Series Description

LA Law was a 60 minute legal drama series on NBC about the business and personal lives of the attorneys and other staff at a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. Most of the action took place in the law offices and in the courtroom.

LA Law Cast

Richard Dysart .... Leland McKenzie
Alan Rachins .... Douglas Brackman, Jr.
Jill Eikenberry .... Ann Kelsey
Corbin Bernsen .... Arnie Becker
Michael Tucker .... Stuart Markowitz
Susan Ruttan .... Roxanne Melman (1986-1993)
Blair Underwood .... Jonathan Rollins (1987-1994)
Larry Drake .... Benny Stulwicz (1987-1994)
Susan Dey .... Grace Van Owen (1986-1992)
Harry Hamlin .... Michael Kuzak (1986-1991)
Jimmy Smits .... Victor Sifuentes (1986-1991)
Michele Greene .... Abby Perkins (1986-1991)
John Spencer .... Tommy Mullaney (1990-1994)
Sheila Kelley .... Gwen Taylor (1990-1993)
Amanda Donohoe .... Cara Jean "C.J." Lamb (1990-1992)
A Martinez .... Daniel Morales (1992-1994)
Cecil Hoffman .... Zoey Clemmons (1991-1992)
Conchata Ferrell .... Susan Bloom (1991-1992)
Michael Cumpsty .... Frank Kittredge (1991-1992)
Alan Rosenberg .... Eli Levinson (1993-1994)
Debi Mazar .... Denise Ianello (1993-1994)
Alexandra Powers .... Jane Halliday (1993-1994)
Lisa Zane .... Melinda Paros (1993-1994)

LA Law Trivia

The auto license plate in the opening credits of each LA Law episode had the year that the current season would end in on it. For example, the 1986/1987 season's plate numbers read "1987". The car that held the plate was a Jaguar for the first seven seasons. In the eighth season, Arnie Becker began dreaming of owning a "Bentley Continental R". He got one as a gift in episode #153 titled, "How Much Is That Bentley in the Window?" and the plate was on the Bentley for the remainder of the series.

On episode #95, "He's A Crowd", Abby Perkins (Michele Greene) and "C.J." Lamb (Amanda Donohoe) briefly but passionately kissed each other outside of a restaurant after finishing a difficult case. This was the first kiss between two women on a prime time TV series and was very contraversial at the time!

McKenzie, Brackman, and Kuzak had a fourth major partner when LA Law premiered. His name was Chaney and he was found dead at his desk in the very first episode!

When you watch LA Law, pay attention to the theme music. If it starts with a saxophone, the episode's plotline will be one of the more light-hearted ones. If the theme starts with stringed instruments, the episode will be more ominous.

The co-creator of the LA Law TV show, "Steven Bocho", was also a co-creater of the series, "Hill Street Blues". That series was distinctive in that most of each episodes stories took place during one day. LA Law also used mostly one-day stories.

LA Law's other co-creator, "Terry Louise Fisher", had been a deputy district attorney and an entertainment attorney before becoming a producer and a TV writer. Besides producing LA Law, she also produced and wrote for the series, "Cagney and Lacey" and "Hooperman", among others. Terry would often get nasty letters from Attorneys about how she characterized them or about how some legal aspect of the show was incorrect. Once in a moment of anger, she wrote a response that is rumored to never have been actually sent to anyone. It went, "Dear So-and-so: If I were a good lawyer, I'd still be practicing law. Instead, I'm stuck in Hollywood, making 10 times as much money. I hope you are as conscientious about your clients as you are about our show. Thank for your writing"!

William M. Finkelstein took on the job of executive producer for LA Law's final season after his series titled, "Civil Wars" was canceled in early 1993. He brought two characters from that legal series to join the LA Law team (Eli Levinson played by Alan Rosenberg and Denise Ianello played by Debi Mazar).

The LA Law TV show's cast was parodied on the October 1987 issue of Mad Magazine. Steven Bochco liked it so much that he had the real cast get into the same positions as their parodies were in and took a photo to send to Mad Magazine. They printed that photo too in a future issue!

