Courtroom cases may not be the most exciting of real-life events when you’re in them but they certainly make for great drama on television. Whether it’s a stirring bit of fictional investigations or based on true crime cases, there’s plenty of options when it comes to getting your legal fix of entertainment. Here are five legal series online to check out on various streaming services.
Goliath (Amazon Prime)
Billy Bob Thorton plays the lawyer of Billy McBride, a washed-up ambulance chaser that has retreated to the bottle. But he has just landed the case of a lifetime when he takes on a wrongful death lawsuit which leads to him unearthing a massive conspiracy. The drama continues to unfold as McBride does legal battle against an increasingly tougher opponent and a dominating firm. The series additionally stars William Hurt, Maria Bello, Olivia Thirlby, and Nina Arianda.
When They See Us (Netflix)
Based on the true story of the Central Park Five from 1989, When They See Us is an eye-opening and bitter docudrama miniseries. Directed by the acclaimed director Ava DuVernay, the series documents the events of the wrongful arrest and unnerving trial that accused five black male suspects of the murder of a jogger in central park. The series covers not only the trial but the horrifying aftermath that followed and how the lives of these young men were never the same after a cruel act of systemic racism by the New York police department, the hatred further fanned by Donald Trump.
Damages (Hulu)
Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) is an attorney just trying to keep her life together as she pursues cases and struggles to raise her granddaughter. But she’ll find herself in a tough spot as she battles for custody after discovering the joys of getting a second chance at motherhood. What follows is an intriguing and dark legal thriller with a complex story divulged in a non-linear fashion. A great Hulu legal show.
The Good Fight (Amazon Prime)
A sequel series to The Good Wife, The Good Fight continues the story of a firm that was pushed into financial ruin. Lawyer Diane Lockhart and her protege of Maia are shoved out of their firm and try to build back up their reputations with a new firm. But it won’t be an easy battle of proving themselves in the courtroom with a long road ahead of them and starting out at the bottom.
Better Call Saul (Netflix)
As the spin-off series to Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul follows the troubling legal exploits of the shady lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk). Before he was Goodman, however, he was known as Jimmy McGill as this prequel series focuses on his hustle and clashes with criminal elements. The series also showcases how he came to know the “fixer” of former cop Mike Ehrmantraut and how they came to rely on each other.