Forget Suits, These 15 Lawyer/Courtroom TV Shows Are a Must-Watch

TV shows about lawyers and courtrooms don't have to be all about serious faces in fancy suits talking in legal jargon that flies over your head; in fact, some of the best series in this genre mix drama with bits of humor, unexpected twists, and characters so real you feel like you could bump into them on the street.

1. Shark (2006-2008)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 52%

Sebastian Stark, a charismatic, ethically flexible defense attorney, undergoes a moral awakening after a client he successfully defended commits a heinous act, leading him to become a prosecutor in the Los Angeles DA's high-profile crime unit, where he applies his unorthodox methods to ensure justice while wrestling with his own demons and mentoring young attorneys.

2. Fairly Legal (2011-2012)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%

Kate Reed, a top lawyer at her father's prestigious San Francisco firm, becomes disillusioned with the legal system and reinvents herself as a mediator, using her sharp wit and insight to resolve conflicts outside the courtroom, navigating her own complicated personal life along the way.

3. Family Law (1999-2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%

Following her divorce, attorney Lynn Holt fights to rebuild her life and law practice, dealing with challenging family law cases ranging from divorce to custody battles, while facing the dynamics of her own changing family and the addition of new partners to her practice.

4. For the People (2018-2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%

In the Southern District of New York Federal Court, aka "The Mother Court," young, ambitious prosecutors and public defenders handle high-stakes federal cases, balancing their personal lives with the pressures of their demanding careers, under the watchful eyes of a stern but fair judge.

5. All Rise (2019-2021)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 56%

The series follows newly appointed Judge Lola Carmichael, a highly regarded and empathetic former deputy district attorney, as she navigates through the complexities of the legal system and challenges the status quo, pushing the boundaries of what's expected in a courtroom.

6. The Good Wife ( 2009-2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Alicia Florrick reinvents her life and career as a defense attorney after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail, facing personal and professional challenges inside and outside the courtroom while gradually ascending from junior associate to partner and finally starting her own firm.

7. The Good Fight (2017-2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

A spin-off from "The Good Wife," Diane Lockhart moves from being a partner at a prestigious law firm to starting anew at an African American–owned firm after a financial scam destroys her savings, involving her in high-profile litigation, office politics, and the resistance against the increasing social and political turmoil enveloping Chicago.

8. Bull (2016-2022)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 59%

Dr. Jason Bull uses his skills as a psychologist and a trial science expert to head a jury consulting firm, combining psychology, human intuition, and high-tech data to understand jurors, lawyers, witnesses, and defendants, and construct effective narratives to help his clients win trials.

9. The Guardian (2001-2004)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 83%

Nick Fallin, a hotshot lawyer at his father's prestigious Pittsburgh law firm, is sentenced to 1,500 hours of community service as a child advocate after a drug conviction, leading him to reevaluate his life and priorities as he works with vulnerable children and their families.

10. Goliath (2016-2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

Disgraced lawyer Billy McBride, once a powerful attorney co-founding a giant law firm, now a washed-up ambulance chaser, finds redemption and a chance to regain his soul when he agrees to tackle a wrongful death lawsuit against the massive law firm he helped create.

11. Boston Legal (2004-2008)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

The series follows the personal and professional lives of the charismatic Alan Shore, Denny Crane, and their colleagues at the prestigious Boston law firm Crane, Poole & Schmidt, dealing with high-profile cases while addressing ethical dilemmas and engaging in various personal escapades.

12. Better Call Saul ( 2015-2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%

This prequel to "Breaking Bad " chronicles the transformation of Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer hustling to make a name for himself, into the persona of Saul Goodman, a morally flexible attorney who becomes increasingly involved in the criminal underworld, affecting his career and relationships, especially with his brother, Chuck McGill.

13. Rake (2010-2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

Cleaver Greene, a brilliant but self-destructive Sydney barrister, known for defending the indefensible, navigates personal trials and tribulations, including gambling debts, tumultuous relationships, and clashes with the law, all while winning seemingly unwinnable cases.

14. For Life (2020-2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

Inspired by a true story, Aaron Wallace is wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life in prison, becoming a licensed lawyer while incarcerated, working as a defense attorney for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence and regain his freedom, uncovering a complex web of corruption and injustice.

15. Chicago Justice (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 73%

Part of the Chicago franchise, the series focuses on the State's Attorney's team of prosecutors and investigators as they navigate the murky waters of Chicago politics, high-stakes cases, and their personal ethics in their pursuit of justice in a flawed legal system.