Before he was the co-creator of Netflix seriesThe Lincoln Laywer,Ted Humphreyworked as a writer on another critically acclaimed legal series. In an interview with Collider’sChristina Radish, the writer and producer talked about his experience on CBS’s long-runningThe Good Wifeand how some elements of the show influenced what we see inThe Lincoln Lawyer.
During the interview, Humphrey revealed that, having worked as a lawyer himself, authenticity plays a big part in his stories, andThe Good Wifewas heavy on that– which is one of the reasons the series scored several Emmy nominations and wins across its run. As Humphrey mentions, going through the steps of the legal system is what can make a show stand out and be fun at the same time:
“I was a lawyer and the authenticity of the law is really important to me. I did ‘The Good Wife’ for a long time and it was very important then, too. I get irked at legal shows and movies where silly things happen that don’t respect the actual timeline in which things in real life happen. A murder is committed, and the next day somebody is on trial. Obviously, things take a lot longer than that in real life and there’s a lot of steps to go through, and I think those steps are interesting. When you dramatize those steps in the right way, they’re interesting. We found that on ‘The Good Wife,’ and we found it with this show.”
The Lincoln LawyerFinds Ways to Make Legal Stories Feel Both Authentic and Compelling
to illustrate that, Humphrey singles out one of the best episodes fromThe Good Wife’s first season. In “Doubt”, the series breaks its formula and the story happens mostly inside ajury deliberation roombecause the writers “felt like there was a really interesting story to tell there, about the little crafty manipulations you do to get the jury you want.” Humprey stressed that this kind of element is something that “most legal stories just breeze right by,” but there’s a bunch of moral andethical discussionsthat come from those moments, and even major twists.
The Lincoln LawyerandThe Good Wifealso share another interesting element: Both shows often depict how morals often need to take a backseat because the legal system is not caught up with modern society, technology and bias. This means that Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) andMickey Haller(Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) frequently need to transit through gray areas in order to provide the best defense for their clients.
The Good Wifeis about to get a second spin-off series centered around fan-favorite character Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston). You can watch the trailer below:
