Best Classic American TV Legal Shows

By Raymond Lockley

The serious lawyer has long been a leading protagonist in American television. But before there were global cable channels that showed "Law & Order" and other legal dramas 24 hours a day, there were some classic shows that defined for most Americans what a lawyer should look and sound like. Most "best" lists of series go back only to the '80s, but there were many before that paved the way, and there were a few that truly set the pace. Here's my list of of the best classic (i.e. from my younger days) American TV shows about lawyers:

  1. Perry Mason, 1957-66
  2. The Defenders, 1961-65
  3. The Public Defender, 1954-55

To index of lists