Based on a series of novels by author Michael Connelly, “The Lincoln Lawyer” was first adapted into a 2011 feature film starring Matthew McConaughey. In 2022, TV producer David E. Kelley brought the novel to the small screen in a Netflix original series, this time starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller, a dedicated defense attorney in Los Angeles who rides around town in — and works out of — his signature car, a Lincoln Navigator.

A stalwart defender of “the little guy,” Mickey Haller is an investigator and a charming, charismatic lawyer unlike any other. With a mix of good humor, a dapper look, and a can-do attitude, he’s made “The Lincoln Lawyer” one of the biggest hits on Netflix. But he’s certainly not the only hero of his type: He is just the latest in a long line of do-gooders on TV who make it their mission to see justice done for those who the system often leaves behind.

In the long history of television, there are countless similar shows that revolve around a hero hoping to help the underdog, whether they’re a lawyer, a sworn protector of the people, or just an ordinary citizen who wants to assist those in need. So if you’ve enjoyed “The Lincoln Lawyer” and are wondering what to watch next, check out these 15 shows.

If there’s one show you should watch first after “The Lincoln Lawyer,” it’s undoubtedly “Bosch.” Though the two are distinctly different — with “Bosch” boasting a more serious, and at times grim, story and tone — the fact that they share the same fictional universe is key to its appeal for fans of “The Lincoln Lawyer.” Also based on a series of books by Michael Connelly, “Bosch” centers on the eponymous Bosch — Harry Bosch, that is — who on the page is the half-brother of “Lincoln Lawyer” hero Mickey Haller.

In the series, Bosch (Titus Welliver) is an embattled detective facing problems in both his professional and personal life. He often doesn’t play by the rules, much like his half-brother, but as a member of the LAPD, finds himself in trouble with his superiors for defying orders, even if that’s what he has to do to get justice. While the series never had a movie adaptation, it did run for seven stellar seasons, and even earned a sequel series, “Bosch: Legacy,” and a spin-off show, “Ballard.” 

Moving from cop drama to legal drama, we highly recommend “Bull” for fans of “The Lincoln Lawyer.” Not only is it a first-rate series centered on an intrepid protagonist, but it has a similar tone and feel, with good humor complementing its stirring legal cases. The series features former “NCIS” star Michael Weatherly in the title role as Dr. Jason Bull, who’s not a lawyer but a psychologist who leads a team of experts in the field of jury selection.

With the help of his dedicated support staff at Trial Analysis Corporation — which includes lawyers, prosecutors, and fellow experts in behavioral psychology — Dr. Bull helps his clients by using a new field of psychoanalysis that can help them choose the best jurors to help them win their case. Perhaps surprisingly, the series is based on the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw (yes, that Dr. Phil), who founded a similar company called Courtroom Sciences, Inc. in the early 1990s.

A mix of “The Lincoln Lawyer” and its spiritual sister series “Bosch,” the Amazon original “Goliath” also hails from the mind of David E. Kelley. It stars big-screen Oscar-winner Billy Bob Thornton as beleaguered defense attorney Billy McBride, who is nearly at the end of his rope: He’s been forced out of the profession after an accused killer he got acquitted went on to murder again, while his wife has left him and he’s turned to alcohol for relief.

Living in a hotel, the down-on-his-luck McBride is called back into service when he’s approached by a woman looking for help in proving that a major corporation was the cause of her husband’s death. That corporation happens to be a client of his old firm, and his former boss, Donald Cooperman (William Hurt), makes it his personal mission to defeat his former protege in and out of the courtroom.

Not nearly as likable as Mickey Haller, McBride is a surly, bitter man looking to reclaim his life, taking on cases that he truly believes in, rather than just what will make him money.

The newest entry on our list, “Duster” hit HBO’s Max streaming service (now renamed HBO Max again) in May of 2025, the brainchild of J.J. Abrams and “Walking Dead” producer LaToya Morgan. The series is led by “The Good Wife” star Rachel Hilson as Nina Hayes, a fresh-faced FBI agent and the first Black woman in the bureau, alongside “Lost” alum Josh Holloway as her civilian “partner,” Jim Ellis. 

Like “The Lincoln Lawyer,” the show takes its title from the star’s iconic car, in this case Ellis’ 1970 Plymouth Duster. Only Ellis isn’t a lawyer or law enforcer, but a small-time crook and notorious getaway driver who Hayes recruits in her audacious plan to topple the region’s most notorious drug kingpin, Ezra Saxton (Keith David). While the plot may not seem like it has much in common with “The Lincoln Lawyer,” it’s the show’s tongue-in-cheek tone that will delight fans of the Michael Connelly series.

Praised for its fun period setting and the charismatic and often mesmerizing performances from its lead cast, “Duster” was acclaimed as one of the best new shows of 2025 — but was canceled after one season.

If Mickey Haller pursued a career as a law enforcer instead of a legal eagle, he might have chosen the Marshal Service. And if he had, he might have been a lot like Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, the hero of “Justified.” With a similar swaggering charm, Givens takes on murderers, drug kingpins, gunrunners, and kidnappers.

