For Life

A prisoner becomes a lawyer, litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit.

For Life (2020-2021) is an American legal drama series created by Hank Steinberg for ABC. Aaron Wallace (Nicholas Pinnock) is a man serving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit, who studies law from inside prison and begins litigating cases for other inmates while working to overturn his own conviction. He is supported by his wife Marie Wallace (Joy Bryant) and his daughter Jasmine Wallace (Tyla Harris), whose lives keep pulling him toward the outside world. Opposing him are prosecutor Henry Roswell (Timothy Busfield) and a web of institutional obstacles that turn every appeal into a fight. Each episode is built around a new inmate's case, the bureaucracy that traps him, and the small victories that keep Aaron hopeful, while the longer arc follows his campaign for freedom across two seasons. The tone is determined and emotionally charged, with moments of grit and hope set against the cramped, hard routines of an American prison. Its mix of courtroom stakes and personal sacrifice will appeal to fans of Orange Is the New Black, The Good Wife and Suits who want a serialized story about justice, family, and the cost of second chances. The series was canceled after two seasons, leaving the central appeal unfinished.

Viewers broadly praise For Life as a gripping, well-acted legal drama with a compelling wrongful conviction premise, and many lament its cancellation after two seasons.

• Orange Is the New Blackprison based legal drama, wrongful conviction, serialized justice story
• The Good Wifelegal drama with a wrongfully accused protagonist fighting for exoneration
• Suitsserialized legal drama, courtroom stakes, underdog defense lawyer
• The Wirecrime drama centered on wrongful conviction and institutional injustice

Created by

Hank Steinberg

Release Date

2020-02-11

Episode runtime

43 min

Rating

7.6 / 10 (282)

What is For Life about?

A wrongfully imprisoned father becomes a lawyer and litigates cases for fellow inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence.

What is For Life like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of For Life as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is For Life violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in For Life as mild.

What did critics think of For Life?

Viewers broadly praise For Life as a gripping, well-acted legal drama with a compelling wrongful conviction premise, and many lament its cancellation after two seasons.

Which shows are like For Life?

Shows with a similar feel include Orange Is the New Black, The Good Wife, Suits, and The Wire.

How long is For Life?

For Life: 2 seasons, 23 episodes.

Is For Life still running?

No, For Life was canceled.

Where can I watch For Life?

In United States, For Life streams on Hulu.