David E. Kelley the creative mind behind The Practice and Ally McBeal tackles the realm of the reality series with The Law Firm. The premise behind the series is to observe real lawyers as they trying real cases ending with real consequences. Trial attorney and legal analyst Roy Black will manage 12 lawyers as they compete against each other. Court cases with both judges and juries will result in rulings that will be final in a court of law. The compelling cases to be tried range from First Amendment issues and neighbor disputes to cases of wrongful death. Judges decide some of the cases, while juries determine others. The top attorney, in the end, receives a prize of $250,000.

By Christine Blackmon
Reality Reel Media
07.27.05

There is always plenty of drama inside and outside of the courtroom and the result in this reality series is pure entertainment. Here's a look at the lawyers taking part in The Law Firm:

Aileen is a Civil Litigation attorney from Georgia. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto Canada, continuing on to Law School at Georgia State University. During her years as a criminal prosecutor and working on sides of both the defense and plaintiff, she has lost only one case. Alieen's take on the misconceptions of lawyers: "At the end of the day, strategy triumphs over volume. The old saying really is true: to be a successful trial lawyer, be yourself - unless you're a jerk - then be someone else."

Anika, from Washington D.C. specializes in Criminal Litigation. Her educational background consists of undergraduate work at New York University and Loyola Law School. She says she has it all, blending a persona of confidence and attitude with dogged determination. Anika thinks: "The biggest misconception people have about attorneys is that we are all unprincipled and would lie, cheat and steal to make a buck. It's because of this feeling that society has labeled lawyers a "necessary evil."

Barrett studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and at Chicago Kent College of Law where she specialized in personal injury. Being often confused for a court reporter, she believes the biggest misconception of lawyers is what a lawyer looks like.

Chris, a California native went to undergrad at UCLA and Law School at Walter F. George School of Law, Macer University, specializing in Administrative Justice. What makes him better than the others? He believes he possesses qualities that cannot be taught or acquired—connecting with people on various levels. In his opinion: "Lawyers must abide by the highest ethical standards of any profession. My hope is that this show will change such misconceptions and show how hard working and dedicated we are to helping people."