I’ve always loved legal thrillers, both on the page and on the screen. A legal thriller offers baked-in conflict and often a scrappy legal underdog fighting for justice. What are some of the Best Legal Thrillers from the 1990s to the 2020s, both books and movies? I’m here to tell you!
The Best Legal Thrillers from the 1990s to the 2020s
New Legal Thriller titles in 2026:
Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray (2026)
A young and upcoming barrister has to face off against her mentor (and husband) in a high profile murder case. This was like The Silent Patient crossed with Presumed Innocent, with tons of twists and turns.
Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson (2026)
I had sworn off all James Patterson, but this is getting great reviews, so I want to try it!
Table of Contents:
- Best Legal Thriller Books and Movies from the 1990s
- Best Legal Thriller Books and Movies from the 2000s
- Best Legal Thriller Books and Movies from the 2020s
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Best Legal Books and Thrillers from the 1980s and 1990s
It’s hard to say what kicked off this trend, but there were two things I can pinpoint.
The People’s Court began in 1981.
Then, The Verdict with Paul Newman was huge. A 1982 film based on a 1980 novel, the film featured Paul Newman as Frank Galvin, an alcoholic lawyer whose friend gives him a simple medical malpractice case. But Frank goes to see the victim, a young woman in a coma, and remembers what made him love the law in the first place.
L.A. Law (1986-1994)
Presumed Innocent (1987) by former U.S. Attorney Scott Turow was also a huge bestseller, and was made into a movie. My spoiler discussion and plot summary for Presumed Innocent is here.
Vanity Fair reporter Dominic Dunne covered many high profile cases in the 1990s. These were the 1990s version of true crime podcasts. These included the William Kennedy Smith rape trial in 1991, the Eric and Lyle Menendez trial in 1993, and the OJ Simpson trial in 1995.
After that, the 1990s became a heyday for legal thrillers. There were books, films, and even coverage of real life cases. Books were adapted for film.
1990s Legal Thriller Books
John Grisham is the most famous author of 1990s legal thrillers, most which were adapted for film.
His first book was A Time to Kill (1989 book and a 1996 movie), was followed by bestsellers like The Pelican Brief (1992 book and a 1993 movie), The Client (1993 book and a 1994 movie), The Rainmaker (1995 book and a 1997 movie), and The Runaway Jury (1996 book and a 2003 movie). Grisham has continued to write, but I stopped reading. If you feel like some of his 2000s books are gems, let me know in comments.
Here are some other notable 1990s legal thrillers:
- Trial by Clifford Irving (1990)
- Primal Fear by William Diehl (1993) – free on Kindle Unlimited!
- Everywhere that Mary Went by Lisa Scottoline (1993) – free on Kindle Unlimited!
Best 1990s Legal Thriller Movies
Many of these movies were adapted from books and all of them featured heavy-hitter 90s leading men like Harrison Ford, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks and Richard Gere. All of John Grisham’s books mentioned above were also made into films. These are some great movies, if you’re looking for things to watch ( I like them for the plane!)
Presumed Innocent (1990)
This adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1987 book starred Harrison Ford as Rusty Sabich, a prosecutor who was accused of the murder of a female colleague with whom he was having an affair. It was the eighth highest-grossing film of the year.
Here’s my Spoiler Recap of Presumed Innocent (the book)
Presumed Innocent is now a series on Apple TV. Check out my post with a character list and episode guides!
And Presumed Innocent has a sequel (actually it’s book three of Rusty’s story.) Check out my Review With Spoilers of Presumed Guilty.
A Reversal of Fortune (1990)
Based on Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz’s account of his successful attempt to reverse the attempted murder conviction of Claus von Bulow for the murder of his wife. Stars Jeremy Irons as von Bulow, Ron Silver as Dershowitz and Glenn Close as Sunny von Bulow.
A Few Good Men (1992)
Based on a successful 1989 play by Aaron Sorkin, this film had a star-studded cast that included Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Kiefer Sutherland. The story is about the court martial of two Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
This comedy was not based on a book, and was about two young men from New York City who are mistakenly arrested for a crime they didn’t commit. One of them calls his cousin, Vinny Gambini, who was just admitted to the bar. This fish out of water story starred Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, and Ralph Macchio. Tomei won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Vinny’s marriage-minded girlfriend Mona Lisa Vito.
Philadelphia (1993)
Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, was about a lawyer fired by his firm after he discovers he has AIDS. He hires a lawyer to sue his employer for wrongful termination. Tom Hanks won an Academy Award for his performance.
Primal Fear (1996)
Based on William Diehl’s 1993 book (linked above, this legal thriller starred Richard Gere as Martin Vale, a defense attorney hired to defend a choir boy of the murder of a Catholic Archbishop. This was a breakout role for Edward Norton, who starred as Aaron, the defendant.
