L.A. Law

L.A. Law

1986
L.A. Law
L.A. Law

L.A. Law

7.1 | en | Drama

L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and domestic violence. The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff. The show was popular with audiences and critics, and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.

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Seasons & Episodes

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EP22  Finish Line
May. 19,1994
Finish Line

McKenzie throws the firm into a turmoil when he announces his plans to retire as they prepare to throw him a surprise 65th birthday party; thinking that he's reached rock bottom at the age of 42, Becker reaches out to Halliday for comfort and finds himself in church; Levinson represents an elderly clothing manufacturer sued by his son in a power struggle over their family business; Benny and Rosalie argue when Dominic urges him to invest money in a race horse.

EP21  Whistle Stop
May. 12,1994
Whistle Stop

Becker blames Belinda's personal malice for his becoming a murder suspect; Mullaney anticipates trouble with a judge who used to date Carolyn; and McKenzie gets troubling news.

EP20  How Am I Driving?
May. 05,1994
How Am I Driving?

Becker tries to hush up his client's connection to a well-placed madam; an incorrigible teen sues to be released from rehab; Eli goes through a broker to buy a car.

EP19  Tunnel of Love
Apr. 28,1994
Tunnel of Love

Patrick pulls another fast one; a rumor about Belinda troubles Becker; the owner of a show dog with a litter of mongrels sues her neighbor

EP18  Dead Issue
Apr. 21,1994
Dead Issue

Markowitz reluctantly takes a court case of a libel suit involving an investigative reporter being sued by a former a nuclear physicist who was accused of conducting radiation experiments on unwitting subjects in the 1950s. Meanwhile, Kelsey handles a divorce case between a woman and her husband, a Grateful Dead fanatic. Also, Becker gets involved with D.A. Belinda Fox, who is determined to prosecute his client for pandering.

EP17  Silence is Golden
Apr. 14,1994
Silence is Golden

Becker and Mullaney suspect, but cannot prove, that Flannigan committed a felony in settling a civil damages suit in a child molestation case; Rollins successfully pleads with an over-controlling father to drop a law suit against his fashion model daughter; Flannigan wins the undying gratitude of the Brackmans when he uses his influence to get their son accepted into a prestigious prep school.

EP16  Whose San Andreas Fault Is it, Anyway?
Mar. 24,1994
Whose San Andreas Fault Is it, Anyway?

Levinson represents an advertising executive being sued for wrongful termination by a copywriter with whom she had an affair; Brackman is livid when Halliday's advice to a client seeking inner peace in the midst of litigation over earthquake damage ends up costing the firm over half a million dollars in fees; Ianello's earthquake anxiety begins to get the better of her; Morales leaves the firm.

EP15  Three on a Patch
Mar. 17,1994
Three on a Patch

Brackman represents senior citizens threatened with eviction from their retirement community for rambunctious behavior arising from their participation in a clinical study of testosterone patches; Rollins takes on the State Department of Corrections on behalf of an inmate who claims that the conditions in the super maximum security facility in which he is incarcerated violate the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment; Becker learns that a kiss is just a kiss, and nothing more, where Halliday is concerned; the partners's choice of a new associate prompts Morales to resign.

EP14  God is My Co-Counsel
Mar. 10,1994
God is My Co-Counsel

A few days before his wedding, Stulwicz is shocked to discover that his bride-to-be is already married, and enlists Becker's help in getting annulment papers signed by her reluctant husband; when Halliday's father arrives for a visit, Becker wastes no time trying to win him over, but father and daughter clash over his interference in her representation of a biology teacher fired for teaching creationism; at the Hendrickson-Stulwicz nuptials, a little romance is in the air for Kelsey and Markowitz, Ianello and Levinson, and Halliday and Becker, despite their truly terrifying bridesmaid outfits.

EP13  Age of Insolence
Feb. 24,1994
Age of Insolence

Kelsey represents a woman being sued for the custody of her adopted daughter by the girl's biological father, who's heavily influenced by a psychologist with her own unresolved adoption issues; Halliday defends a client with heightened sensibilities against the impolite palaver of the woman's coworker and an impish Becker; the partners resentfully capitulate when Rollins gives them an ultimatum about a partnership offer.

