The Practice is one of my favorite courtroom dramas. The story centers around a firm of criminal defense attorneys and district attorneys, male and female, and manages to portray the American justice system in a relatively realistic manner.
The casting in this television series is excellent, especially Laura Flynn Boyle, who portrays a district attorney with grace and aplomb. The characters themselves are all believable, likeable, and the situations they are found in could have came from the daily newspapers.
The writing on this show is superb. Even though the subject matter might lead you to believe that little new or interesting could happen, the writers still find ways to make the plots fresh and fascinating from episode to episode. Each character has been written to be completely 3 dimensional, with lives and sub-plots outside the courtroom, and occasionally a little dark humor livens up the scene.
Another great thing about this series is the camera work. It is a treat to watch, as the director makes excellent use of light and shadow, reminiscent of film noire. The final editing helps the storyline to flow smoothly from one scene to the next, leaving no boring moments.