Best 2000s and 2020s Legal Thriller Books
In the early 2000s, legal thrillers weren’t as popular, though there were a few stand-outs.
But in the 2010s and 2020s, I am seeing a lot more, perhaps as a result of some high profile trials (like Depp v. Heard trial, which helped spawn #LawTok and LawTube) and our obsession with true crime podcasts.
In addition, books like Just Mercy (2014) took a hard look at the criminal justice system. The Innocence Project website has also some great non-fiction suggestions!
How to Get Away with Murder premiered in 2014. The show, which followed a criminal defense professor and her law student groupies, was a runaway success.
Legal thrillers of the 2020s legal are more female-forward, more diverse, and feature a more critical look at the criminal justice system.
Here are some of Goodreads most highly rated legal thrillers of the 2000s. If you have other suggestions, leave me a comment!
The Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly (2005-2023)
This series features a non-traditional defense lawyer who works out of his car.
Book seven, Resurrection Walk, comes out in November 2023. Also check out my Page to Screen post on the Netflix version of The Lincoln Lawyer!
The Better Sister by Alafair Burke (2019)
I wasn’t aware of this one until the Prime Video series based on the book came out. I think the book is better, but the show is pretty good too (just too many episodes!)
Read my Readers Guide to the Better Sister!
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Miracle Creek by Annie Kim (2019)
A literary courtroom thriller that takes place in rural Miracle Creek, Virginia, where Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental medical treatment device known as the Miracle Submarine.
A pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for therapeutic “dives,” it’s also a repository of hopes and dreams: the dream of a mom that her child can be like other kids; the dream of a young doctor desperate to cure his infertility and save his marriage; the dream of the Yoos themselves, Korean immigrants who have come to the United States so their teenage daughter can have a better life.
When the oxygen chamber mysteriously explodes, killing two people, all these dreams shatter with it, and the ensuing murder trial uncovers imaginable secrets and lies.
Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni (2023)
Check out my Review of Her Deadly Game here!
Keera Duggan returns to her family’s failing criminal defense law firm because it’s the only option she has. Vince LaRussa, accused of murdering his wealthy wife, hires Keera to defend him. The prosecutor is Keera’s former lover, who’s eager to destroy her in court.
I’ve also reviewed Beyond Reasonable Doubt (book 2) and read Her Cold Justice (book 3).
The Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanagh (2016-present)
This entertaining series about Eddie Flynn, a con artist turned lawyer is becoming more known as the books are being republished in the U.S. (the books are set here, but the author is from Belfast.
You can start with book one, The Defense (2016), or just read them out of order.
I have reviewed Fifty Fifty, Witness 8, and Two Kinds of Stranger and enjoyed them all!
While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams (2021)
First in a series, this book follows Supreme Court law clerk Avery Keene. When the justice she clerks for (a regular swing vote on the court) slips into a coma, Avery needs to get to the bottom of what’s happening. Book two in the series, Rogue Justice, is also out.
See this title on my list of Mysteries and Thrillers by Black Women Authors!
The Local by Joey Hearthstone (2022)
The East Texas town of Marshall is a place revered by patent lawyers for the court’s “rocket docket:” (speedy jury trails with massive payouts). Marshall is flooded with patent lawyers, and one of the best is James Euchre.
Euchre’s new client is Amir Zawar, a firebrand CEO defending a software patent infringement. Later that night, the judge is found murdered in the courthouse parking lot. All signs point to Zawar, who threatened the judge in court.
Check out my review of The Local here!
Take It Back by Kia Abdullah (2020)
Zara Kaleel exchanged her high-profile career for a job at a sexual assault center, helping victims who need her the most. When Jodie, a sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, accuses four boys in her class of an unthinkable crime, the community is torn apart. But Zara is determined to fight for Jodie, and to find the truth.
I really enjoyed this one – check out my review!
The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan
First Rule: Make them like you. Second Rule: Make them need you. Third Rule: Make them pay.
The Intern by Michele Campbell (2023)
This cat-and-mouse tale pits a Harvard law professor and judge against her intern, a law student who is convinced that the judge can help her save her brother from the legal system.
This one had throwbacks to the 1990s books like the Firm by John Grisham!
Check out my review of The Intern!
Damaged by Lisa Scottoline (2016)
I was a huge fan of Scottoline back in the 90s. She was one of the few female authors writing legal thrillers back then. I’m just catching back up on her books. This is Scottoline’s highest rated book on Goodreads and features her character Mary DeNunzio from her 1993 debut. I also recently reviewed What Happened to the Bennetts, which features a court reporter.
Do you have favorite legal thrillers to recommend? Tell me in comments!
To my mind, Steve Cavanagh is my king of the legal thrillers. This genre can get a little difficult to understand but he details everything so well so I feel that I can keep up.
He’s my husband’s fave and I need to read a book. Should I start with The Defense, or do you have a favorite!