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

Season 1

1. Pilot Episode (9/15/1986)
2. Those Lips, That Eye (10/3/1986)
3. The House of the Rising Flan (10/10/1986)
4. The Princess and the Wiener King (10/17/1986)
5. Simian Chanted Evening (10/24/1986)
6. Slum Enchanted Evening (10/31/1986)
7. Raiders of the Lost Bark (11/7/1986)
8. Gibbon Take (11/14/1986)
9. The Venus Butterfly (11/21/1986)
10. Fry Me to the Moon (12/4/1986)
11. El Sid (12/11/1986)
12. Sidney, the Dead-Nosed Reindeer (12/18/1986)
13. Prince Kuzak in a Can (1/8/1987)
14. The Douglas Fur Ball (1/15/1987)
15. December Bribe (1/22/1987)
16. Beef Jerky (2/5/1987)
17. Becker on the Rox (2/12/1987)
18. Fifty Ways to Floss Your Lover (2/19/1987)
19. The Grace of Wrath (2/26/1987)
20. Sparky Brackman RIP ?-1987 (3/26/1987)
21. Oy Vey! Wilderness! (4/2/1987)
22. Pigmalion (4/9/1987)

23. The Lung Goodbye (10/15/1987)
24. The Wizard of Odds (10/22/1987)
25. Cannon of Ethics (10/29/1987)
26. Brackman Vasektimized (11/5/1987)
27. The Brothers Grimm (11/12/1987)
28. Auld L'Anxiety (11/19/1987)
29. Rohner vs. Gradinger (12/3/1987)
30. Goldilocks and the Three Barristers (12/10/1987)
31. Divorce with Extreme Prejudice (12/17/1987)
32. Full Marital Jacket (1/7/1988)
33. Gorilla My Dreams (1/14/1988)
34. Hand Roll Express (1/21/1988)
35. Beauty and Obese (2/11/1988)
36. Pettycoat Injunction (2/18/1988)
37. The Bald Ones (2/25/1988)
38. Fetus Completus (3/3/1988)
39. Belle of the Bald (4/14/1988)
40. Open Heart Perjury (4/21/1988)
41. Leapin' Lizards! (4/28/1988)
42. Chariots of Meyer (5/5/1988)

43. Hey, Lick Me Over (11/3/1988)
44. The Son Also Rises (11/10/1988)
45. Romancing the Drone (11/17/1988)
46. Sperminator (12/1/1988)
47. Princess and the Pee (12/8/1988)
48. Dummy Dearest (12/15/1988)
49. To Live and Diet in LA (1/5/1989)
50. I'm in the Nude for Love (1/12/1989)
51. Victor/Victorious (1/19/1989)
52. The Plane Mutiny (2/9/1989)
53. Izzy Ackerman or Is He Not? (2/16/1989)
54. The Accidental Jurist (2/23/1989)
55. Barstow Bound (3/23/1989)
56. Leave It to Geezer (3/30/1989)
57. The Unbearable Lightness of Boring (4/6/1989)
58. His Suit Is Hirsute (4/27/1989)
59. America the Beautiful (5/4/1989)
60. Urine Trouble Now (5/11/1989)
61. Consumed Innocent (5/18/1989)

62. The Unsterile Cuckoo (11/2/1989)
63. Captain Hurt (11/9/1989)
64. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling (11/16/1989)
65. The Mouse That Soared (11/23/1989)
66. One Rat, One Ranger (11/30/1989)
67. Lie Down and Deliver (12/7/1989)
68. Placenta Claus Is Coming to Town (12/14/1989)
69. The Good Human Bar (1/4/1990)
70. Noah's Bark (1/11/1990)
71. The Pay's Lousy, But the Tips Are Great (1/18/1990)
72. True Brit (1/25/1990)
73. On Your Honor (2/8/1990)
74. Whatever Happened to Hannah? (2/15/1990)
75. Ex-Wives and Videotapes (2/22/1990)
76. Blood, Sweat and Fears (3/15/1990)
77. Bounds for Glory (3/22/1990)
78. Justice Swerved (3/29/1990)
79. Watts a Matter? (4/5/1990)
80. Bang... Zoom... Zap (4/26/1990)
81. Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sued (5/3/1990)
82. Outward Bound (5/10/1990)
83. The Last Gasp (5/17/1990)

