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Every year, a ton of long-running legal films and television shows like The Good Wife or Suits are produced, and fans continue to eat them up. What can we say, it’s cheaper than attending law school, and we’re assuming a lot more fun, too.
Female characters tend to shine in these court shows, reflecting real-world statistics showing that women made up 51% of in-house counsel positions as recently as 2020. There are numerous legal gems in the industry that have one or more prominent female characters waiting to be found, and here is the list to please any legal drama fans.
‘Damages’ (2007 – 2012)
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Damages follows Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), a clever and cunning attorney, and her most recent protégée, Ellen Parsons, played by Rose Byrne, a recent law school graduate. Each season highlights a significant case that Hewes and her firm take on while also delving into a particular phase of Ellen and Patty’s complicated relationship.
Close’s cutting-edge abilities and occasionally vicious demeanor command the screen as soon as she enters the frame. Additionally, because of the ingenious format of one case per season, viewers see plausible character development and the proceedings behind closed doors, giving us another perspective on how brutal these lawyers can be.
‘How to Get Away with Murder’ (2014 – 2020)
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How to Get Away with Murder centers on Annalise Keating (Viola Davis), a law professor at a top university in Philadelphia and criminal defense attorney who gets mixed up in murder conspiracies along with five of her students whom she chooses to mentor each academic year.
This show is a must-watch for anyone who likes legal dramas, especially ones with extremely high stakes, surprising narrative twists, and a captivating, powerful female lead. In addition, other female characters in the series also have their own amazing, distinctive personalities, captivating backstories, and compelling storylines throughout six seasons that can hook every viewer.
‘Scandal’ (2012 – 2018)
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Scandal is another gem coming from ShondaLand, starring Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope, a crisis management expert based in Washington D.C. Though Pope isn’t a lawyer in the show’s timeline, she is a former one who uses her knowledge to assist her clients and torment anyone who dares to oppose her.
Pope is a compelling, ruthless yet sympathetic character that fans root for until the end. Moreover, like most female characters in ShondaLand, the women of Scandal are unique, strong, and ambitious. They can easily handle themselves in court and in real life.
‘The Good Wife’ (2009 – 2016)
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The Good Wife focuses on Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), whose husband, Peter (Chris Noth), a former state attorney for Cook County, Illinois, was imprisoned as a result of an infamous political corruption and sex scandal.
Alicia returns to the workforce as a lawyer after being a stay-at-home mother for the last 13 years to support her two children. Alicia Florrick is an icon for all working mothers because she successfully juggles being a mother and a woman in a patriarchal society.
‘The Good Fight’ (2017 – 2022)
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The Good Fight is a spin-off of The Good Wife that follows Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) as she loses her job after a massive financial scam ruins her goddaughter Maia’s (Rose Leslie) reputation and Diane’s savings, forcing them to join Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) at one of Chicago’s top law firms.
The Good Fight is renowned for being more political than its predecessor and includes caustic commentary on racial issues, feminism, and the former president, Donald Trump. Additionally, the show primarily follows the lives of three female leads as they navigate their personal and professional lives, allowing viewers to empathize with them.
‘Unbelievable’ (2019)
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The 2015 news article An Unbelievable Story of Rape by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, as well as their 2018 book A False Report based on the same research, served as the foundation for the Netflix miniseries Unbelievable. The series centers on Marie (Kaitlyn Dever), a teen accused of lying about being raped, and two female detectives who work to uncover the truth.
The show centers on women looking into a crime against another woman, frequently handled incorrectly or given poor priority, shedding light on a grim reality. Moreover, the show’s outstanding performances provide a compelling incentive to watch since they bring their characters to life and immerse the audience right into the story’s center.
‘The Client’ (1994)
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In The Client, when the district attorney approaches and tries to use Mark Sway (Brad Renfro), who has seen a mob lawyer commit suicide, to bring down a mafia empire, Mark employs a lawyer to defend him. There, he meets lawyer and recovering alcoholic Regina “Reggie” Love (Susan Sarandon), who offers to represent him.
Regina has a sorrowful backstory that later makes sense for the relationship she has with her young client, yet she’s tough and warm enough to comprehend her client’s challenging emotional demands. Moreover, thanks to Sarandon and Renfro’s incredible chemistry, we have a legendary lawyer-client duo that will endure any tests of time.
‘Erin Brockovich’ (2000)
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Erin Brockovich stars Julia Roberts as the real-life titular heroine who nearly single-handedly brings down a California power company for contaminating a city’s water supply while working for a Californian attorney as a single mother.
Roberts definitely excels in her craft; she upstages the narrative, provides the real Brockovich with a platform to share her story, and elevates the character’s inner journey. Fans of the legal drama would thoroughly love Erin Brockovich for being moving, inspirational, and entertaining.
‘Jagged Edge’ (1985)
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Jagged Edge stars Jeff Bridges as a powerful publisher from San Francisco, Jack Forrester, whose wife is brutally killed in their remote oceanfront home. Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close) was then recruited to represent him when he was detained and accused of murder since it was made known that he stood to receive his wife’s whole estate.
The trial sequences are written and performed with electric ability, with Close’s emotions amplifying every turn and twist. In addition, Jagged Edge is more than just a typical courtroom drama, it explores a woman’s inner issues as she struggles to balance her morality with her love for her client.
‘Denial’ (2016)
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Based on Deborah Lipstadt‘s 2005 book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier, the 2016 biographical film Denial is directed by Mick Jackson and written by David Hare. The movie centers on The Irving v. Penguin Books Ltd. case, in which Holocaust scholar Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) was sued for libel by Holocaust denier David Irving (Timothy Spall).
The performance by Weisz as Lipstadt is genuinely exceptional and unique. Denial becomes its own delicate and compelling chapter in the historical fight for human rights by avoiding clichés and transcending the constraints of a modest budget, making it one courtroom drama that goes far beyond the constricting confines of a courtroom.
‘Legally Blonde’ (2000)
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The list ends with an iconic legal drama-comedy that stars Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, a sorority girl who attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend by getting a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School. Through unwavering self-confidence and fashion know-how, she succeeds as a successful lawyer while dispelling prejudices about blondes.
It doesn’t have the intensity typically found in a standard legal thriller, but Legally Blonde injects charm and wit into the genre by adding humor and entertainment value. Additionally, Witherspoon’s performance had a significant impact and inspired a cultural movement, remaining one of the most quoted films in recent memory.
