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L.A. Law

  • TV Series
  • 1986–1994
  • TV-PG
  • 46m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
5.8K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,698
171
L.A. Law (1986)
The lives and work of the staff of a major Los Angeles law firm.
Play trailer0:34
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Drama

The lives and work of the staff of a major Los Angeles law firm.The lives and work of the staff of a major Los Angeles law firm.The lives and work of the staff of a major Los Angeles law firm.

  • Creators
    • Steven Bochco
    • Terry Louise Fisher
  • Stars
    • Corbin Bernsen
    • Jill Eikenberry
    • Alan Rachins
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    5.8K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,698
    171
    • Creators
      • Steven Bochco
      • Terry Louise Fisher
    • Stars
      • Corbin Bernsen
      • Jill Eikenberry
      • Alan Rachins
    • 29User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 15 Primetime Emmys
      • 45 wins & 147 nominations total

    Episodes171

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Videos2

    L.A. Law
    Clip 0:39
    Watch L.A. Law
    DVD Trailer - Season 1
    Trailer 0:34
    Watch DVD Trailer - Season 1

    Photos515

    Jimmy Smits, Harry Hamlin, Blair Underwood, Larry Drake, Richard Dysart, Jill Eikenberry, Michele Greene, Alan Rachins, Susan Ruttan, and Michael Tucker in L.A. Law (1986)
    Amanda Donohoe as Cara Jean 'C.J.' Lamb
    Corbin Bernsen, Jimmy Smits, Harry Hamlin, Richard Dysart, and Jill Eikenberry in L.A. Law (1986)
    "L.A Law" Shelia Kelley
    "L.A. Law" Susan Dey, Harry Hamlin 1987 ABC
    "L.A. Law" Harry Hamlin, Jill Eikenberry, Corbin Bernsen 1987 ABC
    Conchata Ferrell in L.A. Law (1986)
    Conchata Ferrell, Michael Cumpsty, Sheila Kelley, and Tom Verica in L.A. Law (1986)
    Conchata Ferrell, Michael Cumpsty, Sheila Kelley, Tom Verica, Frank Kittredge, and Susan Bloom in L.A. Law (1986)
    L.A. Law (1986)
    Susan Dey in L.A. Law (1986)
    Kathy Bates in L.A. Law (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Corbin Bernsen
    Corbin Bernsen
    • Arnie Becker
    Jill Eikenberry
    Jill Eikenberry
    • Ann Kelsey
    Alan Rachins
    Alan Rachins
    • Douglas Brackman, Jr.
    Michael Tucker
    Michael Tucker
    • Stuart Markowitz
    Richard Dysart
    Richard Dysart
    • Leland McKenzie
    Susan Ruttan
    Susan Ruttan
    • Roxanne Melman
    Blair Underwood
    Blair Underwood
    • Jonathan Rollins
    Larry Drake
    Larry Drake
    • Benny Stulwicz
    Susan Dey
    Susan Dey
    • D.D.A. Grace Van Owen…
    Jimmy Smits
    Jimmy Smits
    • Victor Sifuentes
    Harry Hamlin
    Harry Hamlin
    • Michael Kuzak
    Michele Greene
    Michele Greene
    • Abby Perkins
    John Spencer
    John Spencer
    • Tommy Mullaney…
    Sheila Kelley
    Sheila Kelley
    • Gwen Taylor
    Amanda Donohoe
    Amanda Donohoe
    • Cara Jean 'C.J.' Lamb
    A Martinez
    A Martinez
    • Daniel Morales…
    Cecil Hoffman
    Cecil Hoffman
    • A.D.A. Zoey Clemmons
    Alan Rosenberg
    Alan Rosenberg
    • Eli Levinson…
    • Creators
      • Steven Bochco
      • Terry Louise Fisher
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    LA Law

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Series co-creator Terry Louise Fisher, former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, former entertainment lawyer for Twentieth Century Fox, and producer and writer for Cagney & Lacey (1981), composed a form letter she was thinking of sending to lawyers who complained about this show: "Dear So-and-so: If I were a good lawyer, I'd still be practicing law. Instead, I'm stuck in Hollywood, making ten times as much money. I hope you are as conscientious about your clients, as you are about our show. Thank you for your writing."
    • Quotes

      Douglas Brackman, Jr.: I'm more like my father than I thought. I wanted to be the lawyer he was, the man he was. Turns out we both just like to cheat on our wives.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening titles begin with a a car trunk being slammed shut revealing the title on a personalized license plate. The license plate expiration sticker always shows the ending year for each season.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 44th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1987)

    User reviews29

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    A classic legal drama that redefined TV
    The previous post was less than favorable to this incredible show ("great actors, flawed writing"), so I just had to weigh in. For a moment, forget that "L.A. Law" presented some of the most compelling and unusual legal cases as drama (some of them so unusual, in fact, showrunner David E. Kelley would revisit them in his own "Picket Fences," "The Practice," and even "Ally McBeal").

    "L.A. Law" brought black comedy back to television and presented sexuality and sensuality that actually advanced its storylines. The latter were core character traits of Corbin Bernsen's Arnold Becker and Jill Eikenberry's and Michael Tucker's Ann Kelsey and Stuart Markowicz, respectively. You can argue the tastefulness of these scenes and others, but you couldn't make a case for their gratuity.

    The writing, of course, enabled the other collaborators on this show to perform at the peaks of their abilities. The show explored some of the more difficult issues of its time through our legal adversarial process. Whether surgeons should be obligated to operate on AIDS patients, the right for the terminally ill to die, the lives of the mentally challenged, sexual dysfunctions, the pressures and responsibilities of the police -- these and other episodes paved the way for the shows we're watching today. "L.A. Law" stood on the shoulders of giants, yes, but it became a giant in its own right.

    Arguably the show created by Stephen Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher suffered with the departure of David. E. Kelley in its fifth season. The guys who used to run "St. Elsewhere" had a brief stint as showrunners, and viewers began tuning out when the show became less about L.A. lawyers and more about various medical maladies.

    That fifth season was especially dramatic, too, as several cast members also were leaving, which freed the writers from some of the constraints of series television -- namely, that characters could not change significantly from week to week.

    To dismiss "L.A. Law" as a show about yuppie lawyers is to misjudge a deep, poignant, and important book by its slick, glossy cover. Check it out.
    helpful•12
    3
    • asmith-7
    • Jul 19, 2001

    FAQ1

    • Is this series available on DVD or Netflix?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 15, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • L.A. Law - Staranwälte, Tricks, Prozesse
    • Filming locations
      • Stage 5, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • 20th Century Fox Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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