The Innocence Files follows untold and personal stories of people who were wrongfully convicted and how the verdict affected not only their lives but also their families. The documentary true crime is based on the work of the Innocence Project. The project is an initiative to exonerate and support people who have been falsely accused of crimes they did not commit. The series examines eight such Innocence Project cases that they discovered and canceled. Arguably the most important legal drama of all time, this series premiered on CBS in 1957 and was very well received until 1966. In this intense drama, Raymond Burr played the bloodhound of a criminal defense lawyer. The show became a fast-paced and loyal audience, based primarily on the very dramatic scenes in which Perry Mason cross-examined numerous suspicious witnesses on the witness stand. As a testament to the popularity of the original series, Perry Mason has seen two spin-offs make their way to the small screen. In addition, published reports suggest a 2017 HBO remake starring none other than Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role of Perry Mason. Law and Order: SVU, probably television`s most iconic and longest-running legal drama series, has to be number one on this list. It`s extremely difficult for a show to last more than 20 years (Grey`s Anatomy gets there) and stay relevant. One of the many reasons it has such a predominantly female audience is that SVU took sexual assault and sexual consent seriously before most shows.

Since the department where the characters work deals with sex crimes, the show began openly discussing topics that, years #MeToo before, were considered taboo and too much for prime time. As Casey Kasem said, “With a rocket in the top 3,” this AMC comedy-drama is truly a treasure trove for eternity. No one should be surprised given that this Breaking Bad prequel comes from the same creative team where the original received numerous Emmy nominations and awards. The most notable players in this series are Bob Odenkirk (who plays the main character James McGill/Saul Goodman) and Jonathan Banks, who plays the always stocky Mike Ehrmantrout. The brilliance of this legal spectacle is the way the writers seamlessly infuse comedies into the very exciting nuances of the plot. Some confirm the success of this series of hardcore fans that Breaking Bad left behind. However, after almost 3 seasons, it is clear that this series is more than capable of flying on its own. Complicated cases, lying killers, and fierce rivalries are just a few of the elements that make legal drama series so captivating. Here are the best of them.

The show Shondaland (Shonda Rhimes) with Oscar winner Viola Davis was to be on this list. A story that could be considered a thriller, but focuses so much on the legal elements (on, well, getting away with murder) is a great example of a legal drama that is not procedural, but serial. A captivating story from the first season to the last, this series is a must for anyone who loves legal dramas, especially those with incredibly high stakes and different twists and turns. When she tells the story of law professor Analise Keating and the five students she has chosen as a mentor, they will find themselves worse off than their clients. Goliath is a Prime Video original television series starring Billu Bob Thornton. The series ran for four seasons before being cancelled in 2021, telling the story of a dilapidated lawyer in search of redemption. The show was important in that it showed how corruption was endemic in the legal system, which favored the rich. Bobby Donnell starts his own business in hopes of protecting the innocent and upholding the law. He starts piece by piece, bringing in a partner, associate lawyers and a paralegal to start his practice. However, he soon realizes that justice is not the only thing that keeps his business going. Guilty clients must be caught and the scales of justice must be tipped if he is to lay a solid foundation for the business of his business. “The Practice” shows the moral struggles of lawyers who accept different clients and try to maintain their morale.

Office policy is also starting to evolve season after season. Criminal Minds remains one of the most exciting and horrific trials on television. After the end of season 15 and a revival at Paramount+, the series certainly had no shortage of serial killers capable of profiling and capturing members of the behavioral analysis unit aka BAU. But even if the stories of the serial killers didn`t quite land, it was the team that never failed to get involved. With the arrival and departure of various members of the ranks over the years, history has never failed to show the darkness faced by BAU agents or the toll it took them to try to understand the minds of the worst criminals. Plus, the team that finished the series was the best yet, making the series` premature end even more disappointing. This team – with JJ (A.J. Cook), Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler), Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez), Matt Simmons (Daniel Henney) and Rossi (Joe Mantegna) – felt more cohesive and worked better together at a balanced level than the team of previous seasons, which always felt very heavy on Hotch and Rossi at every opportunity. Diving into the criminal in this way brought something unique to the procedural layout that cemented that Criminal Minds will always be special.

— Jay Snow This USA Network series debuted in 2011 and captured the hearts and minds of audiences from the start. The series revolves around a college dropout, Mike Ross (played by Patrick J. Abrams), who essentially goes to the bar of a renowned New York law firm. Mentor Ross is the well-trained and polite Harvey Specter, well played by Gabriel Match, who is also the show`s producer. Together, Mike and Harvey fight their way through various intense legal battles, many of which take place in fictional depictions of American companies on topics such as shady corporate management agreements. All the time trying to keep Mike`s non-lawyer status a secret. With a strong supporting cast, including standout personalities like Rick Hoffman, Gina Torres and Meghan Markle, this basic cable series ran for 6 seasons with a 7th season set to debut in July this year – definitely worth a weekend of legal binge watching TV. An unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly knocks over a California electric utility accused of polluting a city`s water supply. The Netflix original docuseries is based on real events, from Michael`s arrest to the trial and final verdict. The real courtroom drama gives you a glimpse into a high-profile murder trial and explores the twists and turns of the current justice system.

The Staircase, winner of a 2005 Peabody Award, spans 13 episodes and uses re-enactments of the trial, interviews, archival footage and photographs, as well as Michael Peterson`s media interactions to tell his story. This twisted show, produced by Shonda Rhimes, begins with law professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) and five of her students finding themselves embroiled in a complicated murder case and following them as they grapple with the consequences. Davis` powerful performance made her the first black woman to win the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series. As the title suggests, the series depicts the metaphorical animal nature of rival lawyers to keep their heads in the world of the legal system. Hyena has only one season with 16 episodes. Are you a John Grisham fan? Have you seen all (or most) of the films based on his novels? Next, you might want to add The Innocent Man to your list. The documentary series focuses on two gruesome murders committed in Ada, Oklahoma, in the 1980s. Ronald Keith Williamson, a minor league basketball player, was charged with the rape and murder of Debra Sue “Debbie” Carter. Ronald`s friend, Dennis Fritz, was also found guilty of aiding and abetting. While Dennis was sentenced to life in prison, Ronald was sentenced to death.

11 years later, a closer look at the DNA evidence proved both were innocent. The Practice was much more realistic and treated its viewers as if they were smart. And when it came to court cases, profound issues were discussed; including personal morality, which was a great approach considering defense lawyers had never been portrayed in such a light before. However, once this show is finally over, there are still many more legal dramas to catch up. These include a solid list of classic court dramas, one of the most successful franchises in television history, and some of the best lawyer series that let them do whatever it takes to bring bad guys to justice and keep innocent victims out of jail. One of the most successful spin-offs of all time, Better Call Saul, delves into the life of one of television`s most famous lawyers: Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk). For fans of Breaking Bad and those new to the world of Vince Gillian, this story is full of popular characters from the original series. The series takes place before Breaking Bad, a while and even hints at a future for the character, is complicated and impossible to stop.

A story that leads to the unforgettable figure of the summary lawyer that the public saw at the consultation of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), this account is anything but predictable. In “The Court Supreme” (season 4, episode 17), Shore has the opportunity of a lifetime when he is asked to appeal to the Supreme Court on behalf of a mentally disabled man facing the death penalty.