Just Legal
Encyclopedia
Just Legal is a television
courtroom drama
that stars Don Johnson
and Jay Baruchel
as two courtroom lawyers in Venice
, California. The series premiered on The WB on September 19, 2005 and was canceled on October 3, 2005 after only three episode
s had been aired. Almost a year later The WB
decided burn off 5 unaired episodes following a repeat of the pilot on August 6, 2006. The series concluded on September 10, 2006.
and Jay Baruchel
, is a drama about two "amusingly mismatched lawyers" that "comes at you unassumingly." David "Skip" Ross (Baruchel), 19, is a legal genius who graduated from law school at the top of his class, but now can find no one to hire him. Enter Grant Cooper, a washed-up middle-aged lawyer who has made one too many bad choices in his career, leaving him a jaded court-appointed attorney, rejected by his peers. Skip is Grant's golf caddy, and he convinces Grant just to let him write a legal brief for him; but when they arrive at the courthouse, Grant is told he needs a "second chair" (an attorney to sit at the second seat at counsel's table), and he gives them the only one he has: Skip Ross. Grant has no intention of actually bringing Skip into his practice, but his charm, enthusiasm, intelligence, and most of all, ability to actually win a case, win Grant over.
There are a variety of cases featured on the show, from murder cases to botched plastic surgery. Many of the storylines are based on real-life cases. Grant and Skip do their own "dirty work" for their cases, going to crime scenes and interviewing witnesses, as Grant teaches Skip more about what it means to be a “real lawyer” and Skip teaches Grant more about what it means to trust in people. The series is set in Venice
and neighboring Santa Monica, California
.
was canceled in October 2005 after only three episode
s of the show
aired. On Sunday, August 6, 2006 at 7:00 pm Eastern Standard Time/6:00 pm CST
, it returned to The WB
with the pilot
reairing on August 6, followed by 5 unaired episodes on subsequent Sundays.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
courtroom drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
that stars Don Johnson
Don Johnson
Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
and Jay Baruchel
Jay Baruchel
Jonathan Adam Saunders "Jay" Baruchel is a Canadian actor. He has had a successful career in comedy films, and has appeared in supporting roles in such box office successes as Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder, as well as starring in films like She's Out of My League, The Trotsky,...
as two courtroom lawyers in Venice
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Venice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
, California. The series premiered on The WB on September 19, 2005 and was canceled on October 3, 2005 after only three episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s had been aired. Almost a year later The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
decided burn off 5 unaired episodes following a repeat of the pilot on August 6, 2006. The series concluded on September 10, 2006.
Synopsis
Just Legal, starring Don JohnsonDon Johnson
Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
and Jay Baruchel
Jay Baruchel
Jonathan Adam Saunders "Jay" Baruchel is a Canadian actor. He has had a successful career in comedy films, and has appeared in supporting roles in such box office successes as Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder, as well as starring in films like She's Out of My League, The Trotsky,...
, is a drama about two "amusingly mismatched lawyers" that "comes at you unassumingly." David "Skip" Ross (Baruchel), 19, is a legal genius who graduated from law school at the top of his class, but now can find no one to hire him. Enter Grant Cooper, a washed-up middle-aged lawyer who has made one too many bad choices in his career, leaving him a jaded court-appointed attorney, rejected by his peers. Skip is Grant's golf caddy, and he convinces Grant just to let him write a legal brief for him; but when they arrive at the courthouse, Grant is told he needs a "second chair" (an attorney to sit at the second seat at counsel's table), and he gives them the only one he has: Skip Ross. Grant has no intention of actually bringing Skip into his practice, but his charm, enthusiasm, intelligence, and most of all, ability to actually win a case, win Grant over.
There are a variety of cases featured on the show, from murder cases to botched plastic surgery. Many of the storylines are based on real-life cases. Grant and Skip do their own "dirty work" for their cases, going to crime scenes and interviewing witnesses, as Grant teaches Skip more about what it means to be a “real lawyer” and Skip teaches Grant more about what it means to trust in people. The series is set in Venice
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Venice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
and neighboring Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
Cast and characters
- Don JohnsonDon JohnsonDonnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
as Grant H. Cooper: A functioning alcoholic with a cynical view of the world, Cooper is nonetheless touched by the enthusiasmEnthusiasmEnthusiasm originally meant inspiration or possession by a divine afflatus or by the presence of a god. Johnson's Dictionary, the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language, defines enthusiasm as "a vain belief of private revelation; a vain confidence of divine favour or...
and idealism he sees in his unlikely new protégé. Skip's brilliant mind allowed him to excel at all things academic, but he had a sheltered upbringing and now finds himself in the working world with few social skills to fall back on. Skip needs the practical advice that can only come from an experienced trial lawyer, and Cooper is only too happy to have someone around to do the “grunt” work. As he helps the young man make the transition from school and boyhood to the tough world of court and manhood, Cooper is reminded of the best part of himself - the part that got lost along the way. Cooper repeatedly prides himself with being "jaded" after 27 years on the job. After refusing to agree to a plea bargain for one of his clients (several years before the series begins), he lost the case and that client was put to death by lethal injection, which for Cooper was the beginning of his downward spiral. From then on, he was forced to make a living as a small-time ambulance chaser, and has no problem admitting to it. - Jay BaruchelJay BaruchelJonathan Adam Saunders "Jay" Baruchel is a Canadian actor. He has had a successful career in comedy films, and has appeared in supporting roles in such box office successes as Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder, as well as starring in films like She's Out of My League, The Trotsky,...
as David "Skip" Ross: David Ross is nicknamed "Skip" by his peers, not because he skipped classes, but rather because he skipped so many grades through his young life. By age 18 he is already a lawyer and a member of the California Bar AssociationState Bar of CaliforniaThe State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...
