What’s the Best Legal TV Show of All Time?

Question of the Week

What’s the Best Legal TV Show of All Time?

Posted May 29, 2008, 10:21 am CST
By Molly McDonough

In the June issue of the ABA Journal, Stephanie Ward gives us a little behind-the-scenes insight into the real characters behind our favorite legal TV dramas.

This made us wonder a couple of things. First, what's the best legal show on TV right now? Vote here to let us know.

Second, we'd like to know: What's the best legal TV show of all time?

Answer in the comments section below.

Read last week's question and answers about the ultimate law school graduation speaker.

Our favorite answer from last week:

Posted by "G": "For pure entertainment value and perhaps an incisive insight, I’d go for Stephen Colbert, Seth MacFarlane, Judge Alex Kozinski, or Sean Carter (either the lawyer humorist or the rapper, or both). For pure inspirational value, I’d go for Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Jerry Springer’s speech wasn’t bad either."

What's the most realistic lawyer-themed show on TV these days?

Total Votes: 415

Boston Legal

25% (105)

Law & Order

44% (184)

Law & Order Criminal Intent

4% (15)

Law & Order Special Victim's Unit

14% (60)

Eli Stone

5% (22)

Shark

7% (29)

Comments

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Posted by Ron - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 7 hours, 58 minutes ago

Being at the top of this list is really rather “faint praise.” I would more heartily endorse Law & Order, except that in EVERY trial, someone will ask a question (or make a statement instead of asking the question) and, upon objection, the questions will jump forward and say “withdrawn!” I told my wife that in 20+ years of practicing law, I’d never seen anyone actually do that in court, but it happens every week in all the Law & Order incarnations.
Posted by Brian Kaser - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 7 hours, 36 minutes ago

LA Law is the best lawyer show of all time, in my view, although everybody around my (then) office was better looking than that cast, of course. It was like Boston Legal with a bit more depth (but not too much more).

The high point of the show was Arnie Becker thanking opposing counsel for calling him a “snake.”
Posted by Mary Sorrell - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 7 hours, 8 minutes ago

The best legal show ever - “Perry Mason”
Posted by Barry Zalma - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 6 hours, 59 minutes ago

Only one comes close to the actual practice of law: “Rumpole of the Bailey.”
Posted by Nancy Smith - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 6 hours, 58 minutes ago

Perry Mason.
Posted by Brad Carr - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 6 hours, 38 minutes ago

Few on this blog are probably old enough to remember a show on CBS with Robert Reed and E.G. Marshall. It was called “The Defenders.” That’d be my pick.
Posted by Michael Murphy - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 6 hours, 34 minutes ago

How about the 1970 program, “Young Lawyers” with Lee J. Cobb and Zalman King?
Posted by Frederick Beckman - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 6 hours, 1 minute ago

Rumpole has my vote for best legal series.
Posted by Kirk Maldonado - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 5 hours, 36 minutes ago

Murder One
Posted by Chuck Jennings - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes ago

My favorite was The Practice Boston Legal is a spinoff of this, IMHO superior show.
Posted by Bill Wheatley - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 5 hours, 26 minutes ago

I agree with those who named Perry Mason. A law show is still a show. To be successful, it needs drama, suspense and climax. That generally doesn’t happen in real time in law. Perry Mason provided it consistently and made a good show. After all, it’s show business, not law.
Posted by Clive Kamins - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 4 hours, 54 minutes ago

“Rumpole” is #1 and “The Defenders” is 1a. Nothing else is even close to real law practice.
Posted by Mark Holzhauer - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 4 hours, 52 minutes ago

Perry Mason!
Posted by kelly thompson - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 4 hours, 28 minutes ago

perry mason
Posted by Abbey =) - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 4 hours, 3 minutes ago

Definitely Law & Order SVU! It has far more entertainment value than any of the others, and isn’t that what tv is about? Entertainment!!!
Posted by Joseph Peter Myers - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 4 hours ago

Rumpole—We could see the barrister/solicitor system, watch cross-examination unfettered by judicial interference (or much decency), and have a glass of plonk.
Posted by J. Cornehls - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 3 hours, 59 minutes ago

“Rumpole” was far and away the most realistic and hence best TV law show. No. 2 in my opinion was the Practice. The worst aspect of all TV law shows is when the lawyers testify instead of asking questions. For great commentary on contemporary social and political issues, Boston Legal, and James Spader in particular are tops.
Posted by Kevin R. Bennett - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 3 hours, 51 minutes ago

Law and Order
Posted by Wm Nast - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 3 hours, 45 minutes ago

