8 Most Unforgettable Courtroom Scenes In TV Shows

Courtroom scenes and legal shows have inherent drama and shocking plot twists, and the most unforgettable courtroom scenes in TV shows all rise above their competitors to stand out in television history. The best courtroom scenes don’t have to take place in shows that deal with lawyers and legal drama. However, those series usually have excellent examples because the writers are so focused on creating realistic and captivating court scenes. While not all courtroom scenes are true to life, that doesn’t take away from the hold courtroom scenes have on television audiences.

Outside of television, movies that deal with law, like the best courtroom dramas of all time, focus solely on one case. TV shows that incorporate courtroom scenes into their plots usually juggle multiple stories and cases across a season. Many unforgettable courtroom scenes aren’t just about the case or the clients, but about the main characters of the show, and their character arcs are mirrored in the central issues of the legal battle. This adds layers to the story and engages the audience in the case’s outcome.

8

Suits (2011 – 2019) – Mike Puts His Fate In The Hands Of The Jury

Season 5, Episode 15, “Tick Tock”

Suits‘ best courtroom scenes were few and far between because, as high-powered corporate lawyers, the characters on the show avoided going to trial at all costs. Their big moves were made behind the scenes but after many years of Mike (Patrick J. Adams) and Harvey (Gabriel Macht) defrauding the Bar Association by lying about Mike’s legal credentials, it was time to pay the piper. Mike was brought to trial on the charges that he was practicing law without a license, and throughout Suits season 5, he and Harvey threw everything they had into preparing for the trial.

However, in his closing argument, Mike threw a wrench in their plan and came clean, but in doing so, he won over the jury and demonstrated what an excellent lawyer he had become. Though Mike does end up going to jail, that doesn’t change how moving and vulnerable his speech is to the jury. It’s at this moment the audience sees how much Mike has changed, and his decision that if he does get to practice law it will be in the service of others, not for the benefit of corporate greed.

7

Better Call Saul (2015 – 2022) – Jimmy Tricks The Witness

Season 5, Episode 4, “Namaste”

Better Call Saul is the most consistently accurate of all the legal dramas on television because the writers brought in real lawyers to consult on how the courtroom scenes play out. In “Namaste,” Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) starts the scene like any other trial, but he uses an incredible trick that fools not only the witness but the entire courtroom. When the witness on the stand is asked to identify Jimmy’s client as the person who committed the crime, the witness points to the client sitting at Jimmy’s table.

However, after this, Jimmy reveals that this man isn’t the defendant. The defendant is sitting in the back of the courtroom. To say that this is an unconventional method is an understatement, and in a real court of law it might have gotten Jimmy in trouble, but instead, a mistrial is declared. Though it isn’t a high-profile case and the stakes are ultimately pretty low, it illustrates what a fantastic lawyer Jimmy is and how he’s consistently underestimated throughout the show. Like any great courtroom scene, it’s innovation and the element of surprise that makes it stand out.

6

Law & Order (1990 – ) – Jack McCoy Bends The Rules

Season 16, Episode 22, “Invaders”

In one of Sam Waterston’s best episodes of Law & Order, Jack McCoy has to persecute the murderers who targeted a young family and follow the trail of corruption that led to the shocking death of his partner, Alexandra Borgia (Annie Parisse). Though Borgia wasn’t part of the DA’s office for long, she made a lasting impact on Law & Order, and she’s tragically killed while investigating the case because she was getting too close to the heart of a conspiracy. As McCoy has already lost a friend in the show, Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy), he takes the loss hard.

McCoy has never been the kind of lawyer who shies away from working around the law as he’s guided by his moral compass over everything. However, he goes a step too far and is thrown off the case. This is an intense moment as McCoy is about to put away the men who killed Borgia but is forced to leave the courtroom. Before this, an even more intense scene occurs when a piece of evidence he has cannot be used because of its entrapment. These scenes are great examples of when proceedings don’t go how the lawyer wants them to.

5

The Good Wife (2009 – 2016) – The 5th Amendment

Season 2, Episode 1, “Taking Control”

The Good Wife is heralded for its female-led cast with Julianna Margulies playing Alicia Florrick, a lawyer who gets back her edge and ambition after her husband ruins their marriage and disgraces their public image with a political scandal. However, Alicia soon finds she loves being a lawyer and wants to put her career first for a change. This is where much of the central conflict of the show comes in. She quickly becomes embroiled in a love triangle between herself, her husband, and another lawyer she works with, Will Gardner (Josh Charles).

Despite the personal dramas that keep the audience coming back for more, The Good Wife is most memorable because of its well-crafted courtroom scenes and the legal jargon the characters utilize throughout the episodes. In the premiere of season 2, there is a shocking break of etiquette in the courtroom when the judge berates Alicia’s client for invoking the Fifth Amendment. Though it’s highly unlikely that a judge would ever speak this way to a witness, Alicia lets him have it and protects her client’s Constitutional rights.

4

How To Get Away With Murder (2014 – 2020) – Annalise’s Closing Argument

Season 6, Episode 15, “Stay”

Shonda Rhimes has an excellent reputation as a powerhouse who churns out high-quality and captivating television, and though Grey’s Anatomy is her most popular show to date, How To Get Away With Murder deserves just as much recognition. Viola Davis is incomparable as Annalise Keating, a complex and brilliant defense attorney embroiled in mysterious circumstances through her relationships with her clients, students, and partners. Throughout the six seasons of the show, she gives many impassioned speeches to different juries, but none comes close to the closing argument she gives in the series finale, “Stay.”

Not only is it the perfect end to her case, but it parallels the journey of her character on the show. She’s defending herself and is finally coming clean about who she is as a person and a lawyer to the jury and herself. How To Get Away With Murder doesn’t excuse Annalise for her actions, but it puts them in the context of a world that has never accepted her for who she is, but at the end of the series she is finally ready to accept herself.

3

Seinfeld (1989 – 1998) – Jerry, Elaine, George, & Kramer Go To Prison

Season 9, Episode 24, “The Finale”

The first thing that comes to mind when talking about incredible court scenes and legal cases most likely isn’t the hit sitcom Seinfeld. However, the series finale cemented itself as unlike anything else on TV by ending with all of its characters going to prison. Though some fans and critics felt the Seinfeld series finale was a disaster, it’s still widely talked about to this day, so at the very least, it was memorable. Whether or not it’s better to go out with a divisive ending or a satisfying one is up for debate, but Seinfeld certainly went with divisive.

There are several courtroom scenes throughout the episode and the two major ones occur when the gang pleads their case and when they get their sentencing. Like any other episode of Seinfeld, this high-stakes situation is handled with humor and ambivalence, with most of the gang refusing to believe they’re actually in legal trouble. Though these characters are far from perfect, few audience members thought they deserved to be in prison. However, it matches the tone of Seinfeld for them to go out on an extreme example of the hijinks they get themselves into.

2

Boston Legal (2004 – 2008) – Appealing The Supreme Court

Season 4, Episode 17, “The Court Supreme”

Boston Legal is a compelling legal drama full of strong actors, and for this reason, it deserves to be better remembered. The series boasts James Spader and William Shatner in two of their best roles, as top lawyers in their field who clash when it comes to how best to handle their cases. Everything they’ve worked for comes to a head when Alan (Spader) presents his case in front of the Supreme Court as he appeals a wave of the death penalty for his client. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and Alan must prove he can handle the pressure.

Though Alan thinks of himself as the best lawyer in town, even he has some trouble when it comes to the highest court in the land. Despite this, he manages to pull off a fantastic argument and the indictment Alan makes against the policies of the Supreme Court are just as relevant today as they were when the episode aired. The moving and lightning-fast speech is amazing for its writing alone but is elevated to a new level by Spader’s fantastic performance.

1

The Good Wife (2009 – 2016) – Courtroom Shooting

Season 5, Episode 15, “Dramatics, Your Honor”

Though The Good Wife has already claimed a spot on this list, it warrants another because of how iconic and shattering this episode and courtroom scene is. In ‘Dramatics, Your Honor,” the beloved character, Will Gardner, is fatally shot by his client, Jeffrey Grant (Hunter Parish) in the middle of the courtroom in a twist that no one saw coming. It was especially unbelievable because his death was kept under wraps by the team behind The Good Wife, so it truly came out of nowhere. Unfortunately, The Good Wife was a TV show that never recovered from a character’s death.

Will was one of Alicia’s primary love interests, and since many fans had been rooting for them since the beginning, the fact that their romance ended this way was devastating. Additionally, acts of violence are usually kept out of the courtroom on television and in real life. However, The Good Wife ensured that Will’s death would not go unnoticed and that audiences would never look at a courtroom the same way when watching the show. A definitive verdict is one thing, but the end of someone’s life is very different.