Best tv shows like L.A. Law
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and domestic violence. The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff. The show was popular with audiences and critics, and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 46 min
Plot tags: realistic, stylized, clever, serious, thrilling, detective, telenovela
Best tv shows and movies like L.A. Law (1986):
Similar in 89%
L.A. Law: The Movie (2002)
Plot Summary:
Reunion movie from the popular TV series reunites most of the original cast from the Los Angeles law firm of McKenzie-Brackman. In the eight years since the series ended, the founding senior partner, Leland McKenzie, has retired and left Douglas Brackman, Jr. as the senior managing partner. New employees to the firm are Brackman's over-achieving son Jason, who's at odds with his father, and ambitious and conniving associate Chloe Carpenter at odds with others. Former partner Michael Kuzak, is called out of retirement to help stop the impeding execution of a former client on death row. Meanwhile, divorce lawyer Arnie Becker deals with his toughest divorce: his own, where his estranged young wife has hired former McKenzie-Brackman lawyer Abby Perkins as her legal representation. Office manager Roxanne Melman deals with her ex-husband, Dave Meyer, who claims that he's dying and wants to spend some quality time with her. - Written by Matthew Patay.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 301
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, captivating, suspenseful
Similar in 88%
Laws of love (2018)
Plot Summary:
The story of two lawyers specializing in family law, Ricardo and Alejandra, that despite coming from two disappointments and being in a world where it seems that love loses strength, before so much divorce, they still have faith in finding true love.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 111
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: psychological, realistic, atmospheric, captivating, telenovela
Similar in 79%
North Square (2000)
Plot Summary:
North Square is an award-winning British television drama series written by Peter Moffat and broadcast by Channel 4 at the end of 2000. Starring an ensemble cast, including Phil Davis, Rupert Penry-Jones, Helen McCrory and Kevin McKidd, the programme is set around the practice of a Leeds Legal Chambers. The series was filmed in and around the real life Park Square, Leeds. This is the area near the city where the majority of legal firms are concentrated. Despite gaining considerable critical acclaim the show failed to garner a substantial audience resulting in only the one series of ten episodes being produced. In Australia the series was broadcast in 2001 on ABC and repeated in 2004 after popular and critical acclaim. The full series was released on DVD for the first time by Acorn Media UK on 5 March 2012.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 310
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, clever, realistic, suspenseful, humorous, semi serious
Similar in 82%
Nip/Tuck (2003)
Plot Summary:
Hotshot plastic surgeons Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy experience full-blown midlife crises as they confront career, family and romance problems.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 58000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: sexy, medical drama, realistic, erotic, sexual, exciting, bloody, entertaining, dramatic, controversial
Similar in 76%
The Escape Artist (2013)
Plot Summary:
A chilling and bloody legal thriller that explores the line between law and justice. Will Burton, a talented junior barrister of peerless intellect and winning charm, specialises in spiriting people out of tight legal corners. He is in high demand as he has never lost a case. But when his talents acquit the notorious prime suspect in an horrific murder trial, that brilliance comes back to bite him with unexpected and chilling results, not to mention a shocking twist.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, suspenseful, intellectual, detective, realistic
Similar in 75%
Harry's Law (2011)
Plot Summary:
Harriet, Matthew and Malcolm couldn't be any more different, but when they cross paths, they realize they're all looking for a fresh start. The most unlikely of people are starting a law practice in the most unlikely of places -- a rundown shoe store.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: clever, serious, exciting, realistic, dramatic
Similar in 89%
Franklin & Bash (2011)
Plot Summary:
When they're not hanging out at their favorite hot dog stand pontificating on what they'd go through to enjoy a night with their favorite female celebrities, Jared Franklin and Peter Bash are chasing down their latest clients...sometimes literally. With business cards in hand, they're ready to nab a client within seconds after a car accident, arrest for solicitation or any other incident where their legal services may be needed. Once in the courtroom, they show their flair for the dramatic and the shocking.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: semi serious, humorous, realistic, exciting, light, sincere, touching, captivating, suspenseful
Similar in 86%
Judging Amy (1999)
Plot Summary:
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character is a judge who serves in a family court, and in addition to the family-related cases that she adjudicates, many episodes of the show focus on her own experiences as a divorced mother, and on the experiences of her mother, a social worker who works in the field of child welfare. This series was based on the life experiences of Brenneman's mother.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, realistic, touching, serious
Similar in 82%
Outlaw (2010)
Plot Summary:
Outlaw is an American television series that was aired on the NBC network. The one-hour courtroom drama stars Jimmy Smits as a Supreme Court Justice who resigns from the bench and returns to private practice in an elite law firm where Claire Sax, love interest to Garza, is a powerful senior partner. As part of the deal the firm has an Ex-Supreme Court Justice on their staff of lawyers and Garza is allowed to pick his team and the cases he works. The series premiered on Wednesday, September 15, 2010, and began airing on Fridays beginning September 24. On October 11 Outlaw was announced as canceled by NBC and the remaining four episodes were moved to a Saturday time slot. The series finale aired on November 13, 2010.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 729
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, clever, psychological, captivating, sincere, serious
Similar in 79%
Raising the Bar (2008)
Plot Summary:
The lives and cases of young lawyers who work on opposite sides - the public defender's office and the district attorney's office - as well as those who sit in judgment on their cases.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: serious, tense, clever, realistic, stylized
