2021.

28 Murder One (1995-1997)

A High Profile Defense Attorney In Action

Murder One is a legal drama that was way ahead of its time. While shows now often have overarching cases that can last an entire season of a series, when this show was released on ABC, most legal dramas were cases of the week, with only slight character development. This changed all that by focusing on one case for the entire first season by the main attorney on the series, Theodore Hoffman (Daniel Banzali). There were cases of the week as well, but from the minor supporting cast.

The second season followed the same format, with Anthony LaPagila stepping into the new lead role as his Jimmy Wyler takes over Hoffman’s firm. The Steven Bocho (L.A. Law) produced series lasted for two seasons and 41 episodes and received critical praise from the start. The series was a huge success despite only lasting two seasons. It received two Golden Globe nominations and eight Primetime Emmy nominations, winning three.

27 Silk (2011-2014)

A TV Series In The British Court System

Silk is a legal drama that takes viewers inside the British court system, which proves to be a different experience than all the American dramas on TV. Peter Moffat (Your Honor) created the series, which follows the daily operations of Show Lane Chambers and its criminal law attorneys. The series is based on Moffat’s experience as a lawyer (he was a barrister before he became a playwright). Moffat said he wanted to show all the goings on in that industry in the show (via The Guardian).

“I want to tell it as it really is. The extreme pressure, the hard choices, the ethical dilemmas, the overlap between the personal and the professional, principles fought for and principles sacrificed, the Machiavellian politics, the sex, the drinking, the whole story—life at the bar is the richest possible drama territory.”

The series lasted for three seasons, and as is the case with many similar British dramas, it was only six episodes a season in length. Maxine Peake plays Martha Costello, the main attorney in the series, as she represents several different criminal cases. Silk received mostly positive reviews from critics, praising the performances and the reliance of the story to show the competitive nature of law firms and people battling in the courtrooms.

26 She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022)

A Marvel Superhero Attorney Series

The MCU released a quirky attorney series on Disney+ in 2022 with She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. Created in 1979 by Stan Lee, Jennifer Walters was Bruce Banner’s cousin and gained her powers thanks to a blood transfusion. In the Disney+ series, she is also Bruce’s cousin and gets the blood following an accident. Unlike Bruce, who has mental issues thanks to childhood trauma, Jennifer has no such problems and remains in complete control when she turns into She-Hulk. She is also an attorney.

This series is similar to Deadpool in that She-Hulk breaks the fourth wall and talks to the audience, but this is also because she did it in her comics long before Deadpool was ever created. In the series, she represents superpowered beings but ends up targeted by Abomination, who is starting a cult of sorts. It is also a series that attacks toxic masculinity, especially in the realm of comic fandom, and does it very smartly. While polarizing, it is one of the MCU’s most creative and brilliant streaming releases.

25 The Lincoln Lawyer (2022 – )

The Adaptation of Michael Connelly’s Novels

The Lincoln Lawyer has become one of the hottest shows on Netflix with its fast-paced approach to the legal drama genre. Based on the novels by Michael Connelly, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo stars as Mickey Haller, a smooth defense lawyer who runs his law firm out of his Lincoln Towncar. If the premise sounds familiar it is because Matthew McConaughey played Haller in a slick movie adaptation. Garcia-Rulfo makes the role his own and leads the entertaining cases and action-packed intrigue of Mickey’s world where he can sometimes operate with questionable morals.

Though the first season was better received by critics than the second, fans have continued to stream the series on Netflix. With the fast popularity of the series, it is no wonder fans are already eagerly awaiting The Lincoln Lawyer season 3, which began filming in early 2024.

24 Rake (2010 – 2018)

An Australian Legal Drama

It is often rewarding to look outside the US to find some truly great legal dramas. Rake is an Australian series and another show that deals with a defense lawyer as its lead. Such lawyers can be tricky protagonists as the thought of them potentially defending a guilty client can hurt their heroic appeal. Rake avoids this dilemma by making it quite clear Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh) is no hero. However, he is a wonderfully entertaining character who takes pleasure in defending guilty people which can sometimes include big-name guest stars like Sam Neil, Hugo Weaving, and Toni Collette.

The show was repeatedly nominated for different Australian award shows during its run, with Roxburgh winning an Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award for his work on the series. Rake’s popularity also ensured that an American remake of the series was created in 2014, but it didn’t land with audiences as well as the original did.

23 Perry Mason (2020 – 2023)

The Remake Of The Classic Lawyer Series

Remaking one of the most beloved legal dramas of all time is a daunting task, but it’s one that the latest Perry Mason series pulls off. Matthew Rhys steps into the lead role of the series, which is a period piece set in the 1930s that finds Mason as a down-and-out attorney looking to claw his way back amidst murder, corruption, and scandal. Rhys gives a commanding performance in the lead role, while the show’s noir style sets it apart from the modern legal procedurals.

