The Practice

A provocative legal drama focused on young associates at a bare-bones Boston firm and their scrappy boss, Bobby Donnell. The show's forte is its storylines about “people who walk a moral tightrope.”

The Practice (1997-2004) is an American network legal drama created by David E. Kelley for ABC. Dylan McDermott plays Bobby Donnell, the scrappy head of a bare-bones Boston firm, while Steve Harris as Eugene Young, Camryn Manheim as Ellenor Frutt, and Michael Badalucco as Jimmy Berluti round out the principal cast, with James Spader joining later as the sharp-tongued Alan Shore. The engine is simple and relentless: underfunded lawyers take on clients whose guilt, innocence, or motives are morally murky, and every case forces them to weigh winning against what is right. Each episode is built around a courtroom matter, but the firm's internal rivalries, money troubles, and personal entanglements carry through the seasons, so the stakes accumulate. The show runs eight seasons across 168 episodes, combining case-of-the-week structure with serialized character arcs. Its tone is provocative, intense, and dialogue-driven, with tense courtroom exchanges and a sober, unflinching view of the justice system. Set in contemporary Boston, it is grounded and talky, and fans of Boston Legal, The Good Wife, and L.A. Law will find the same mix of ethical ambiguity and sharp legal theater.

Audiences rate The Practice as a positive, provocative legal drama whose moral dilemmas and ensemble performances hold up well, though its final season is judged weakest.

• The Good Wifeserialized legal drama, moral ambiguity in courtroom and firm politics, ensemble of lawyers
• Boston LegalDavid E. Kelley legal drama, weekly cases with serialized character arcs and moral gray areas
• L.A. Lawworkplace legal drama, morally compromised lawyers, dialogue-driven courtroom tension
• Law & Orderserious legal drama with ethical dilemmas and tight ensemble of practitioners

Created by

David E. Kelley

Release Date

1997-03-04

Episode runtime

44 min

Rating

7.7 / 10 (114)

What is The Practice about?

A Boston law firm's young associates and scrappy boss take on morally fraught cases in a provocative legal drama.

What is The Practice like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Practice as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is The Practice violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Practice as mild.

What did critics think of The Practice?

Audiences rate The Practice as a positive, provocative legal drama whose moral dilemmas and ensemble performances hold up well, though its final season is judged weakest.

Which shows are like The Practice?

Shows with a similar feel include The Good Wife, Boston Legal, L.A. Law, and Law & Order.

How long is The Practice?

The Practice: 8 seasons, 168 episodes.

Is The Practice still running?

No, The Practice has ended.

Where can I watch The Practice?

In United States, The Practice streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.