Similar in 89%
Made in Jersey (2012)
Plot Summary:
A young working-class woman who uses her street smarts to compete among her pedigreed Manhattan colleagues at a prestigious New York law firm.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, captivating, talky
Similar in 78%
First Monday (2002)
Plot Summary:
A newcomer to the Supreme Court finds himself a pivotal force on an often deadlocked bench, frequently at odds over hot-button cases in this earnest but brief legal drama.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 211
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 86%
Shark (2006)
Plot Summary:
Notorious Los Angeles defense attorney Sebastian Stark becomes disillusioned with his career after his successful defense of a wife-abuser results in the wife's death. After more than a month trying to come to grips with his situation, he is invited by the Los Angeles district attorney to become a public prosecutor so he can apply his unorthodox-but-effective talents to putting guilty people away instead of putting them back on the street.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, tense, suspense
Similar in 81%
Matlock (1986)
Plot Summary:
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by The Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions, Viacom Productions and Paramount Television originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC; and from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC. The show's format is similar to that of CBS's Perry Mason, with Matlock identifying the perpetrators and then confronting them in dramatic courtroom scenes. One difference, however, was that whereas Mason usually exculpated his clients at a pretrial hearing, Matlock usually secured an acquittal at trial, from the jury.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, witty, clever, serious, realistic, retro, detective, thrilling, captivating
Similar in 81%
Murder One (1995)
Plot Summary:
Theodore 'Teddy' Hoffman is a highly-regarded defense attorney in a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. Having successfully defended the wealthy but suspicious Richard Cross in a much-publicised murder trial, he is now involved in the defense of Neil Avedon, a famous young actor who has been suffering from severe drug and alcohol problems - and has been charged with the murder for which Cross was acquitted.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, exciting, detective, thrilling, sincere, serious, realistic, contemplative, vintage
Similar in 86%
Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005)
Plot Summary:
Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American television drama about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the third spin-off from the long-running Law & Order. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation for trial, as well as the trial itself. The series premiered on Thursday, March 3, 2005, and ended on January 21, 2006. Its regular time slot was Fridays 10/9 p.m. ET on NBC. The last episode aired on Court TV months after the series' cancellation.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: rough, suspenseful, thought provoking, realistic, serious, gloomy
Similar in 83%
Canterbury's Law (2008)
Plot Summary:
Elizabeth Canterbury is a force of nature. An attorney on the rise, she puts her career on the line to take on risky and unpopular cases, even when they take a toll on her personal life. Elizabeth and her law professor husband, Matt Furey, haunted by the unsolved disappearance of their young son, struggle to distance themselves from the tragedy and put their relationship back together. But those goals become elusive whenever Elizabeth's work provides a stark reminder of the justice absent in their own lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 644
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: realistic, captivating, psychological, atmospheric, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 77%
The Defenders (2010)
Plot Summary:
The Defenders is a drama about two colorful Las Vegas defense attorneys who go all-in when it comes to representing their clients. Nick and Pete are the local go-to guys with an eclectic client list who are still looking to hit their own jackpot.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, exciting, suspense, tense, suspenseful
Similar in 75%
100 Centre Street (2001)
Plot Summary:
100 Centre Street is an American legal drama created by Sidney Lumet and starring Alan Arkin, Val Avery, Bobby Cannavale, Joel de la Fuente and Paula Devicq.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 201
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, thought provoking, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy
Similar in 81%
The Deep End (2010)
Plot Summary:
The Deep End is an American television series created by David Hemingson and produced by 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC television network. Starring Mehcad Brooks, Matt Long, Tina Majorino, Clancy Brown, and Billy Zane, the show follows five first-year associate attorneys from diverse backgrounds as they learn how to cope with the challenges of working at one of the most prestigious law firms in Los Angeles.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 788
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, humorous, stylized
Similar in 84%
Just Legal (2005)
Plot Summary:
Just Legal is a television courtroom drama that stars Don Johnson and Jay Baruchel as two courtroom lawyers in Venice, California. The series premiered on The WB on September 19, 2005 and was canceled on October 3, 2005 after only three episodes had been aired. Almost a year later The WB decided burn off 5 unaired episodes following a repeat of the pilot on August 6, 2006. The series concluded on September 10, 2006.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 215
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, psychological, semi serious, humorous, serious
Similar in 76%
Boston Legal (2004)
Plot Summary:
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley and produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, to December 8, 2008. Boston Legal is a spin-off of long-running Kelley series The Practice, following the exploits of former Practice character Alan Shore at the legal firm of Crane, Poole & Schmidt.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 49000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: witty, humorous, semi serious, thought provoking, contemplative, political, funny, dramatic, hilarious, sensitive
Similar in 84%
Silk (2011)
Plot Summary:
Silk is a British television drama series produced by the BBC and first shown in 2011. Written by Peter Moffat, the series follows a set of barristers, and what they do to attain the rank of Queen's Counsel, known as "taking silk.".