EP12  Cold Cuts
Feb. 17,1994
Cold Cuts

Two mountaineers face charges after resorting to cannibalism; a mathematician adds up the consequences of divorce; and Denise lands in the middle of a father-son feud.

EP11  McKenzie, Brackman, Barnum & Bailey
Feb. 10,1994
McKenzie, Brackman, Barnum & Bailey

A ballerina sues a dance company for breach of contract; an aging juggler accuses his protégé of stealing his act; and Benny dances around a commitment to Rosalie.

EP10  He Ain't Guilty, He's My Brother
Feb. 03,1994
He Ain't Guilty, He's My Brother

Morales agrees to defend a confused young man who wants to confess to a convenience store robbery, but who may not be guilty. Meanwhile, Kelsey takes a civil case of defending a man accused of sexual fraud because he implied to a woman that he was an undercover cop. Mullaney and Judge Walker face a defense attorney demanding a mistrial in the Turner case because of their developing relationship. Also, Becker ends up getting duped by a phoney come-on by Halliday after he tells her of his divine sight to see the truth.

EP9  Rhyme and Punishment
Dec. 16,1993
Rhyme and Punishment

Mamie Van Doren is a guest at the firm's Christmas party; the son of an aging comic believes his father is being exploited by a mistress; Roxanne asks Mullaney to surrender parental rights.

EP8  Eli's Gumming
Dec. 09,1993
Eli's Gumming

A prostitute brings rape charges against a record executive who claims to have exotic sexual needs; an insecure student sues his voice therapist for fraud; while studying for the California bar exam, Eli contends with the passions of two women.

EP7  Pacific Rimshot
Nov. 18,1993
Pacific Rimshot

Becker's car accident with his Bentley prompts a spate of anti-Asian sentiments, which in turn inspires the minority members of the firm who include Morales and Rollins. Meanwhile, the Glassman case reaches its conclusion as Rollins and Markowitz try to turn the jury against the US government. Eli handles the divorce of the wife of a marriage counseling guru reluctant to give up on the marriage or his wife's money. Also, Jinx helps Eli with his case while showing him the wonders of Los Angeles.

EP6  Safe Sex
Nov. 11,1993
Safe Sex

Becker urges that the firm employ a security consultant in constructing a ""safe room"" for the employees, then falls prey to the innovation when he and Denise get locked in it after hours. Meanwhile, Kelsey and Halliday square off against each other while they are representing Karl Bullon, a self-righteous department store employer being sued by an ex-employee for eavesdropping on her who was having an extra-marital affair with a co-worker, where Halliday learns a courtroom lesson while cross-examining a witness. Also, Rollins decides to represent Glassman and seeks out a former Black Panther member as a witness while he and Markowitz begin to argue about the politics reguarding the case.

EP5  The Green, Green Grass of Home
Nov. 04,1993
The Green, Green Grass of Home

Markowitz is approached by Barry Glassman, an old friend who reveals that he's a fugitive named Jay Ellison wanted for attempting to help a Black Panther member escape from prison in 1968 and asks him to help arrange his surrender. Meanwhile, Morales is representing a pot-smoking couple suing the school system for encouraging their daughter to turn them into the police. A casting agent raises Denise's expectations about an acting career. Also, Benny develops a crush on Denise and begins to ignore Rosalie who wants to move in with him.

EP4  Foreign Co-Respondent
Oct. 28,1993
Foreign Co-Respondent

McKenzie urges Eli to join the firm and his restricted men's club; a couple move to sue their travel agent for a nightmare trip; a Chinese financier faces murder charges for the death of an illegal immigrant.

EP3  How Much Is That Bentley in the Window?
Oct. 21,1993
How Much Is That Bentley in the Window?

The Sandy Morris murder trial begins where Eli acts on his suspicions and calls the murder victim's husband, Jonah, to the stand. Meanwhile, Becker longs to buy a classic $275,000 Bentley Convertible, a dream that could come true pending the outcome of a messy divorce case involving his latest client, Jessie Wilks, and her wealthy CEO husband. Also, Morales' artistic eye puts him in charge of the office renovation and meets with the attractive renovator, Lauren Chase, to discus the costs.

