10 Best Legal K-Dramas, Ranked
Summary
- Legal k-dramas are more than just courtrooms – they’re intense, mysterious, and full of unique characters and gripping stories.
- The best legal k-dramas subvert expectations, delve into the human side of law, and keep audiences invested in both cases and characters.
- From intense courtroom dramas to dystopian futures, legal k-dramas like “The Devil Judge” and “Stranger” raise the stakes and keep viewers hooked.
While most audiences are familiar with basic k-drama genres such as action and romance k-drama series, there are genres that are a bit smaller and more unique than the rest, like legal k-dramas, which are not only plentiful, but also truly awesome to watch. A legal k-drama, also known as a courtroom drama, is a type of k-drama wherein the story revolves around lawyers, courtrooms, or the law. Typically, a good legal k-drama would have a protagonist that is a lawyer, along with other cast members that are also part of the law field. These series tend to be intense and mysterious.
Because there are so many legal k-dramas out in the world, it is hard to narrow down which ones are the best of the best. However, simply being a legal k-drama does not make a series amazing. The very best k-dramas in the legal category are those that shake things up. While some are rather procedural and slow, others are fast-paced and exciting. They get audiences invested in both the legal cases and the characters. The legal k-dramas that subvert expectations and take the time to delve into the human side of law are a cut above the rest.
9 Best K-Dramas For Beginners
Choosing a K-drama can be overwhelming for new audiences, but there are a few shows that are enjoyable for beginners who don’t know where to start.
10 Suits
2018, 1 season
If this title seems familiar, that’s because it should be. Suits is a very popular legal drama in the United States that first aired in 2011. In 2018, the series was adapted into a Korean drama of the same name. The k-drama Suits has the same premise as well. A respected lawyer recruits a young man who has no legal degree, but has a retentive memory. Suits is a great watch because it maintains the magic of the original series. For those who crave familiar stories that are still edgy and exciting, Suits is the way to go.
9 Divorce Attorney Shin
2023, 1 season
A very recent legal series that has won over the hearts of k-drama fans is Divorce Attorney Shin. The 2023 drama portrays the complicated life of divorce attorney, Shin Sung-han. Though this premise may seem simple, Divorce Attorney Shin is a series that is full of story and life. The characters are very unique and interesting, and the actual cases that Sung-han takes on are gripping.
Though divorce court may not seem like the most action-packed type of law, this series succeeds at keeping it exciting and bingeable.
This drama is good for those who enjoy slice of life series.
8 The Devil Judge
2021, 1 season
Sometimes, a legal drama’s story does not have to stop at the law. When it comes to The Devil Judge, there is so much more. 2021’s The Devil Judge is a series set in a dystopian future where discord is at an all-time high, and citizens are fighting back against their leaders. In live televised programs, three judges try to bring peace back to South Korea. This is a highly unique series that is quite different from any other legal k-drama streaming today. The Devil Judge raises the stakes of a legal drama to entirely new levels.
7 Suspicious Partner
2017, 1 season
A legal k-drama with countless complex ties is Suspicious Partner. The 2017 k-drama follows a prosecutor and his prosecutor trainee as they take on the mysterious case of a murderer. Though their work lives are already difficult, things become even more complicated when personal problems arise for both parties. One of them is even accused of murder. In this way, Suspicious Partner succeeds at balancing both the exciting law aspects of the show with the dramatic social issues of the characters’ personal lives. This legal k-drama will certainly never get boring.
6 Diary Of A Prosecutor
2019, 1 season
Another legal k-drama that mixes law and personal problems is Diary of a Prosecutor. This k-drama simply follows the everyday lives of a group of South Korean prosecutors. Once again, this may seem like a fairly simple or bland logline, but in reality, the series is full of enticing plot. For those who enjoy a slow-burn or shows that are character focused, Diary of a Prosecutor should definitely be a top priority. What it lacks in action, it makes up for in dynamic characters and relationships, all set against the background of being a lawyer.
5 Stranger
2017, 2 seasons
One legal k-drama that was successful enough to earn itself a second season is Stranger. Also known as Secret Forest, the k-drama follows a prosecutor who, after a procedure, has lost his sense of empathy. With the help of a local police lieutenant, he tries to solve a murder, and together, they find corruption to be at play. Because of its two seasons, Stranger tells a longer story than other legal k-dramas, and this plot is definitely worth the watch. It is a series that is dark, mysterious, and tense, making it perfect for fans of murder mysteries.
Korean actor Cho Seung-woo plays the lead character in 2017’s Stranger, but also, the lead character in 2023’s Divorce Attorney Shin.
4 Juvenile Justice
2022, 1 season
Looking for a legal k-drama with a twist? Juvenile Justice could be the show to watch. The 2022 series follows a judge who is biased against youths and assigned to be the judge of a juvenile court. While there, she comes up with her own ways of punishing the young people in her court while learning what it means to be an adult. This is yet another legal k-drama with a strong focus on humanity and personal issues, but in a very particular respect. Juvenile Justice is beloved because of its dedication to presenting interesting cases along with interesting characters.
2022, 1 season
A k-drama that became particularly popular on Netflix upon its release is Extraordinary Attorney Woo. It tells the story of an autistic woman who becomes a lawyer at a large South Korean firm. Though some aspects of her autism, like her photographic memory, help her in the courtroom, other aspects, like her awkward methods of communication, cause problems. The series sees her overcome issues and become the lawyer she was meant to be. Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a heartfelt and sweet series that is about law, but more importantly, is about kindness and acceptance.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
- Cast
- Park Eun-Bin , Kang Tae-oh , Kang Ki-young
- Release Date
- June 29, 2022
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Yoo In-shik , Moon Ji-won
2 Vincenzo
2021, 1 season
While some legal k-dramas are rooted in the courts, others have much more dangerous settings. 2021’s Vincenzo follows a young lawyer who, as a child, was adopted by the head of an Italian mob. In the present, the protagonist returns to his birth city of Seoul and gets tangled up in a legal mess between a plaza and a pharmaceutical company. This series is an exciting blend of law and criminality. The lead character, Vincenzo, is definitely one to root for, and his story only gets more interesting. Vincenzo is on the more thrilling side of legal k-dramas.
1 Law School
2021, 1 season
Finally, one of the most lauded legal k-dramas of all time is Law School. The 2021 series is set at Hankuk University Law School, where students and professors study and teach law. However, things get complicated when one class starts investigating a strange case and a law professor ends up dead. This is a series with an impressive k-drama ensemble cast and a truly gripping mystery. For those who enjoy a school setting and a large cast, this is the ideal k-drama to watch. It is tense, unexpected, and satisfying.