First: Rumpole
Second A: The Defenders

Now those are “law shows” even lawyers can enjoy!
Posted by Cali Girl - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 3 hours, 37 minutes ago

There was a short-lived show on about a year ago or so, called “Conviction” about a newbie DA in (I think) NYC. I thought it was pretty good, but it was pulled after about a month. Too bad.
Posted by Jury Admin. - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 2 hours, 52 minutes ago

Am I that old? Doesn’t anyone remember “Paper Chase”?
Posted by Sense of Humor - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 2 hours, 49 minutes ago

The Dukes of Hazzard
Posted by Peter J. Nickitas - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 2 hours, 43 minutes ago

Answer: Perry Mason

Honorable Mention: Star Trek episode featuring court-martial of Capt. Kirk in which key evidence was computer deck log. His lawyer, Samuel T. Cogley, Jr., played by Elisha Cook of “Maltese Falcon” fame, confronted the computer, showed that it had been reprogrammed, as evinced by the fact that Mr. Spock could now beat the computer at chess. They got the right guy.
Posted by Margaret - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 2 hours, 30 minutes ago

The Paper Chase was by far the most fun and probably caused many students to become lawyers.
Posted by Sarcasm - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 1 hour, 51 minutes ago

Court TV. I could swear that some of the cases that were broadcast looked like they were taking place in a real court!
Posted by Professor N. I. Fenzitter - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 47 minutes ago

My choice was more the lesser of the evils. TV depictions of the legal profession are profoundly overdramatized, save for the occasional intrafirm tete-a-tete.
Posted by Larry S. Greenfield - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 40 minutes ago

I totally agree with Brad Carr that the best legal show ever was “The Defenders.” I was 11 at the time it aired in 1961, and it inspired me towant to become a lawyer. The protagonists always sought justice with dignity. Where do we get that now?
On a lighter note, “Boston Legal” is a great lampoon of current high-power firm practice and has great acting and writing.
Posted by AL - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 4 minutes ago

Boston Legal! Two words” Denny Crane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by JCM - 7 months, 1 week, 3 days, 3 minutes ago

1. The Paper Chase
2. Rumpole of the Old Bailey
3. LA Law
Posted by Roberta Watson - 7 months, 1 week, 2 days, 19 hours, 56 minutes ago

Boston Legal
Posted by Laura - 7 months, 1 week, 2 days, 6 hours, 16 minutes ago

Definately “The Practice” - the first 2 seasons are the best!
Posted by D - 7 months, 1 week, 2 days, 2 hours, 41 minutes ago

Night Court!
Posted by Turner - 7 months, 1 week, 1 day, 22 hours, 23 minutes ago

Canterbury’s Law was a real gem. Unfortunately, it got canceled. It’s still online, though. Google it, if you’ve never seen it. Of course it’s jazzed up for tv, but I’ve found it one of the more accurate legal shows.
Posted by Dour Swede - 7 months, 1 week, 22 hours, 20 minutes ago

LA Law. At least not all of the lawyers went to court!
Posted by Craig Groeschel - 7 months, 6 days, 23 hours, 50 minutes ago

The Paper Chase, on CBS in 1978 and later picked up by Showtime. Perhaps an idealized view of the law school experience, but it captured the students’ dedication and love of learning. Entertaning and thought-provoking without being lurid or profane. Classic TV. And a catchy theme song performed by Seals & Crofts!
Posted by John - 7 months, 5 days, 20 minutes ago

Matlock!
Posted by Ian - 7 months, 4 days, 20 hours, 27 minutes ago

Clearly Law and Order, although I would include svu and criminal intent under the same general umbrella with the original.

How can anyone compete with a show whose chief character was in the “Great Gatsby”?

And another thing….take CSI off the air!!, I am tired of this “vegas” style of policework, understandably most americans are idiots, but you don’t have to treat them as such.
Posted by SAM - 7 months, 4 days, 2 hours, 28 minutes ago

C’mom, people, it’s Ally McBeal! Over the top irony, over the top metaphor, completely unrealistic and juvenistically funny!
Posted by Alice Cheng - 7 months, 3 days, 5 hours, 11 minutes ago

I loved The Practice! Now I watch Law and Order SVU and the regular one, but more for entertainment’s sake than anything. I did enjoy watching that Law and Order spinoff they had where they followed real DAs and stuff. Conviction, BTW, was a Law and Order spinoff as well.
Posted by John - 7 months, 3 days, 1 hour, 20 minutes ago

The original Perry Mason first, Matlock second.
Night Court wins for intended comedy.
LA Law wins for unintended comedy.
Posted by Miriam - 7 months, 2 days, 23 hours, 28 minutes ago

the Watergate Hearings - inspired lots of people to go into law.

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