EP2  Leap of Faith
Oct. 14,1993
Leap of Faith

New associate Jane Halliday represents a Gulf War veteran in declining health, who charges a VA doctor with negligence in treating his baffling illness. Meanwhile, Rollins is representing a TV shopping network executive being sued by a man for enticing his ""shopaholic"" wife to spend beyond her means. Eli enters a plea of not guilty for Sandy Morrison and hires an attractive private investigator, Jinx Haber, to look into the murder victim's husband a potential suspect while Sandy's parents, Ed and Rae, quarrel with Eli and each other over what's best for Sandy.

EP1  Book of Renovation, Chapter 1
Oct. 07,1993
Book of Renovation, Chapter 1

The partners begin to interview candidates for a new associate at the firm which is under interior renovation. Meanwhile, Stuart Markowitz's cousin Eli Levinson arrives in town from New York to defend Sandy Morris, the mentally ill son of some old friends who's accused of murdering a social worker. Eli's former secretary, Denise Iannello, arrives and asks Eli to give her a job as his secretary again. Kelsey represents another attorney suing her own firm for sexual discrimination. Also, Becker finds the new associate candidate, Jane Halliday, a Christian fundamentalist, irresistible, while Kelsey is wary about Halliday's presence.

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7.1 | en | Drama , War & Politics | More Info
Released: 1986-09-15 | Released Producted By: 20th Century Fox Television , Steven Bochco Productions Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and domestic violence. The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff. The show was popular with audiences and critics, and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.

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Cast

Corbin Bernsen , Jill Eikenberry , Alan Rachins

Director

Michael L. Mayer

Producted By

20th Century Fox Television , Steven Bochco Productions

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Reviews

Parker Lewis I saw the first few seasons of L.A. Law and some story lines really stuck out. One was where one of the attorneys Jonathan Rollns (played by Blair Underwood) made a very anti-Japanese closing presentation to the jury in an unlawful dismissal trial (the company was Japanese and the attorney represented one of the dismissed employees), and so disgraceful was it that the judge admonished Rollins from the bench. Another was where I think Michael Kuzak represented a black client who was found guilty of murdering his white girlfriend I think. Now that was explosive. The client was sentenced to death, and I wish I knew if his appeal succeeded. It's been said that the popularity of L.A. Law propelled many people to study law. Maybe. Now I guess it's Suits is the show to watch.
mattkratz This was a terrific legal drama about a hodgepodge of lawyers in an upscale legal firm in Los Angeles, and it focused on their cases and their lives. The story lines were terrific as were the characters, like the womanizing Arnie (a character you usually find in sitcoms!), the retarded office worker Bennie, the Hispanic attorney Victor who knew he had been hired to meet racial status quos, and the nasty attorney who met her end when she fell down the elevator shaft. I loved the theme song-it ranks among my all-time favorites. Anyone who likes legal dramas will love this show. Compare and contrast it to The Practice. You might find it interesting.*** out of ****
DKosty123 It is hard to believe that David E. Kelly first started writing television scripts with Doogie Howser MD & then went straight to this. There is a world of difference between those efforts. This series is very entertaining.It also is much more serious than some of the later series he has done. While this series has some comedy, it has a much more serious tone than Ally McBeal or House MD which have been his later work. This series not only presents more serious issues than those later shows, but also better draw more realistic characters as well.The acting & production quality of this is very good. Richard Dysart seems the perfect actor to be the foundation of this law firm. The rest of the cast seems to fit their roles well too. Wonder if a 20 or 25 year reunion is planned for this series? A retrospective could be fun.Towards the end of the series, more of David E Kelly's humor started showing up. In fact, the last season very much resembles a trial run of Ally McBeal in it's tone. Lets not forget Boston Legal too. Kelly has continued to develop his talents in that direction since.If you like House MD or Ally McBeal, you will like this series. If you liked Boston Public (which was a little more serious) you'd like this show too. I am not sure if David Kelly has any other directions he can head but viewers sure get a lot chance to enjoy his work.
asmith-7 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.