TV shows are not just for entertainment anymore. Instead, they’ve become sources of education and inspiration for many fields, including law. Legal TV shows are a perfect way for lawyers and law students to gain knowledge about the legal profession, learn from top lawyers, and get a glimpse of life in the legal world.
Whether you are looking to relax after a long day at work or to expand your legal horizons, watching the best legal dramas can be a valuable investment of your time.
In this blog post, we’ve gathered some of the top legal TV shows that lawyers and law students should watch. We’ll cover various genres such as drama, comedy, and crime, and explain how these legal shows can help you understand legal concepts and issues.
So, grab your popcorn and get ready to binge-watch your way to legal knowledge!
1. Suits
Suits, with Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle, and Gabriel Macht, is a legal drama that follows a brilliant college dropout Mike Ross, who lands a job at a prestigious law firm in New York City despite not having a law degree. He pretends to be a young lawyer who graduated from Harvard and works alongside the firm’s brilliant and ruthless attorney, Harvey Specter.
The show depicts the cut-throat world of corporate law, the complex relationships between lawyers and their clients, and the personal challenges that come with being a lawyer. A legal drama fan watching Suits can broaden their understanding of legal ethics, negotiation tactics, and legal jargon.
2. How to Get Away with Murder
How to Get Away with Murder is a crime drama TV series that revolves around Annalise Keating, a brilliant law professor and criminal defense attorney who teaches a class called “How to Get Away with Murder” at a prestigious law school in Philadelphia.
The show follows Keating and her students as they work on high-stakes cases that involve murder, deception, and corruption. How to Get Away with Murder is a prime example of how the legal system can be morally and ethically ambiguous, and how lawyers must navigate complex relationships, both professionally and personally.
3. Boston Legal
Boston Legal with William Shatner and James Spader is a legal comedy-drama that centers around the personal and professional lives of the lawyers at the Boston law firm of Crane, Poole, and Schmidt. The show features witty courtroom banter, ethical dilemmas, and complex relationships between the characters.
In short, Boston Legal portrays the legal profession in a refreshing and humanizing way, showing that lawyers are not just robots in suits, but also flawed and quirky individuals who face personal and societal challenges.
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4. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a police procedural drama that follows the detectives and police officers of the Special Victims Unit, a unit within the New York City Police Department that investigates sexually-based crimes. The show deals with sensitive and taboo issues, such as sexual assault and domestic violence, and shows how the legal system handles these cases.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit can help you understand the role of lawyers in criminal cases, how they work with law enforcement, and how they interact with victims.
5. Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul is a prequel to the popular series Breaking Bad, set six years before the events of the original show. The series follows the transformation of James “Jimmy” McGill, a struggling lawyer and con-man, into Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), a shady and colorful attorney who becomes involved with an equally colorful cast of criminals.
In a nutshell, Better Call Saul is a dark comedy that explores the ethical boundaries of the legal profession and the gray areas of the legal system.
6. The Good Wife
The Good Wife is a legal and political drama that revolves around Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), a housewife who returns to her legal career after her husband, a prominent state’s attorney, is involved in a public sex and corruption scandal.
As one of the popular legal shows on this list, The Good Wife delves deep into various aspects of law, including criminal law, civil law, and family law, providing a well-rounded portrayal of legal proceedings and the realities of balancing work and personal life.
7. Perry Mason
Perry Mason is a classic legal drama series that focuses on a fictional Los Angeles criminal defense attorney played by Raymond Burr who has an extraordinary knack for proving his clients’ innocence. The series, while older, is a goldmine for understanding courtroom tactics, cross-examination techniques, and the art of crafting compelling arguments.
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8. The Practice
The Practice with Bobby Donnell is a legal drama that explores the ethical and moral issues that arise in the legal profession. It follows a firm of passionate attorneys who often take on controversial cases. This show is great for understanding the moral complexities lawyers often face and the high-stakes of litigation.
9. Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is a legal comedy-drama that revolves around the personal and professional lives of Ally (Calista Flockhart), a young, neurotic attorney at a Boston-based law firm. The series stands out for its unique blend of surrealism and quirky humor, and it addresses social issues from a legal standpoint. Along with The Practice, Ally McBeal came from the brilliant mind of David E. Kelley, who was once an attorney himself.
10. The Night Of
The Night Of is a crime drama that tells the story of a complex murder case in New York City. The series offers a detailed look at the legal process involved in such a case, from arrest to trial, showing the gritty realities of the criminal justice system. It provides insights into the challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by defense attorneys in high-stakes criminal cases.
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Conclusion
Legal TV shows are not only entertaining, but also educational. They can help you hone your legal skills, learn about legal concepts, and gain insight into the legal world.
If you’re a lawyer or law student, watching these lawyer TV shows can be a valuable use of your time.
In addition to the educational benefits derived from these popular legal drama TV shows, another valuable way to utilize your time and further your legal knowledge is by attending Eduvacation℠ conferences with Destination CLEs.
Destination CLEs provides unique Eduvacation℠ experiences that combine learning with traveling to incredible destinations like Hawaii, Scotland, and the Mediterranean, making earning your CLEs more enjoyable and even exciting.
Take the opportunity to enrich your legal knowledge in a fun and engaging way by booking your next Eduvacation℠ getaway today!