The legal drama is one of the most well-worn genres in television. From the days of Perry Mason to the current reboot of Matlock, it seems people never get sick of watching lawyers take down the criminals . . . or commit the wrongdoings themselves. The Lincoln Lawyer is the latest in the long legacy of dramas set in the courtroom or adjacent to it. The Netflix series stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as a downtrodden attorney who must make his law practice work with no office but rather the comfy confines of a luxury SUV.
The Lincoln Lawyer is based on a series of novels by Michael Connelly. Matthew McConaughey previously starred in a film adaptation of the same story in 2011. If you’ve exhausted all of the material in the world, from the books to the third season of the show that recently finished, we have you covered. These legal dramas are full of interesting characters, thrilling storylines, and fascinating twists that are even better than those presented in the aforementioned Netflix hit!
Better Call Saul (2015)
If you love Breaking Bad, you’ll adore Better Call Saul. This prequel series is also very similar to The Lincoln Lawyer in tone and characterization. Following the legal and personal life of Jimmy McGill, this Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould AMC series combined thriller elements with courtroom drama better than perhaps anything else on television for six seasons. Jimmy may not work out of a Lincoln Navigator, but his podunk strip mall legal shop shares the same unconventional standards. Incredible scenery of the New Mexican skyline, unique camerawork, and literary symbolism elevate Better Call Saul into territory other shows can’t match.
Mad Men (2007)
Mad Men follows Don Draper and his mismatched coworkers during the upheaval of the corporate world during the 1960s. Don is cursed with a talented work ethic, but uneven morals that make his marriage and parental lives a mess. The show carried on the legacy of The Sopranos in bringing antiheroes to the small screen in a big way. Fans of The Lincoln Lawyer will love the setting of Mad Men and the ways both shows demonstrate the ways professional and personal lives intertwine in devastating fashions.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has seen over a quarter of a century of airtime for a very simple reason. It was one of the first dramas to dive into sex crimes and heavier themes on network TV, a move that propelled storytelling forward on cable channels such as HBO. The focus on the relationships between the victims and the investigators will remind people of the interactions in The Lincoln Lawyer. Hundreds of episodes at your fingertips on Hulu make SVU one of the most venerable series of the 21st century and one of NBC’s stalwart franchises.
Suits (2011)
Suits follows backstabbing, betrayal, and drama within the law firm of a Manhattan office. While the setting is traditional and the cast is much larger, fans of The Lincoln Lawyer will instantly fall in love with the way Suits can fictionalize legal proceedings and the people involved with them and maximize all of it for the broadest possible audience. Fans of the Royal Family will also enjoy seeing Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex in a regular role.
Succession (2018)
The Recruit (2022)
The Recruit features Noah Centineo as a different type of lawyer than what you might be used to in some of the other shows listed here. The storylines follow the relationship between a CIA attorney and an extortionist from overseas. With a flair for international politics and spy elements, The Recruit is one of the most binge-able shows on Netflix. The second season should finally come out soon as filming began at the beginning of 2024.
Unbelievable (2019)
Unbelievable deals with heavy themes such as sexual assault and violence, but fans of legal shows will enjoy the gritty and honest depiction of real-world issues. The main character finds herself in trouble after being the victim of rape, something that happens far too often to women in our own society. Her story intertwines with that of another rape investigation led by the police.
Your Honor (2020)
Bryan Cranston returns to TV with Your Honor, an antihero drama in which a New Orleans judge must divide his principles and ethics to save his son’s life. The event in the pilot (the judge’s son hits and kills a mafia member in an auto accident) spurs the first season’s tension. Legal scenes such as trials in the aftermath of the crimes make this a thriller for those who love the genre.
