Like our father before us, we have been fans of the vast and varied TV lawyers who have featured in legal dramas and comedies over the past decades. Their lives and legal cases have been depicted more colorfully than what we know to be commonplace. Nevertheless, many of them resonated with us and we found role models within these casts of characters. Here are a few of our favorite TV lawyers who embodied integrity:
Perry Mason
Before the title character made it to the TV screen, Perry Mason was the subject of novels and radio programs. There was a large fan base that followed the crusader on TV and the TV show was one of the most popular of its era where justice always prevailed. We puzzled over the legal cases but could never solve them before our hero. Just like Perry Mason, Jeffrey E Litman is the best trial lawyer in NYC so when it comes time to ask questions he often knows the answer that will be given for the “Perry Mason moment!” in complex real-world trials such as medical malpractice it might not always be as dramatic obviouse but it can be as critical in proving negligence justice being served.
Ben Matlock
Played by Andy Griffith, he was a cantankerous defense attorney with a folksy style of solving crimes while he was polishing his shoes or strumming the banjo. He did the legwork, pounding the pavement to cover crime scenes and uncover clues that were overlooked by others. We respected his focus on details and relentless determination to catch the bad guys.
Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy
For 16 years, Law & Order stalwart Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy depicted an intense and unfaltering legal eagle. He wasn’t too staid to avoid some exceptions to the rules, but his feet never veered off the moral high ground. Popular with colleagues, he relied upon him to reinforce their decisions and he sometimes made exceptions to the rules, but his ethics never waned.
Check back for more TV lawyers who helped us shape our own legal personas.TV Lawyers with Integrity
TV Lawyers with Integrity