Despite being one of the best Max original shows around, Perry Mason was canceled after its second season. The show did receive a handful of Critics Choice, Golden Globe, and Emmy nominations during its run, but didn’t take any awards home. Tatiana Maslany, however, was awarded Best Actress in a Drama Series from the Hollywood Critics Association for her role in the series.

22 American Crime Story (2016 – )

Ryan Murphy’s True-Crime Retellings

Television titan Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story anthology helped to launch his spinoff which takes a look at real high-profile trials and criminal cases that gripped the public instead of the supernatural. With three seasons so far, the series has taken a look at murder and political scandals.

The show has won four Golden Globes and eight Emmys so far.

Those looking to get into the series should start with the electric first season, which carried the subtitle The People vs. OJ Simpson. There is a fair bit of camp involved in recreating some of the most outrageous aspects of the trial, but it is all grounded thanks to an amazing ensemble that includes Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown, and John Travolta. That is widely recognized as the best season of the anthology series so far.

21 Eli Stone (2008 – 2009)

A Fantastical Legal Comedy-Drama

Eli Stone is one of the few best lawyer shows that actually inject a sense of humor into its episodes. Most legal shows stick to the procedural and the dramatic route, so the humor alone makes the show stand out from the crowded landscape of television.

The comedy-drama follows the titular 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, as Stone (Jonny Lee Miller) regularly hallucinates and makes some extraordinarily accurate predictions, such as an earthquake hitting the city.

Unfortunately, Eli Stone was canceled too early, as it ended after just two seasons and before wrapping up the show’s events, and fans never got a satisfying conclusion. Julie Gonzalo did pick up an ALMA Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her work on the show.

20 Fearless (2017)

A London-Based Legal Drama Miniseries

While many of the best lawyer shows are set in the U.S., Fearless puts the spotlight on U.K. law. The six-part limited series is set in London and follows a human rights lawyer who attempts to prove that a convicted murderer is innocent of the murder of a schoolgirl 14 years after he was tried and convicted. With a cast that includes Michael Gambon and other great British actors, the limited series packs a dramatic punch that few of its peers can reach.

Many hoped for an expansion beyond the limited series, but that didn’t happen.

The show has a cinematic quality to it too, as it was directed by Pete Travis,known for movies like Karl Urban’s Dredd. While the series might not have garnered award show attention, critics praised the work of lead Helen McCrory throughout the show’s limited run. Many hoped for an expansion beyond the limited series, but that didn’t happen.

19 Matlock (1986 – 1995)

One of The Original Legal Dramas

Ben Matlock was an interesting case when he showed up on TV in 1986. Played by the popular Andy Griffith, Matlock was a good old boy attorney who also worked as a detective in his own cases, although he also had some help. Somewhat comparable to Columbo if the character was an attorney instead of solely a detective, what resulted was one of the best lawyer shows on TV, as it moved from NBC to ABC and then ended up in syndication after nine seasons and 193 episodes.

The original series had four Emmy nominations during its run, winning one of them. It also led to a handful of spinoff shows for other characters. While it might not reach the same levels as the best lawyer shows, Kathy Bates is starring in a new version of the show in the modern day.

18 Bull (2016 – 2022)

Based On The Career Of Dr. Phil McGraw

Bull came to CBS with a major star in place, and he helped bring the fans that followed the show through six seasons. Michael Weatherly left NCIS to take the lead role in Bull, where he played the head of a jury consulting firm that helped his clients select the right jurors for their cases. He also worked to plan arguments to help the lawyers win the cases, loosely based on the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw.

The series provided fans of legal dramas a different perspective on what went on in the courtroom. The vast majority of legal dramas focus on the investigation and who wins the trial, not how a jury can influence how the courtroom drama plays out. The different perspective, and Weatherly’s star power from his long run on NCIS, both helped to get more viewers tuning in.

17 Ally McBeal (1997 – 2002)

A Whimsical Fantasy Legal Drama

Ally McBeal was a strange beast when it arrived on Fox in 1997. Created by David E. Kelley (Boston Legal), this was a comedy-drama surrounding a law firm and the title character, who worked for it. Calista Flockhart starred as Ally McBeal, a lawyer working for a Boston law firm. The cast was incredible, with Robert Downey Jr., Courtney Thorne-Smith, Jane Krakowski, Lucy Liu, and Hayden Panettiere co-starring in the series.

While the show was responsible for what was one of the first internet memes in the Dancing Baby, its fantasy sequences made it unlike any other of the best lawyer shows on TV. It managed to find the perfect balance of humor and drama thanks to legal proceedings and musical numbers. The series won seven Emmys and four Golden Globes during its run.