As the series begins, Givens is sent back to his hometown in Kentucky following a controversial on-the-job shooting. What he finds is a region plagued by crime, and plenty of curious cases that will take more than muscle to solve. A true investigator, Givens has a chip on his shoulder and a snarky attitude a lot like Mickey Haller, but with a gun on his hip and a cowboy hat on his head.

The series also has a stable of standout villains, led by Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), the son of a notorious drug lord who leads a gang of criminal miscreants. Though it started as something of a weekly procedural, the series quickly shifted to season-long stories, with some of the best mysteries and thrilling crime drama TV has ever seen.

If fans of “The Lincoln Lawyer” are looking for a first-rate legal drama with a comedic edge, just dig through the filmography of series creator David E. Kelley, who’s produced several classics in the genre, with “The Practice” near the top of the list. It stars Dylan McDermott as Robert “Bobby” Donnell, who leads a group of lawyers and legal experts at his firm, Robert Donnell and Associates.

Donnell and his team take on the cases that nobody else wants, either because they are deemed unwinnable or because the client doesn’t have the money to afford top-flight legal representation. At the core of the series are the ethical questions that come with defending accused criminals — questions that the lawyers at Donnell and Associates struggle to answer. Is it morally right to defend a person whom they know is guilty of a heinous crime? Can the system function if they allow their clients to be put away without the best defense they can muster?

A series that somehow has a solid sense of humor despite its weighty subject matter, “The Practice” ran for eight seasons, ultimately morphing into the spin-off series, “Boston Legal,” starring James Spader and William Shatner, which also comes highly recommended.

A short-lived series from 1987, “J.J. Starbuck” has enough in common with “The Lincoln Lawyer” that you’d be forgiven for thinking the Michael Connelly series was inspired by it. Alas, the two are not related, yet share many of the same elements, with “Starbuck” led by a charming gentleman who cruises around the country in a ’61 Lincoln (complete with steer antlers on the grill) on a mission to help those in need.

Rather than a lawyer, J.J. Starbuck (Dale Robertson) is a retired oil tycoon who is more than happy to spout a seemingly endless string of goofy, anachronistic Southern sayings, some of which might seem made up on the spot. Nevertheless, Starbuck uses his vast financial resources to see justice done, especially for the underdog who doesn’t have the means to help themselves. 

Sure, if you don’t have an appreciation for early ’80s TV, “J.J. Starbuck” might be a bit cringey to watch, but it’s a delightful, lightweight legal dramedy in the same vein as “The Lincoln Lawyer.” It’s also certain to scratch the itch of fans eager to learn more about the long history of charming good ol’ boys fighting for justice on prime time television.

If “J.J. Starbuck” wasn’t the inspiration for “The Lincoln Lawyer,” then “Matlock” just might have been. The pioneer when it came to legal dramas about a salt-of-the-Earth lawyer out to help the little guy, this classic 1980s series put former sitcom star Andy Griffith into the role of the aging but exceptional criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. Week after week for nearly a decade, Matlock is repeatedly underestimated thanks to his advanced age and Southern charms, but triumphs again and again over bigger, more powerful legal foes.

A staple of ’80s television, “Matlock” was a cultural phenomenon of sorts that paved the way for a flurry of courtroom dramas. Much of its format influenced many that would follow, from Matlock’s dramatic courtroom confrontations to his uncanny ability to match wits with even the smartest criminals — often with some clever wordplay. If you’re not a fan of ’80s TV, worry not, because the series was rebooted in 2024, with a gender-swapped version of the character played by Academy Award-winning actor Kathy Bates.

Before “Matlock,” the biggest courtroom drama on TV was “Perry Mason,” a long-running series in the 1950s and ’60s adapted from a radio play of the same name. Star Raymond Burr came back for a run of TV movies in the ’80s and ’90s, but while we highly recommend both of those “Mason” runs to fans of “The Lincoln Lawyer,” the show that gets our pick is the 2020 prequel series on HBO Max.

Set in the early 1930s, this new version of “Perry Mason” follows the beloved TV lawyer before he passed the bar exam. We learn that in the years before he served in the courtroom, Perry Mason was a private investigator, and in Season 1 of the series he sets out to help discover the truth behind a horrific child abduction and murder. It’s a lot more serious in tone than “The Lincoln Lawyer,” but its dapper leading hero, played by Matthew Rhys, will surely remind viewers of Mickey Haller, albeit with a certain tough-as-nails grit that’s needed for the era.

A key part of what makes “The Lincoln Lawyer” so compelling is Mickey Haller, a man who wants to help those in need who lack the resources of their bigger, more powerful opponents in the courtroom. Well, outside the courtroom is where you’ll find Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley), who, like Haller, makes a living helping people in dire straits. But rather than doing it with a law degree, Shaw uses his incredible survivalist and tracking skills, in an effort to rescue missing persons.

