Legal drama is a genre of film and television drama that includes stories about lawyers and the law. They chronicle the lives of fictional lawyers and defendants on trial, as well as the rest of the people involved with the law on television or in film, over time.
A police drama or detective narrative, which primarily centers on the police or detectives solving crimes, is not the same as a legal drama. In addition to showing events in the courtroom, legal dramas can also depict other aspects of the legal system, such as juries deliberating on cases or attorneys at work.
While some programs don't concentrate on the law, others use actual attorneys and conduct thorough research. This article will examine and rank the top ten legal drama films and television series in this post.
Ranking the top 10 legal drama TV shows and movies that you should not miss
1) To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
To Kill a Mockingbird is a straightforward 1962 American legal drama film directed by Robert Mulligan, based on Harper Lee's 1960 novel. The movie stars Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, William Windom, Robert Duvall, and Alice Ghostley.
The show is set in a small Alabama town in 1932. Mr. Atticus Finch is an unmarried lawyer with two children, Jem and Scout. He is a defendant lawyer for a black man named Tom Robinson, who was accused of physically abusing a white woman. In parallel, Jem and Scout were fascinated by the Radleys, in particular mysterious Boo Radley.
The film received wonderful reviews from critics and the audience. It also performed well as a box office film. It grossed many times over the budget and won three Academy Awards. The film later got selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1995.
2) 12 Angry Men (1957)
12 Angry Men is a 1957 legal drama film by Sidney Lumet. The movie is based on the 1954 teleplay of the same name by Reginald Rose. The movie revolves around a murder trial, where the foreman of the jury must confer with the other eleven jurors, all of whom agree on a guilty verdict that will result in the death penalty for the defendant, an inner-city teenager.
Even though 12 Angry Men didn't do well at the box office, the movie received positive reviews. The film was chosen for preservation in 2007 by the Library of Congress due to its historical relevance.
3) A Few Good Men (1992)
Based on Aaron Sorkin's 1989 play, A Few Good Men is a 1992 American legal drama film directed by Rob Reiner and written by Sorkin. Starring in the movie are Kiefer Sutherland, J. T. Walsh, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, Jack Nicholson, and Tom Cruise.
Two US Marines are court-martialed and charged with the murder of a fellow Marine in a conspiracy. Two attorneys work things out and attempt to establish a case as the narrative goes on. The film was highly praised and grossed over $243 million with a budget of $40 million. The film was even nominated for four Academy Awards.
4) The Verdict (1982)
Adapted from Barry Reed's 1980 novel, the 1982 American legal drama film was written by David Mamet and directed by Sidney Lumet.
The film stars Paul Newman as a lawyer who struggles to turn his life around through a medical malpractice case in which he finds himself doing the right thing. The film also starred Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason, Milo O'Shea, and Lindsay Crouse.
The film received wide critical acclaim and was a box-office success.
5) Just Mercy (2019)
Just Mercy is a 2019 legal drama film by Destin Daniel Cretton. Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, and Brie Larson are among the film's prominent cast members.
The movie centers on the efforts of young defense attorney Bryan Stevenson, who takes on the challenging duty of defending Walter McMillian, a killer who was unfairly convicted. The movie is based on his 2014 memoir, in which he describes how his experiences inspired him to stand up for African-American inmates.
6) The Good Wife
The Good Wife is an American legal political drama television series produced by CBS. The show ran from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. Robert and Michelle King created the series.
The show revolves around Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her legal career after a scandal involving her husband's public sex and political corruption.
The show has won numerous awards, including five Emmys and the 2014 Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama.
7) Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul is one of the American legal drama series by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. The show premiered on AMC and deals with life under the law and crime. It revolves around Jimmy McGill, who turns into the well-known Saul Goodman, a narcissistic lawyer who defends criminal activity. Mike Ehrmantraut is an ex-corrupt cop who turns out to be a problem solver for drug dealers.
8) Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an NBC American legal drama television series that combines police work with crime drama.
This is one of the Law & Order spin-offs with Mariska Hargitay as the lead Detective Olivia Benson, who is in charge of the Special Victims Unit. She used to be part of a crime-fighting team with Detective Elliot Stabler, played by Christopher Meloni, in a fictional New York City Police Department. The show followed detectives as they investigated and prosecuted crimes involving sexual assault.
The series was nominated for 108 awards and won 33 of them.
9) The Practice
The Practice is David E. Kelley's other creation. The American TV series about a Boston law firm and the show ran for eight seasons on ABC.
The show is about the lawyers who work at the Boston law firm and some of the tough cases they have. Most of these lawyers, especially Bobby Donnell who founded the firm, often struggle with doing the right thing while defending people who have done bad things.
It has won several awards, the best of which are two Emmys for Best Drama Series in 1998 and 1999.
10) Suits
Suits is an American legal drama television series created by Aaron Korsh. The series began airing on the USA Network in 2011.
Set in a fictional law firm in New York City, the series focuses on the story of Mike Ross, a college dropout who happens to have a photographic memory, as he teams up with a very successful lawyer, Harvey Specter, to win cases and settle lawsuits while keeping his secret from the world and Harvey: Mike did not go to law school.
Suits received many nominations and ended its nine seasons on September 25, 2019, with 134 episodes. It became more popular in 2023 when Netflix and Peacock picked it up.
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