16 Reasonable Doubt (2017 – )

A True-Crime Legal Series

Tons of shows called Reasonable Doubt, most of which are lawyer shows, have come and gone over the years, but one of the best lawyer shows and one of the newest is the series that started in 2017. Unlike the other shows here, Reasonable Doubt isn’t a fictional drama. Instead, it’s a true crime series.

Reasonable Doubt takes on a concept that no other show has, as it follows two investigators (one a former homicide detective, the other a criminal defense attorney) who re-examine open-and-shut murder cases and find out if the convicted people’s families should appeal the verdict. It can be hard for families to hear that the investigators believe their loved ones committed the crime in question, but that does happen. While the show is almost unheard of, it’s such a slept-on gem. And as it’s five seasons deep, it’s one of the most binge-worthy too.

15 Your Honor (2020-2022)

A Judge Goes Corrupt To Save His Son

Bryan Cranston jumped back into television after becoming a movie star, as he plays a judge whose son kills a teenager in a hit-and-run in Your Honor. The series is special because it’s one of the few serialized legal dramas, whereas others tend to be procedural case-of-the-week type shows. Initially billed as a miniseries, Your Honor was brought back for a second season that was also highly praised.

Critics lamented yet another show about good men with bad actions getting the spotlight since shows like
House
and
Breaking Bad
had already been so popular.

What audiences got was something special and completely different from anything in the genre, and Michael Desiato (Cranston) isn’t much better than Walter White from Breaking Bad. While audiences loved him, the show might not have premiered at the right time. Critics lamented yet another show about good men with bad actions getting the spotlight since shows like House and Breaking Bad had already been so popular.

14 How To Get Away With Murder (2014 – 2020)

An Instructor Teaching Law Students Is Involved In A Murder

As so many occupational shows take place where the main character acts as a mentor to a group of people, whether it’s medical shows like House or detective shows like Lie To Me, How To Get Away With Murder is the legal drama’s answer to those shows. Of course, there’s a twist since the mentor is also someone who ends up, repeatedly, covering up murder with her students.

The series follows Annalise Keating (Viola Davis), a law professor and criminal defense attorney who takes five students under her wing. It’s a fascinating drama, as those very people become intertwined in their own murder plot. Their lies spiral and each season becomes more dramatic than the last. The show is rated so high mostly due to Davis’ incredible portrayal of Keating, where she was the first Black woman to win the Outstanding Leading Actress Emmy.

13 L.A. Law (1986 – 1994)

A Los Angeles Law Firm

Before Law & Order, there was L.A. Law. This show takes a look inside a prominent Los Angeles attorney firm. Created by Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue), it follows a large ensemble cast as they deal with parallel storylines with a strong mix of social drama. Much like Law & Order, it takes a look at the cases investigated, many pulled straight out of the headlines. However, this had little to do with the police and was all about the lawyers working the cases. The cast included Harry Hamlin, Corbin Bernsen, Jimmy Smits, Blair Underwood, and more.

The series won 15 of the 69 Emmys it was nominated for over its run and five of the 30 Golden Globes. A sequel series was planned in 2020, but by 2022, the show was canceled after having been cast and a pilot ordered.

12 Suits (2011 – 2019)

A Law Firm Brings In An Unlicensed Attorney

Suits is most interesting because it looks more at the inner workings of the law firm than it does the actual cases that the firm takes on. As the series follows Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), a law associate who never actually went to law school, Suits cleverly sees the character close the book on cases while maintaining his secret at the same time. For the most part, the show is full of predictably angry, loud, and obnoxious lawyers yelling over one another with the densest law terminology possible.

Though the series received a handful of award show nominations, only Gina Torres won awards for her work on the show. She won both an NHMC Award and an Imagen Impact Award for her role in the drama. Torres starred in a spinoff from the series as well. Lately, Suits has been breaking Netflix viewership records proving there are still people discovering the series, and prompting the development of another spinoff of the show.

11 Goliath (2016 – 2021)

A Down On His Luck Attorney

Goliath was a Prime Video original series starring Billy Bob Thornton. The series lasted for four seasons before it was canceled in 2021 and told the story of a down-and-out lawyer looking for redemption. The show was important in that it showed how corruption ran rampant in the legal system, which favored the wealthy. Thornton himself was responsible for much of the Goliath’s success, giving a compelling performance as Billy McBride, a formerly brilliant lawyer who helped a man on trial for murder get a not-guilty verdict, only to learn that he killed his family.

Thornton won a Golden Globe for the show’s first season. Following that, the series also received four Satellite Award nominations but didn’t take home any more wins. All four seasons of the show are considered “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes thanks to critical reviews.