Copyright Screen Rant
It may be one of the great success stories of the streaming era, but there are many better legal dramas than Suits. The slick, fast-talking series dominated cable TV in the 2010s and resurged on Netflix in the 2020s, introducing a new generation to Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams). Yet despite its enduring popularity, Suits isn’t the definitive legal drama - not when others have pushed the genre further. Whether it’s sharper writing, more daring twists, or emotionally complex characters, several shows outmatch Suits on its own turf. These lawyer shows that are better than Suits deliver the same courtroom adrenaline and clever repartee, while offering richer storytelling and higher stakes. For fans craving more sharp suits and moral gray areas, these shows prove that Suits’ reign as the streaming king doesn’t make it the best lawyer show around. The Split (2018-2022) The Split Turns Family Law Into High-Stakes Emotional Warfare Better Than Suits Ever Could The underrated UK drama The Split follows divorce lawyer Hannah Stern (Nicola Walker) as she navigates the breakdown of marriages, her own included. With its focus on family law, the series trades Suits’ corporate skyscrapers for messy human emotion, crafting drama that feels grounded yet gripping. The writing is razor-sharp, and its London setting adds a refreshing cultural contrast to Suits’ Manhattan polish. What makes The Split one of the better legal dramas than Suits is its emotional realism. The show peels back the glossy surface of legal work to explore the personal cost of balancing ambition, morality, and love. Where Suits thrives on witty comebacks, The Split finds power in raw vulnerability. Fans of Suits will appreciate The Split’s strong female leads, intricate professional rivalries, and smartly written relationship drama. It’s as stylish and addictive, but with far more emotional bite and realism beneath the designer outfits. How To Get Away With Murder (2014-2020) How To Get Away With Murder’s Fearless Storytelling Leaves Suits Looking Safe Created by Shonda Rhimes, How To Get Away With Murder stars Viola Davis as Annalise Keating, a criminal defense professor whose students become entangled in a murder plot. The structure of its episodes (each filled with flash-forwards, shocking twists, and audacious writing) gives it a breakneck pace that makes Suits’ formula look tame by comparison. Where Suits leans on charm and corporate gamesmanship, HTGAWM is pure chaos wrapped in legal brilliance. Annalise Keating’s moral ambiguity and emotional complexity far surpass Harvey Specter’s cool detachment, giving the genre one of its most layered protagonists. For Suits fans, How To Get Away With Murder offers the same mix of mentorship, secrets, and witty legal banter but cranked up another several notches, with delicious results. Its fearless plotting and powerhouse performances prove that in the world of legal dramas, boldness wins the case. The Good Fight (2017-2022) The Good Fight Takes Suits’ Stylish Legal Drama And Injects It With Bold Political Fire A spin-off of The Good Wife, The Good Fight centers on Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) as she rebuilds her career after losing her fortune in a financial scandal. Relocating to a predominantly Black law firm in Chicago, Diane navigates a world where law, politics, and activism collide in explosive fashion. The Good Fight is fearless, and it’s for this reason that it surpasses Suits. The show embraces topical issues without sacrificing the sharp wit and character-driven storytelling that made Suits great but with a dangerously relevant edge. It’s stylish, daring, and intellectually charged in a way Suits rarely attempted. The fast-talking lawyers and power plays will be instant TV comfort food for fans of Suits, and the higher stakes make the meal much more satisfying. With bold social commentary, biting humor, and unforgettable performances, The Good Fight proves that legal drama can be both entertaining and provocative, and still look good doing it. Goliath (2016-2021) Goliath Brings Gritty Realism And Emotional Depth To The Courtroom In Ways Suits Never Dared Billy Bob Thornton leads Goliath as Billy McBride, a washed-up lawyer fighting corrupt corporations and powerful adversaries. Unlike Suits’ high-gloss world of pristine offices and power suits, Goliath dives into the grimy underbelly of the justice system. It’s a noir-tinged exploration of redemption and truth, infused with the weary grit of someone who’s seen too much. If there’s a key area that secures Goliath being a better lawyer show than Suits, it’s authenticity. The show’s cases feel ripped from reality, and McBride’s battles against systemic corruption offer emotional weight that Suits’ stylized corporate dramas rarely reach. The appeal of Goliath for fans of Suits lies in the contrast between the two. Goliath is what happens when Harvey Specter