# Nominations for your favorite TV/Movie attorney? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 16, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356 "2012-06-16T17:48:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/1 "2012-06-16T17:48:28Z")
I’ve been mulling over starting a poll about who is everyone’s favorite TV/Movie attorney, so I’m throwing the floor open to nominations. We could have different categories for prosecutor/D.A., defense attorney, etc. Who should we include? My nominations, in no particular order, are: Ben Stone, ADA _Law & Order_ Jack McCoy, ADA \* Law & Order\* Dan Fielding, state’s attorney _Night Court_ Christine Sullivan, public defender _Night Court_ Beth Davenport, defense attorney _The Rockford Files_ Joyce Davenport, defense attorney _Hill Street Blues_ Ben Matlock, defense attorney _Matlock_ Ed Danvers, state’s attorney _Homicide: Life on the Street_ Who else? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/2 "2012-06-16T18:05:23Z")
Perry Mason ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/3 "2012-06-16T18:06:49Z")
Arnie Becker - L.A. Law (Horniest) Stuart Markowitz - L.A. Law (Most Innovative)(Venus Butterfly) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/4 "2012-06-16T18:09:36Z")
Perry Mason, definitely. Jimmy Stewart **and** George C. Scott in _Anatomy of a Murder_. Charles Laughton in _Witness for the Prosecution_. Kirk Douglas in _Town without Pity._ Anthony Quayle in _QB VII_. William Shatner in _The Andersonville Trials_. Dan and Christine in “Night Court,” definitely. Let’s not forget Hamilton Burger, poor guy. I know Perry _lost_ a few cases, but did Hamilton ever actually _win_ any? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/5 "2012-06-16T18:15:30Z")
Mitch McDeere (_The Firm_) should at least be on the poll. Mickey Haller (_The Lincoln Lawyer_, et al.), if only for being Harry Bosch’s half-brother. > [@terentii](#): > > Let’s not forget Hamilton Burger, poor guy. I know Perry _lost_ a few cases, but did Hamilton ever actually _win_ any? 😕 A late fourth season episode has Perry getting a phone call from a fellow attorney who is getting his ass handed to him by the D.A. Perry hangs up the phone and makes a bee-line for the door, explaining his haste to Della with the line “It’s looking like Hamilton Burger might win a case!” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/6 "2012-06-16T18:18:26Z")
Henry Fonda in _The Young Mr. Lincoln_. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/7 "2012-06-16T18:20:40Z")
Wait, no one has mentioned Atticus Finch yet? Also, my sf geek side wants to give props to the Klingon defense attorney in _Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/8 "2012-06-16T18:24:08Z")
Denny Crane. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/9 "2012-06-16T18:26:06Z")
Vinny Gambini (aka My Cousin Vinny) Daniel Kaffee (A Few Good Men) ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/10 "2012-06-16T18:44:17Z")
Lionel Hutz ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/11 "2012-06-16T18:45:24Z")
John Houseman as Kingsfield in “The Paper Chase.” (TV and movie.) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/12 "2012-06-16T18:51:10Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > A late fourth season episode has Perry getting a phone call from a fellow attorney who is getting his ass handed to him by the D.A. Perry hangs up the phone and makes a bee-line for the door, explaining his haste to Della with the line “It’s looking like Hamilton Burger might win a case!” Cool! 🆒 I saw “The Case of the Terrified Typist” a couple of years ago. Perry lost, but it didn’t matter because the case hinged on a fraudulent identity and a murder that never _really_ happened. The judge indicated he was throwing the whole case out, and there would be a retrial once they got things sorted out. Confusing as hell, but the look on Perry’s face when he lost was priceless! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/13 "2012-06-16T18:54:31Z")
If Dan and Christine are in the running then so is Barry Zuckercorn and since I was never into law shows if we can include shows that included a lawyer but didn’t focus around law, I’ll toss in Will Truman. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/14 "2012-06-16T19:05:41Z")
Paul Newman, “The Verdict”. Richard Gere, “Primal Fear”. The faux-Jewish attorney on “Breaking Bad” is hilarious. All three of these guys are deeply flawed, but fun. And I’ll second Tom Cruise in “A Few Good Men”. ETA: Steve Martin in “All of Me” and Jim Carrey in “Liar Liar”! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/15 "2012-06-17T02:38:19Z")
Horace Rumpole ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/16 "2012-06-17T02:54:37Z")
Perry Mason as well. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/17 "2012-06-17T03:19:36Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > Denny Crane. [Denny Crane](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgSRCFi5BCo). ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/18 "2012-06-17T03:41:43Z")
Ling Woo. (Hey you never said I had to be because of their legal skills) 😉😃 ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/19 "2012-06-17T03:53:32Z")
Peter Kingdom ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356/20 "2012-06-17T04:33:30Z")
> [@Roland\_Orzabal](#): > > [Denny Crane](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgSRCFi5BCo). Exactly. Denny Crane. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nominations-for-your-favorite-tv-movie-attorney/625356.md?page=2)