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: clever, serious, captivating, realistic, dramatic, costume drama, fast
Similar in 87%
The Defenders (1961)
Plot Summary:
The Defenders is an American courtroom drama series that ran on CBS from 1961–1965. It starred E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed as father-and-son defense attorneys who specialized in legally complex cases, with defendants such as neo-Nazis, conscientious objectors, civil rights demonstrators, a schoolteacher fired for being an atheist, an author accused of pornography, and a physician charged in a mercy killing. It was created by television writer Reginald Rose. The Museum of Broadcast Communications called it "perhaps the most socially conscious series the medium has ever seen", a show "singularly resonant with New Frontier liberalism." In 2002, The Defenders was ranked #31 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. and in 2013 TV Guide ranked it #8 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 486
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, thought provoking, clever, talky, retro, contemplative, vintage
Similar in 84%
Mad Men (2007)
Plot Summary:
Mad Men is set in the 1960s, initially at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City, and later at the newly created firm, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, located nearby in the Time-Life Building, at 1271 Avenue of the Americas. According to the show's pilot, the phrase "mad men" was a slang term coined in the 1950s by advertisers working on Madison Avenue to refer to themselves. The focal point of the series is Don Draper, creative director at Sterling Cooper and a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and the people in his life, both in and out of the office. The plot focuses on the business of the agencies as well as the personal lives of the characters, regularly depicting the changing moods and social mores of the United States in the 1960s.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 256000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 4400 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, atmospheric, stylized, clever, exciting, retro, sexy, thought provoking, touching
Similar in 82%
The Whole Truth (2010)
Plot Summary:
As District Attorney Kathryn Peale and defense attorney Jimmy Nolan rally their teams around their arguments and prepare to go head-to-head in the the courtroom, they make frantic moves and countermoves of complex legal wrangling to tilt justice in their favor.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 716
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, psychological, atmospheric, serious, contemplative
Similar in 82%
The Good Wife (2009)
Plot Summary:
The Good Wife is a legal drama starring Emmy Award winner Julianna Margulies as a wife and mother who boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 81000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: serious, clever, captivating, political, suspense, sexy, entertaining, sitcom, intelligent, sensitive
Similar in 75%
Philly (2001)
Plot Summary:
Philly is an American television series created by Steven Bochco that focused on criminal defense attorney Kathleen Maguire. It lasted a full season and was canceled due to low ratings. The final episode was advertised heavily as the series finale, a move not commonly used in network promotion, for a series lasting only one season. The complete series is not on DVD, but is viewable on Netflix in HD and 5.1 Surround Sound. The series briefly aired in syndication on Universal HD in 2008.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 409
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, sentimental, captivating, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 84%
A Civil Action (1998)
Plot Summary:
Jan Schlickmann is a cynical lawyer who goes out to "get rid of" a case, only to find out it is potentially worth millions. The case becomes his obsession, to the extent that he is willing to give up everything - including his career and his clients' goals, in order to continue the case against all odds.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: suspense, suspenseful, thought provoking, serious, disturbing, sincere, realistic, inspirational, feel good, sad
Similar in 87%
Suits (2011)
Plot Summary:
While running from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant young college-dropout, slips into a job interview with one of New York City's best legal closers, Harvey Specter. Tired of cookie-cutter law school grads, Harvey takes a gamble by hiring Mike on the spot after he recognizes his raw talent and photographic memory. Mike and Harvey are a winning team. Even though Mike is a genius, he still has a lot to learn about law. And while Harvey may seem like an emotionless, cold-blooded shark, Mike's sympathy and concern for their cases and clients will help remind Harvey why he went into law in the first place. Mike's other allies in the office include the firm's best paralegal Rachel and Harvey's no-nonsense assistant Donna to help him serve justice. Proving to be an irrepressible duo and invaluable to the practice, Mike and Harvey must keep their secret from everyone including managing partner Jessica and Harvey's arch nemesis Louis, who seems intent on making Mike's life as difficult as possible.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 461000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: stylized, captivating, witty, serious, talky, realistic, intellectual, dramatic, funny, sexy