Whether it’s their mastery of the law, personal dramas, or shenanigans, these are some of the most memorable fictional lawyers.
1. Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird
Atticus Finch has been idolized as the perfect Southern Lawyer and single father. However, even fiction’s greatest lawyer can take things too far and forget to be empathetic.
2. Perry Mason, Perry Mason
Lawyers don’t actually “solve” cases, but Mason was a brilliant detective as well as lawyer–known for taking matters into his own hands.
3. Jack McCoy, Law & Order
McCoy is not a good lawyer: he withholds evidence, harasses witnesses, and disobeys court orders. But his passion makes him compelling to watch.
4. Lt. Daniel Kaffee, A Few Good Men
“I want the truth!” shouts Lt. Kafee. Far from your ideal attorney: impulsive, and woefully unprepared, his dramatics and operatic outbursts make him captivating.
5. Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
Blonde, bubbly, wears pink, carries a chihuahua, and she’s also a terrific law student. Elle’s perseverance, loyalty, forgiving nature, and quick thinking make her an icon.
6. Vincent Gambini, My Cousin Vinny
While his aggressive shenanigans wouldn’t be permitted for long in a real courtroom, his sound reasoning and attention to detail are truly impressive, proving that a rookie can still impress.
7. Saul Goodman, Better Call Saul
A rascal, an intimidator, a master extortionist, a thief, and even a murderer, Goodman is the lawyer we love to hate.
8. Annalise Keating, How to Get Away with Murder
Keating has everything you’d want in a criminal law professor: passion, intelligence, creativity, and charisma. But it’s ultimately her unpredictability that captivates viewers.
9. Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
His criminology background makes him the ideal criminal mastermind and it’s his tragic fall from grace that makes him stand out.
10. Billy Flynn, Chicago
Based on two real Chicago lawyers, Flynn is a famously effective defense attorney, with a 0 loss record for representing any woman that has murdered her lover.