Let’s face it: most of us were drawn to law at least in part because it’s always looked great on TV. Yes, reasons such as “prestige”, “economic prosperity”, and “a desire to contribute to the justice system” may well have been contributing factors, but would the prospect of becoming a lawyer have really seemed so alluring were it not for the efforts of Alan Shore or Alicia Florrick?
The fact is, we as a profession owe a great deal to the TV programs that have cast the practice of law in such a compelling light – which is why The College of Law conducted a survey of its alumni and students to determine the Top 10 Legal TV Shows as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations.
The votes have been tallied, the results have been finalised, and regardless of whether you agree with the rankings, there can be no denying the influence of these paragons of TV law. We salute you!
#10 Law & Order: Criminal Intent
The first of many Law & Order entries on this list, Criminal Intent just managed to eke out a spot in our Top 10. While it doesn’t showcase the same degree of legal drama as its other Law & Order counterparts (episodes tend to end with a confession from the suspect rather than a trial and prosecution), its focus on high-profile cases gives the legally savvy viewer a liberal serving of mind candy.
#9 Crownies
Coming in at Number 9 is Crownies, a 22-part legal dramedy which is often described as the Australian legal scene’s answer to Gossip Girl. Having only been commissioned for one contained season, the program failed to attract as many viewers as its ABC producers had expected. However, its hilariously accurate depiction of fresh Gen Y lawyers and its local backdrop made it an instant hit with Aussie lawyers young and old.
#8 The Good Wife
Since 2009, The Good Wife graced our screens with the classic ‘Clinton conundrum’ – what do you do when your hotshot politician husband has a very public affair…and is sent to prison? Alicia Florrick marched right into the elite offices of Lockhart/Gardner, plied a favour from former flame and named partner, Will Gardner, and hurled herself into cutthroat competition with the Gen-Y lawyers desperate for a graduate role.
Cue an inevitable (but absolutely addictive) love triangle spiced up by a weekly tour of compelling, and sometimes based-on-reality legal cases – ranging from dotcom courtroom duels to millionaire wife-murderer Colin Sweeney. Oh, and let’s not forget Kalinda, the breathlessly sexy and brilliant bisexual super-detective always on hand with the eleventh hour investigative breakthrough to save the day. Yes, The Good Wife offers the kind of world we all imagined we would surely inhabit in our lawyerly lives – and, obviously, do.
#7 Law & Order: SVU
Admit it: by this point, you’re already hearing the gavel sound byte in your head, aren’t you? (*JOOCK JOOCK*) The first of the Law & Order family of spin-offs, SVU has been prosecuting fictionalised sexual offenders in the court of pop culture for over 15 years. Initially, the program’s near-exclusive focus on the detectives of the Special Victims Unit (instead of their counterparts in the District Attorney’s office) had lawyers shaking their fists at their television sets the world over. However, showrunner Dick Wolf has subsequently seen the error of his ways, and expanded the program’s focus to include some of television’s finest criminal prosecutions.
#6 Ally McBeal
David E. Kelley’s quintessentially ‘90s foray into courtroom comedy comes in at a respectable number six. Essentially Bridget Jones Diary meets L.A. Law (you have to imagine that’s how the pitch went down, right?), Ally McBeal followed the quirky legal (and love) life of the titular Ally. Like so many other TV shows, it included a tried-and-tested love triangle with childhood romance Billy, who of course is also now a lawyer at the same firm…and so is his wife. Over its six years on air, Ally McBeal gave us dancing babies, cowboy blow-up dolls, and a crossover with David E. Kelley’s other legal TV hit, The Practice.
#5 Law & Order
The original and the best, Law & Order presides over Dick Wolf’s franchise kingdom by ranking Number 5 on our list. It’s a program which popularised the format of the “ripped from the headlines” legal drama, created more spin-offs than a broken carousel, spanned for more seasons than many legal careers, and inspired at least two generations of police officers and lawyers. Unlike its spin-offs which appear on this list, the classic Law & Order devoted a full half of every episode’s running time to the efforts of the prosecutors from Manhattan’s District Attorney’s office, ensuring the program extending beyond the familiar realm of “police procedural” and firmly established itself as a courtroom drama. While its legal component may lack the ornate thespian grandeur of some of the other entries on this list, there can be no doubt that Law & Order has earned its place in the history books.
#4 Silk
Looking for political intrigue and Machiavellian drama set against the backdrop of London’s Shoe Lane Chambers? Look no further than Silk. Instead of spawning yet another trial-oriented legal show, series creator Peter Moffat (a former barrister himself) set out to create a drama “about barristers and their life in chambers”. Accordingly, you can expect a show which is laden with betrayal, political scandal, long hours, short flings, and the cutthroat struggle to “take silk” and become a Queen’s Counsel. As depictions of life in law fare, Silk is frank, uncompromising, and at times outrageous – which is no doubt why it reached Number 4 on this list.
#3 Rake
Taking the much-coveted bronze medallion is a program which is equal parts Perry Mason and Californication (or CaliforniMason, if you will). Loosely based on the life of Sydney rock star barrister and author Charles Waterstreet, Rake applies the tried and tested “flawed but brilliant protagonist” motif to its leading lawyer – the womanising, devil-may-care Cleaver Greene. The show’s portrayal of courtroom antics is sharp and well-crafted, but its third place ranking was most likely earned by its raunchy intrigue as much as its legal content. With the program recently adapted and repackaged for US audiences, we can only hope Cleaver Greene’s American counterpart doesn’t go the way of the U.S. Kath and Kim adaptation.
#2 Suits
The next show to sell the Lawyer Dream, Gen-Y style. What does Gen-Y want in a legal career? Well, to ditch actual law school, of course, and fast-track to the fast-lane as a protégé of the city’s slickest lawyer, the legendary Harvey Specter. Celebrating an unabashed egoism, Suits has delivered some of legal television’s finest one liners, including this Harvey Specter classic: “That’s the difference between you and me. You want to lose small. I want to win big.” Sums up ‘The Rainmaker’ dream, right?
#1 Boston Legal
When the votes were tallied and one legal dramedy emerged the unequivocal victor, the staff in the Insights office were polarised to the brink of civil war. Some felt David E. Kelly’s lighter look at law lacked the gravitas to take the Number 1 spot. Others claimed its relatively short run equated to a lack of staying power. In the eyes of this writer, however, no choice could have been more deserving.
For five seasons, Boston Legal took its audience deeper into a rabbit hole of legally-inspired madness. Whether it was characters breaking the fourth wall and speaking to the camera, William Shatner endlessly uttering his famous catchphrase, or attorneys winning unwinnable cases solely off the backs of their closing statements, this series couldn’t have offered a less realistic snapshot of a career in law if it had been set on the USS Enterprise. However, despite the liberties it takes with its depiction on life in a top-tier firm, Boston Legal is more fun to watch than a break dance battle between Batman and Barack Obama. Indeed, since the dawn of the Televised Experience, there have been few shows which have offered their viewers more of a gut-busting romp – in any genre of television. So for those who would dare contest Boston Legal’s gold ranking, I have but two words for you: Denny Crane.
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Congratulations to the following who were the winners from the survey competition:
Deborah Morris, NSW
Emily Spall, Vic
Amanda Stephens, NSW
Anita Moretta, WA
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