, having graduated first in his class. His ambition is to become the best trial lawyer ever, originally inspired by one of his favorite movies, To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird (film)To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1962 American drama film adaptation of Harper Lee's novel of the same name directed by Robert Mulligan. It stars Mary Badham in the role of Scout and Gregory Peck in the role of Atticus Finch....
. Unfortunately for him, no downtown law firm is willing to hire him because of his age. His young age is also hard on him because it's difficult for him to find a place to rent, since no one will believe that he is an actual lawyer. With Grant's help, Skip learns the inner workings of the legal system and the "do"s and "don't"s about courtroom law. Unlike Cooper, Skip is an optimist and looks at everything in a positive way. Skip can't escape the fact this his college friend, Kate Manat (Susan Ward) has been hired by a downtown law firm and is often on the opposite side of the courtroom, a situation made more awkward by the fact that he is attracted to her. - Jaime Lee KirchnerJaime Lee KirchnerJaime Lee Kirchner is an actress who is best known for her roles on Just Legal as Dulcinea 'Dee' Real and Mercy as Sonia Jimenez. She was born in Germany but was raised in Clarksville, Tennessee.-Filmography:...
as Dulcinea "Dee" Real: The law office has only one employee, Dulcinea "Dee" Real, a former client of Cooper's who took the job to pay off her legal fees and fulfill her parole requirements. An African-American in her mid-twenties, Dee is tough, blue collarBlue collarBlue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
and strikingly beautiful; a woman who looks amazing in jeans, a t-shirt and an electronicElectronicsElectronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
ankle bracelet. Her crime was murder and although Cooper managed to get the charge reduced to manslaughter, he wasn't able to keep her out of jail. Though he won't admit it, Cooper feels guilty that Dee ended up serving time. SmartGeniusGenius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
, capable and completely immune to Cooper's charm, Dee can hold her own against Cooper and Skip, and she often manages to intimidate them both. - Reiley McClendonReiley McClendonReiley McClendon is an American actor.-Personal life:McClendon was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. McClendon attended Grace Brethren High School, and graduated with the class of 2007, since he skipped 5th grade...
as Tom Ross, Skip's little brother. He's cool, calm, suave, and a likable guy. Unfortunately for him, he isn't as smart as his older brother, since he has failed 10th grade. He also can't seem to understand why Skip is such a workaholic and why his brother doesn't have much of a social life. Tom also enjoys hanging out at his brother's apartment, even though Skip doesn't approve. - Susan WardSusan WardSusan Ward is an American actress and model.-Early life and career:Ward was born in Monroe, Louisiana. She attended a private, Christian elementary school , in Monroe, LA. She briefly attended Northeast Louisiana University...
as Kate Manat: Skip and Kate were college friends & study partners. Kate was hired by one of the downtown law firms that didn't hire Skip.
Episodes
| Series # |
Title | Written by | Directed by | Original air date | Production code |
U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|
Cancellation and reairing
The seriesTelevision program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
was canceled in October 2005 after only three episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s of the show
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
aired. On Sunday, August 6, 2006 at 7:00 pm Eastern Standard Time/6:00 pm CST
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
, it returned to The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
with the pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
reairing on August 6, followed by 5 unaired episodes on subsequent Sundays.
Popular culture references
- Don Johnson's character, Grant Cooper, is much like his role of Det. Sonny CrockettJames "Sonny" CrockettJames "Sonny" Crockett is a fictional character from the Miami Vice television series and film of the same name. The character is portrayed by Don Johnson in the television series, and Colin Farrell in the movie version of the show. He was introduced in the Miami Vice pilot in 1984 and appeared in...
on Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
, in that both are cynical, jaded men of the law who do know right from wrong but are willing to stand up against the powers that be if necessary. - In the episode The Heater, Grant Cooper says, "I used to live on a boat." This is a subtle reference to his days on Miami Vice, where he played Det. Sonny Crockett who lived on the boat St. Vitus Dance.
- Cooper was also the surnameFamily nameA family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
of his partner Rico Tubbs's alias on Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
("Rico Cooper"). - Names like Nancy GraceNancy GraceNancy Ann Grace is an American legal commentator, television host, television journalist, and former prosecutor. She frequently discusses issues from what she describes as a victims' rights standpoint, with an outspoken style that has won her both praise and condemnation...
, Mark GeragosMark GeragosMark John Geragos is an Armenian/ American criminal defense attorney who defended the musician Michael Jackson, actress Winona Ryder, politician Gary Condit, and Susan McDougal. He was also involved in the Whitewater scandal. He also represented Scott Peterson, in another trial that received...
, Johnnie CochranJohnnie CochranJohnnie L. Cochran, Jr. was an American lawyer best known for his leadership role in the defense and criminal acquittal of O. J...
, and Greta Van SusterenGreta Van SusterenGreta Van Susteren is an American commentator and television personality on the Fox News Channel, where she hosts On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren...
have been mentioned in the show. - Famous modern-day courtroom cases such as Scott PetersonScott PetersonScott Lee Peterson , an American, was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child in Modesto, California, in 2002. Peterson's arrest and subsequent trial dominated the American news media until 2005, when he was sentenced to death by lethal injection...
and Robert BlakeRobert Blake (actor)Robert Blake is an American actor who starred in the film In Cold Blood and the U.S. television series Baretta. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted for the 2001 murder of his wife, but on November 18, 2005, Blake was found liable in a California civil court for her wrongful death.-Early...
have been mentioned.