Raising the Bar: The Hottest TV Lawyers of All Time

Raising the Bar:  Angie Harmon of Law and Order

Law and Order's Assistant DA replacing Jamie Ross, and brought to us by the foxy Angie Harmon, no stranger to our other lists represents a staunchly conservative attorney, who becomes increasingly sympathetic toward her departure, but that we wouldn't mind being locked in a room with before she transferred to the US Attorney's office.

Raising the Bar:  Rose Byrne of Damages

While we initially grew to love Ellen for her unbridled optimisim upon entering the murky legal waters of Hewes and associates, the more cold and vindictve the character grows over her time with Patty the more we see the depth of Rose Byrne's versatility and charm, which the fourth season will surely take in bold new directions.

Raising the Bar:  Lisa Nicole Carson of Ally McBeal

Va-va vooey!  Ally's DA and roommate Renee may not have always stolen the show in the way a certain dancing baby did, but we couldn't help loving the voluptuous Lisa Nicole Carson's sassy attitude and impressive singing voice.

Raising the Bar:  Rhona Mitra of Boston Legal

More than the simple sum of Rhona Mitra's good looks, Tara Wilson actually began her career on The Practice before successfully crossing over to Boston Legal, resuming her relationship with Alan Shore in the process.  And despite a few ethical misgivings in her career, she's still Rhona Mitra. 

And that has made all the difference.

Raising the Bar:  Natasha Henstridge of Eli Stone

Working against (and later with) you ex-fiancee never goes smoothly, but when said former flame burns as brightly as Natasha Henstridge does, we have to imagine that we'd find a way to make it work, just as hallucinogenic lawyer Eli Stone did.

Raising the Bar: Marlee Matlin of My Name is Earl

Representing Joy in her kidnapping case, deaf lawyer Ruby Whitlow (played by the notably deaf actress Marlee Matlin) stuck to her morals, initially refusing to work with Joy until learning of her children, and making sure she learned to keep her anger in check for the trial. 

And what can we say?  Morals are hot.

Raising the Bar:  Lake Bell of Boston Legal

Perhaps not the most respected of attorneys, but still at least one of the cutest.  Known for her provocative dress, Sally wasn't given much chance to shine in the management shift at Crane, Poole and Schmidt, but eventually returned more professional and confident suing Jerry Espenson.

I mean...she lost, but look!  She's still cute!

Raising the Bar:  Julie Bowen of Boston Legal

Boy, that Julie Bowen sure finds strength as a matriarch.  Known these days as the lead maternal figure of Modern Family, Julie's previous role as Denise Bauer proved a competent, if distracted aspiring partner, who returned after giving birth to Brad Chase's daughter a much more confident and self-aware attorney.

Raising the Bar:  Emily Procter of The West Wing

This blonde Republican sex kitten (their words, not ours) had quite a few quirky interests that also caught our eye, from her trombone skills, to musical appreciation and penchant for Fresca, and we wish her luck in the Santos (COUGH, OBAMA) administration.

Raising the Bar:  Jennifer Beals of Lie to Me

As Dr. Cal Lightman's ex-wife, the Assistant Attorney General wasn't about helping her former husband on a case or two or even taking his assistance, even if it meant getting a little closer than her current fiancee would prefer.

Plus, it's the Flashdance girl.  We rest our case.

Raising the Bar:  Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Arrested Development

For one, how could you not love Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who only seems to increase in beauty with age?  How about as a lawyer who consistently returns with sympathetic gimmicks, first as a blind lawyer and later "pregnant" with Michael's child? 

We miss this loveable rascal and her tragically cancelled home.

Raising the Bar:  Phylicia Rashad of The Cosby Show

Well, what do you expect?  Clair Huxtable was a lawyer, and more or less the head of the household, complete with a strict set of disciplinary rules.  And we like to think that we could do much better than a comedian who spends his twilight years hawking cameras and Jell-O pudding.

Raising the Bar:  Lucy Liu of Ally McBeal

Though somewhat stereotypically portrayed as the "Dragon Lady" type, Ling Woo represented the most prominent presence of Asian actresses on television in the 1990's.  Even so, her callous attitude and icy temptress style introduced Lucy Liu into our hearts and minds in a way we'd never forget.