loses everything and has to fight back from the bottom. It’s slower, darker, and far more rewarding, a legal thriller with real scars beneath its surface. Billions (2016-2023) Billions Outplays Suits With Smarter Dialogue And Higher-Stakes Power Games Billions transforms legal maneuvering into an all-out war of intellect and ego. Paul Giamatti’s U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades and Damian Lewis’ hedge fund king Bobby Axelrod battle for dominance in a world where money, morality, and manipulation intertwine. If Suits made law look sexy, Billions makes it operatic. The series excels where Suits stops short. Its dialogue is denser, its stakes higher, and its moral ambiguity far more intriguing. Each episode of Billions feels like a chess match between titans who bend the law rather than simply practice it. Fans of Suits will recognize the same verbal sparring and clever strategy but will find Billions’ tone sharper and more cerebral. It’s a legal drama turned psychological warfare, one that makes Suits feel like the warm-up act. The Good Wife (2009-2016) The Good Wife Builds Richer Characters And Deeper Legal Storytelling Than Suits Ever Achieved Led by Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, The Good Wife chronicles a woman rebuilding her career and reputation after her husband’s scandal. The show combines legal intrigue with political drama, weaving serialized storytelling that feels both intimate and epic. Its blend of procedural and serialized formats redefined the modern legal show. What makes it one of the better legal dramas than Suits is its balance of style and substance. While Suits thrived on charisma, The Good Wife mastered complexity, both in its cases and its characters. The writing delves into moral gray zones that make Pearson Specter look idealistic by comparison. The Good Wife’s mix of loyalty, ambition, and ethical conflict is sure to appeal to any fans of Suits. Both are brilliant, but The Good Wife simply gives viewers more of what works. Plus, the powerful transformation of Alicia from cautious wife to confident litigator is one of the best overall character arcs TV has seen in decades. Boston Legal (2004-2008) Boston Legal Delivers Sharper Humor And More Human Insight than Suits Ever Managed Created by David E. Kelley, Boston Legal stars James Spader as Alan Shore and William Shatner as Denny Crane, two eccentric attorneys whose friendship and courtroom antics drive the show’s humor and heart. Long before Suits mastered snappy banter, Boston Legal perfected it. The series blends comedy, social commentary, and legal drama seamlessly. While Suits often flirts with moral questions, Boston Legal stares them down and laughs, managing to be both outrageous and thought-provoking. It explores justice, ethics, and aging with a humanity Suits rarely touches. There’s plenty to love in Boston Legal for Suits fans. Every episode is dripping witty repartee, impeccable suits, and dynamic partnerships, to the point the two almost share a spiritual kinship. However, Boston Legal’s willingness to balance absurdity with sincerity makes it one of the better legal dramas than Suits by far. The Lincoln Lawyer (2022-Present) The Lincoln Lawyer Gives The Courtroom Genre A Slicker, More Grounded Take Than Suits Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer follows Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a defense attorney who runs his law practice from the back seat of his Lincoln. Adapted from Michael Connelly’s novels, it blends procedural structure with modern pacing, delivering case-of-the-week storytelling that feels cinematic yet tight. Where Suits was at its best when submerging viewers in legal office politics, The Lincoln Lawyer thrived in the courtroom itself. It’s more faithful to legal realism, while still delivering that same polished charisma and fast dialogue fans crave. Mickey’s charm echoes Harvey’s confidence, but his scrappiness and vulnerability make him far more relatable. The Lincoln Laywer is the natural next step for any Suits fan trying to find legal dramas they’ll enjoy just as much. It’s a stylish, confident lawyer series that’s just as bingeable but rooted in real-world justice; the perfect blend of polish and substance. Better Call Saul (2015-2022) Better Call Saul Outclasses Suits With Its Tragic Depth And Storytelling Brilliance A Breaking Bad prequel that surpasses its parent show, Better Call Saul transcends expectations to become one of television’s finest dramas. Bob Odenkirk’s Jimmy McGill evolves from a struggling lawyer into the morally corrupt Saul Goodman, a transformation as heartbreaking as it is inevitable. Unlike Suits, which is driven by external confidence, Better Call Saul examines the inner cost of ambition. It’s methodical, deeply human, and visually masterful, using every frame to explore guilt, identity, and morality. The courtroom isn’t just a setting; it’s a crucible for the soul.
