She-Hulk: Attorney At Law also wrapped up its first season, which told a pretty quirky comedy about a lawyer with superpowers.
These two series seemingly have very little in common, but their names come up when discussing the best TV lawyers. Redditors, in particular, have been discussing which TV lawyers are their favorite and who they'd like to defend them if they were ever in need. This has cultivated a diverse but talented list of law experts to watch.
Kim Wexler - Better Caul Saul
When asked which TV lawyers they'd like to defend them, Redditor MiguelSanchezEsq has made a few choices. One of them was Kim Wexler, the put-together foil to Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul. Compared to the criminal protagonist, Kim comes across as nicer and more competent.
However, it’s not quite truthful to characterize her as the angel on Jimmy’s shoulder. While she does play the part of the virtuous public defender, she also encourages Saul’s criminal behavior. While she’s fun to watch in court, she played an active role in creating Saul Goodman.
Adam Hornstock - Psych
Not every TV lawyer gets to have a long time in the sun. In the case of Adam Hornstock from Psych, Redditor Freakzette wished he had more time. They write, "They need to bring him back. Like, when Shawn needs a lawyer, and that's just inevitable."
Michael Weston has played a lot of great characters on TV, but Adam is one of his most underrated. Despite only guest starring in the season 1 episode of Psych “Cloudy With a Chance Of Murder” (and its season 8 remake), Adam wormed himself into the hearts of fans. He’s introduced as the latest in a line of expert lawyers struggling to live up to his family’s legacy. With the help of the protagonists, he’s able to get a boost of confidence, become an expert lawyer, and save the day.
Harvey & Mike - Suits
Redditors SGP_MIkeF and theanswercaptain both approve of this legal team. They describe the duo from Suits as "extremely capable." Harvey Specter is a senior partner at a law firm and over the course of the series, he does so well for himself that he’s able to open his own law firm by its end.
Where things get more wrinkly is with his partner, Mike Ross. Mike was a college dropout who never attended law school, but he has a photographic memory. He uses this skill in concert, with Harvey’s genuine expertise, to become a lawyer. The two use their unique skills to tackle tough cases as a team, eventually causing Mike to become a great lawyer in his own right.
Alan Shore - Boston Legal
Reddit fredars casts their vote for Alan Shore from Boston Legal. Another now-deleted Redditor adds that "Although he can be smug sometimes, he's still the best there is." James Spader’s iconic lawyer role first appeared in The Practice but made the jump to its spin-off as the main character.
Alan is a classic crusading lawyer, always striving for fair sentencing and justice in a system he distrusts. He does this in a more underhanded way than usual heroic lawyers, though, using bribery, disguise, and even hacking. Still, he always gets the job done. He has quite an ego, sure, but he’s deserving of it.
Jackie Chiles - Seinfeld
TV often exaggerates reality in order to better put on a show. But sometimes the show becomes so popular that it loops around and begins influencing reality. Redditor Seinfeld as an "inspiration of theirs as an aspiring trial lawyer."
Jackie is very much a parody of the “ambulance chaser” archetype of lawyers. He’s always down to help Kramer (or whoever) form a frivolous lawsuit. His quick talking and heavy charisma make him a force in the courtroom and puts him in some of Seinfeld’s funniest storylines.
Harvey Birdman - Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law
When asked who the best lawyer on television is, Reddit reappeared, decades later, on the classic Adult Swim show Space Ghost Coast to Coast, the character was reinvented.
This reinvention would then star in his own show as a bumbling lawyer, usually tasked with defending classic Hanna-Barbera characters. The character was usually portrayed as bumbling, but still more competent than his clients. This earned him a ton of sympathy from audiences, as he’s a funny guy who still tries his best in unwinnable situations.
Ben Matlock - Matlock
When asked which TV lawyer they would want as their defense if they ever were falsely accused, a lot of s had different answers. Redditor jpflaman says that there is only one correct answer, and it's Matlock. Matlock basically codified this archetype for the Baby Boomer generation, as the other lawyers did before and after him.
Ben did the same thing for the “simple country lawyer” that Superman did for superheroes: he popularized it. Despite his apparent wealth (he charges a $100,000 dollar fee), he always dresses and acts simply. He is purposely underplaying himself, though, as he’s actually a brilliant deductive mind. He always sees possibilities that the police and prosecution miss in his cases and scores a win.
Patty Hewes - Damages
Reddit Damages as the best TV lawyer of all time. In the replies to their post, several other Redditors it their fear of her. She's a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom to be sure. Unlike most TV lawyers, she’s the head of her own firm, Hewes & Associates, and oozes authority.
Performed by the indomitable Glenn Close, Patty is meant to be a master manipulator. While she is introduced as a protagonist, her machinations end up turning her apprentice and her son against her. By the end of the show, she is alone, but even then, she’s still considered one of the best lawyers in the country.
Alexis Davis - General Hospital
Most of the best TV lawyers and attorneys are heroic, or at least well-intentioned. If they're a villain, they're usually incompetent so that the hero can outmaneuver them in court. As Reddit General Hospital.
Alexis’ life was full of drama from the very beginning, as the child of a Greco-Russian prince and his mistress. She was disillusioned with her life and ran away to America to be a lawyer. When audiences first meet her, she seems like a normal lawyer, but she would soon get embroiled in the show’s drama. She served as a protagonist and antagonist over the show’s run and made consistent appearances from the '90s to today.
Perry Mason - Perry Mason
"Nobody's gonna say Perry Mason? I know it's an old show, but in a gajillion seasons he only lost once." says RedditorPerry Mason is arguably the most famous fictional lawyer of all time and his show basically codified the legal procedural.
First appearing in a book series, the character is still best known for his television appearances in the '50s. His role is simple and has been maintained through the 2020 HBO series. Mason is a defense attorney who s the underdog and frequently badgers the prosecution and witnesses. He does this to secure a confession from the real killer, solving the case and exonerating his client simultaneously. This method for solving criminal cases is so iconic that law shows would copy it for decades.