84. The Bitch Is Back (10/18/1990)
85. Happy Trails (10/25/1990)
86. Lie Harder (11/1/1990)
87. Armand's Hammer (11/8/1990)
88. Smoke Gets in Your Thighs (11/15/1990)
89. Vowel Play (11/29/1990)
90. New Kidney on the Block (12/6/1990)
91. God Rest Ye Little Gentleman (12/13/1990)
92. Splatoon (1/3/1991)
93. Pump it Up (1/10/1991)
94. Rest in Pieces (1/31/1991)
95. He's a Crowd (2/7/1991)
96. Dances with Sharks (2/14/1991)
97. The Gods Must Be Lawyers (2/21/1991)
98. The Beverly Hills Hangers (3/14/1991)
99. Good to the Last Drop (3/21/1991)
100. Mutinies on the Banzai (3/28/1991)
101. As God Is My Co-Defendant (4/4/1991)
102. Speak, Lawyers, For Me (4/25/1991)
103. There Goes the Judge (5/2/1991)
104. On the Toad Again (5/9/1991)
105. Since I Fell For You (5/16/1991)

106. Something Old, Something Nude (10/10/1991)
107. TV or Not TV (10/17/1991)
108. Do the Spike Thing (10/31/1991)
109. Spleen It to Me, Lucy (11/7/1991)
110. Monkey on My Back Lot (11/14/1991)
111. Badfellas (11/21/1991)
112. Lose the Boss (12/12/1991)
113. The Nut Before Christmas (12/19/1991)
114. Guess Who's Coming To Murder? (1/9/1992)
115. Back to the Suture (1/16/1992)
116. All About Sleaze (1/30/1992)
117. 100th Episode Celebration (Special) (2/6/1991)
118. I'm Ready for My Closeup, Mr. Markowitz (2/13/1992)
119. Steal It Again, Sam (2/20/1992)
120. Diet, Diet, My Darling (2/27/1992)
121. Great Balls Afire (3/19/1992)
122. From Here to Paternity (3/26/1992)
123. P.S. Your Shrink Is Dead (4/16/1992)
124. Love in Bloom (4/23/1992)
125. Silence of the Lambskins (4/30/1992)
126. Beauty and the Breast (5/7/1992)
127. Double Breasted Suit (5/14/1992)
128. Say Goodnight, Gracie (5/21/1992)

129. LA Lawless (10/22/1992)
130. Second Time Around (10/29/1992)
131. Zo Long (11/5/1992)
132. Wine Knot (11/12/1992)
133. My Friend Flicker (11/19/1992)
134. Love on the Rox (12/3/1992)
135. Helter Shelter (12/10/1992)
136. Christmas Stalking (12/17/1992)
137. Odor in the Court (1/7/1993)
138. Spanky and the Art Gang (1/14/1993)
139. Bare Witness (1/21/1993)
140. Parent Trap (1/28/1993)
141. Hello and Goodbye (2/18/1993)
142. Where There's a Will (2/25/1993)
143. F.O.B. (4/1/1993)
144. Cold Shower (4/8/1993)
145. That's Why the Lady Is a Stamp (4/15/1993)
146. Come Rain or Come Schein (4/22/1993)
147. Vindaloo in the Villows (4/29/1993)
148. Testing, Testing, 1...2...3...4 (5/6/1993)
149. Bourbon Cowboy (5/13/1993)
150. Hackett or Pack It (5/27/1993)

151. Book of Renovation, Chapter 1 (10/7/1993)
152. Leap of Faith (10/14/1993)
153. How Much Is That Bentley in the Window? (10/21/1993)
154. Foreign Co-Respondent (10/28/1993)
155. The Green, Green Grass of Home (11/4/1993)
156. Safe Sex (11/11/1993)
157. Pacific Rimshot (11/18/1993)
158. Eli's Gumming (12/9/1993)
159. Rhyme and Punishment (12/16/1993)
160. He Ain't Guilty, He's My Brother (2/3/1994)
161. McKenzie, Brackman, Barnum & Bailey (2/10/1994)
162. Cold Cuts (2/17/1994)
163. Age of Insolence (2/24/1994)
164. God is My Co-Counsel (3/10/1994)
165. Three on a Patch (3/17/1994)
166. Whose San Andreas Fault Is it, Anyway? (3/24/1994)
167. Silence is Golden (4/14/1994)
168. Dead Issue (4/21/1994)
169. Tunnel of Love (4/28/1994)
170. How Am I Driving? (5/5/1994)
171. Whistle Stop (5/12/1994)
172. Finish Line (5/19/1994)

LA Law: The Movie (5/12/2002) (aka: "LA Law: The Reunion" aka: "LA Law: Return to Justice"