Also based on a series of novels, this time by Jeffery Deaver, “Tracker” follows Shaw’s journey as he criss-crosses the country to track down those that law enforcement can’t find on their own. Instead of a Lincoln, Shaw sits behind the wheel of a GMC pickup truck with an Airstream trailer, his preferred mode of transportation. With guts, grit, and determination, Shaw does whatever it takes to find these missing persons, from kidnap victims to teenage runaways. 

The CBS legal drama “The Good Wife” takes a different spin on the courtroom classic: Its hero, Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), has long since left the profession, choosing to serve as a stay-at-home mother after her husband Peter — played by “Sex and the City” star Chris Noth — becomes a U.S. district attorney. But when Peter is ousted after a scandal, Alicia returns to the courtroom for the first time in decades. 

Running for seven seasons, “The Good Wife” follows the determined litigator as she fights to regain the respect of her legal peers, all while trying to balance her life as a wife and mother. Like most of the entries on this list, “The Good Wife” gets a lot of its charm from its sly, witty edge, a trait that continued into its spin-off, “The Good Fight,” which took fellow lawyer Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) to a new firm and into the world of politics for an additional six seasons, this time on the streaming service Paramount+.

From “The Practice” to “L.A. Law,” TV creator David E. Kelley turned out some of the most beloved legal dramas of all time long before he created “The Lincoln Lawyer.” In 1992, he launched “Picket Fences,” a family drama with an ensemble cast that included a country bumpkin lawyer who handles the town’s business in the courtroom. Set in a small town in Wisconsin, the series delves into the trials and tribulations of its ordinary — but often eccentric — townsfolk.

Many of the stories on “Picket Fences” involved law and order, with outspoken geriatric attorney Douglas Wambaugh (Fyvush Finkel) often arguing cases before the grumpy but honorable Judge Henry Bone (Ray Walston). It all makes for a series of quirky stories and eerily wholesome vibe that belies the subject matter, as the show often found itself exploring taboo subjects like sexual assault, gay rights, or genetic experimentation.

Though it only ran for four seasons, “Picket Fences” was a cult favorite, and bizarrely, even had an episode that was nearly a crossover with “The X-Files.”

Like “The Lincoln Lawyer,” the 2024 Apple TV+ drama “Sugar” is set in Los Angeles and follows a determined investigator who travels the city in a classic car — a 1966 Chevy Stingray. In “Sugar,” our man is John Sugar, played by “The Penguin” star Colin Farrell, and he’s every bit the same suave, smooth-talking charmer as Mickey Haller — maybe even more so. He’s a private investigator operating near Hollywood, and that makes him the perfect man to take on a kidnapping case involving a Tinseltown big wig. 

Called in by a powerful Hollywood producer whose daughter has gone missing, the case puts Sugar on a collision course with the Yakuza — the Japanese mafia — and he’ll have to use all the tricks in his arsenal if he’s going to rescue the girl and come out alive. It’s a solid mix of crime drama, mystery, and psychological drama, and its slick production and neo-noir look earned it an Emmy nomination for cinematography. Though it may prove to be divisive — particularly among fans of “The Lincoln Lawyer” simply looking for a solid story — “Sugar” also boasts one of the most shocking and unconventional twists in recent TV history. 

If you want a show like “The Lincoln Lawyer” but with a bit more action, look no further than the Amazon original, “Reacher.” Also based on a series of novels, “Reacher” stars Alan Ritchson as a one-man wrecking crew, a bruiser with a heart of gold, who has made it his mission to assist those who need it most. A former military police officer, Jack Reacher has become something of a drifter, passing through various towns and getting involved whenever he sees injustice.

Despite being a massive mountain of muscle, Reacher isn’t eager to use his fists, and prefers talking his way out of a fight if he can. Part detective, part lawyer, part soldier, he helps those in need when they have nowhere else to turn, whether it’s finding a lost loved one, getting a poor soul out of a legal jam, or saving the life of someone in trouble. Motivated by a pure sense of justice, the former military cop often aids law enforcement on the toughest cases they cannot crack — even if they don’t always want his help.

A top-notch detective story, mystery series, and action drama all rolled into one, “Reacher” straddles genres and will appeal to anyone looking for the kind of do-gooding adventures we see on “The Lincoln Lawyer.”

Centered around Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), a supporting character and audience favorite in “Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul” chronicles the unscrupulous lawyer’s rise and fall as one of Albuquerque’s most prominent legal eagles. From petty schemes to serious criminal offenses, nothing is off the table as he tramples over friends and family alike to make it to the top. Bringing over a number of returning characters from “Breaking Bad” while further delving into the criminal underworld we thought we knew, it’s a rare spinoff that doesn’t just work, but feels warranted, and arguably the best prequel TV series ever produced.

Apart from the obvious comparisons, with both “The Lincoln Lawyer” and “Better Call Saul” being critically acclaimed legal dramas filled with dry humor, they’re perhaps most similar when it comes to their protagonists. As different as they might seem on the surface, Mickey Haller isn’t quite as nefarious as Saul Goodman. Yet both have a cavalier, morally gray, shoot-from-the-hip approach to doing their job, which makes both shows a departure from standard, drier legal drama fare.