Raising the Bar:  Michaela McManus of Law and Order: SVU

Kim Greylek only stuck around for fourteen episodes of SVU, but Michaela McManus certainly made an impression as the icy, hard-nosed ADA nicknamed "The Crusader."  Whether twisting charges to threaten suspects, or using one charge to obtain medical testing Greylek always got her man, which we greatly appreciate.

Raising the Bar:  Lara Flynn Boyle of The Practice

The ever-smoking Lara Flynn Boyle served up with Helen Gamble a lawyer unafraid to get her hands dirty now  and again, and despite her generally sweet deposition wouldn't hesitiate to bend the law for true justice, as she did by tricking the police into using deadly force on the man who gunned down Richard Bay.

Raising the Bar:  Portia DeRossi of Ally McBeal

Another Ally attorney to make the list, the series gave American audiences their first real tast of Portia DeRossi as "Sub-Zero" lawyer Nelle Porter, who despite her icy exterior maintained a close relationship with John Cage, and that's as deep into Mortal Kombat references as we'll go.

Nelle eventually shed her image (and her clothes) for something more relatable, and Portia's comedic talents would again be put to good use on Fox in Arrested Development.

Raising the Bar:  Stephanie Romanov of Angel

Evil or no, you'd be hard pressed to resist the advances of the lovely Lilah Morgan, legal eagle to lawfirm Wolfram and Hart.  Nabbing the most guest spots of any recurring character, Lilah eventually showed a heart with Wesley before Cordelia saw to her losing an equally valuable appendage as Wesley beheaded her for fear of her becoming a vampire.  

And we know lawyers take an amoral stance, but we at least love Lilah's honesty.

Raising the Bar:  Robin Tunney of Prison Break

Though only a real-estate lawyer, Veronica Donovan dove into the legal pool head-first to prove the innocence former boyfriend Lincoln Burrows, even defending Michael Scofield at his trial.  Her subsequent entanglements in the search for Terrence Steadman ended in her shocking and unfortunate death, but at least we've got Breakout Kings to honor the memory of the lovely, and faithfully fallen.

Raising the Bar:  Heather Locklear of Two and a Half Men

Boy, it would just be so easy, wouldn't it?  You've got Heather's DUI arrests, Charlie's endless media coverage, the jokes practically write themselves.  But no.  We're classy folk, here at UGO.  We stick to our guns, just like Laura Lang stuck to her guns as Alan's divorce lawyer even after a tryst with Charlie.

Also, she had fantastic cleavage.  But we're classy.

Raising the Bar:  Catherine Bell of JAG

I mean for goodness' sake, have you SEEN Catherine Bell in a two-piece?  That should be breaking a few laws in and of itself.  In any case, what we most love Sarah MacKenzie fore is that despite the high rank (possibly higher in the finale) she maintained, this lawyer came from a colorfully flawed past and kept down to Earth even off the ground.

Raising the Bar:  Elisabeth Rohm of Law and Order

Elisabeth Rohm already had us by her hard-nosed portrayal of Kate Lockley from Angel, but as Serena Southerlyn replacing ADA Abbie Carmichael, we most enjoyed her disagreements with McCoy over crimes of social circumstance and willing sympathy.

And we suppose her final moments, where she randomly blurted out she was a lesbian.

Raising the Bar:  Markie Post of Night Court

Initially appearing in the second season, and evolving into a regular by the third, we can hardly blame John Larroquette's Dan Fielding for his numerous attempts at seducing the statuesque and alluring attorney, even if she let her naivete get the best of her now and again.

Raising the Bar:  Jeri Ryan of Shark

I'm going be honest with you.  I have never watched Shark, nor do I ever intend on catching myself up despite my appreciate for James Woods' body of work and Jeri Ryan's body. 

What would Jessica Devlin be doing on this list then?  Well, in my search, I came across this picture.  And I admired her ethics.

Raising the Bar:  Julianna Margulies of The Good Wife and Scrubs

Julianna Margulies earns herself a two-fer, first as the disgraced junior litigator at the front and center of the award-winning The Good Wife, and second as the terrifyingly icy ball-buster Neena Broderick of Scrubs, a welcomely sexy departure from the last time the actress performed in a hospital.