Best Criminal Defense
A 2013 Japanese Fuji TV sequel in which Masato Sakai reprises his role as eccentric, undefeated defense attorney Komikado Kensuke in high-stakes, comedic courtroom battles.
Why this score?
Highly regarded Japanese legal comedy sequel, strong ratings, Masato Sakai acclaim, and durable fan reputation.
Scoring methodology
The second season of '99.9: Criminal Lawyer,' a Japanese legal drama that aired on TBS in 2018, continues the story of defense attorney Hiroto Miyama, played by Jun Matsumoto. The series title references the statistic that 99.9% of criminal cases in Japan result in conviction, with Miyama dedicating...
Why this score?
Popular 99.9 continuation with strong ratings, dependable mystery structure, and broad audience approval despite formula repetition.
Scoring methodology
Rake is an Australian television comedy-drama series that aired on ABC from 2010 to 2018. Created by Peter Duncan, the show stars Richard Roxburgh as Cleaver Greene, a brilliant but self-destructive criminal defense barrister based in Sydney. The series follows Greene as he takes on challenging lega...
“99.9: Criminal Lawyer” is a Japanese television legal drama first broadcast by TBS in 2016. Jun Matsumoto plays Hiroto Miyama, a defense attorney who investigates criminal cases despite Japan’s reported conviction rate of more than 99 percent, often revisiting details overlooked by investigators or...
The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American supernatural legal thriller directed by Taylor Hackford and adapted from Andrew Neiderman's novel. Keanu Reeves plays an ambitious Florida defense attorney recruited by a powerful New York law firm led by Al Pacino's charismatic John Milton, while Charlize The...
The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2011 American legal thriller directed by Brad Furman and starring Matthew McConaughey as defense attorney Mickey Haller. Adapted from Michael Connelly's 2005 novel, the film follows Haller as he handles a high-profile criminal case while confronting questions about evidence,...
Jose Baez is an American criminal defense attorney known nationally for representing Casey Anthony in her 2011 trial in Florida. Anthony was acquitted of murder and several other major charges, although she was convicted of providing false information to law enforcement. Baez's work in the case brou...
Leslie Hope Abramson is an American criminal-defense lawyer best known for representing Erik Menendez in the prosecution arising from the 1989 murders of his parents, José and Kitty Menendez. She served as Erik's lead trial attorney during the highly publicized 1993 proceedings, which ended in a mis...
The Last Innocent Man is a 1987 American television film produced for HBO and starring Ed Harris. Harris plays a criminal-defense attorney who secures an acquittal for a murder defendant, then begins to believe that the man was guilty and remains a danger to others. The story focuses on the attorney...
Why this score?
HBO legal thriller benefits from Ed Harris and noir premise, but remains modestly remembered and less acclaimed.
Scoring methodology
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law is an American legal drama series that aired on ABC from 1971 to 1974. Arthur Hill stars as Owen Marshall, a California attorney who represents clients in criminal and civil matters. The series uses courtroom and legal cases to address social issues and questions of j...
Mayer Morganroth is an American trial and appellate lawyer known for criminal defense work. He represented Jack Kevorkian, the Michigan physician whose assisted-suicide cases drew extensive public and legal attention during the 1990s. Morganroth's public profile is therefore associated chiefly with...
F. Lee Bailey was an American criminal defense attorney known for representing defendants in several highly publicized cases. He was part of Patty Hearst's defense team during her 1976 federal trial and later served as a member of O. J. Simpson's defense team in the 1995 murder trial. Bailey's caree...
A Japanese legal drama whose title translates as 'The Last Defense Attorney,' centering on a lawyer who takes on seemingly hopeless criminal defense cases for condemned clients.
Why this score?
Obscure Japanese legal series with limited international consensus, some genre interest, but little enduring reputation.
Scoring methodology
Rogue Lawyer is a 2015 legal thriller novel by John Grisham. The protagonist is Sebastian Rudd, a criminal defense attorney who works outside the traditional legal establishment, taking on controversial clients and cases that other lawyers avoid. Rudd operates from a customized van rather than a con...
Why this score?
Divisive Grisham experiment with episodic structure and abrasive lead, admired by some but broadly seen as uneven.
Scoring methodology
Rake is a 2014 American legal comedy-drama television series broadcast by Fox. It is adapted from the Australian television series of the same name and stars Greg Kinnear as Keegan Deane, a talented but self-destructive criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles. The series follows his difficult cases a...
Outlaw is a 2010 American legal drama that aired on NBC for one season and was canceled after four episodes, with eight episodes produced. Jimmy Smits plays Cyrus Garza, a United States Supreme Court justice who resigns after deciding to grant a new trial and returns to private practice as a defense...
Why this score?
Widely criticized NBC legal drama, implausible premise and weak reviews despite Jimmy Smits, quickly cancelled.
Scoring methodology
