The Practice poster

TV series

The Practice

1997TV-148 seasons7.7 / 10

Between Justice And Morality Can We Choose?

A provocative legal drama focused on young associates at a bare-bones Boston firm and their scrappy boss, Bobby Donnell. The show's forte is its storylines about “people who walk a moral tightrope.”

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Where to watch in United States

Checked Jul 22, 2026

The Practice is available to stream on Prime Video in United States. You can also rent or buy it from Google Play, Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Use the direct links below to open the provider.

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Synopsis

A provocative legal drama focused on young associates at a bare-bones Boston firm and their scrappy boss, Bobby Donnell. The show's forte is its storylines about “people who walk a moral tightrope.”

Season 8 episodes

Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.

← Season 7

Episode 1

We the People

44m7.0 / 10

Eleanor defends a man accused of killing his wife and unborn son. He contests that it was suicide. Eugene and Jimmy defend a woman who shot a crack dealer on her street. Alan Shore comes to Eleanor looking for a job after he was fired for embezzlement. He is given a case where a woman files charges against a homeless man who "Halle Berry'd" her (came out of nowhere and kissed her). He uses insurance fraud to coerce her into dropping the charges.

Episode credits

Directed by Dennis SmithWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Kelly Overton, Naelee Rae, Kenneth Welsh, Viola Davis, Jeff Perry, Norman Lloyd, Chris O'Donnell, Harve Presnell

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Episode 2

The Chosen (1)

44m

Alan Shore agrees to help friend Sheila Carlisle, a successful attorney who claims God speaks to her, and who has subsequently been fired from her law firm for being mentally incompetent. Meanwhile there are startling new developments in the case of Brad Stanfield, whom Ellenor and Jamie are defending for allegedly poisoning his pregnant wife.

Episode credits

Directed by Leslie LibmanWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Sharon Stone, Debra Mooney, Frank Birney, Adam Arkin, Jim Lau, Chris O'Donnell, Katherine Kamhi, Kenneth Meseroll

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Episode 3

Cause of Action (2)

44m1.0 / 10

Eccentric attorney Sheila Carlisle, whom Alan Shore hired on a temporary basis without consulting anyone else, takes on a lawsuit on behalf of the firm; and Ellenor finds herself in a moral dilemma when faced with the truth about her client.

Episode credits

Directed by Christina MusreyWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Dana Ivey, Aaron Lustig, Sharon Stone, Frank Birney, Randy Oglesby, Chris O'Donnell, Rick Zieff, Mary Major

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Episode 4

Blessed Are They (3)

44m8.0 / 10

Alan Shore is troubled by Sheila Carlisle's increasingly erratic behavior and fears for her mental - and legal - competence. Meanwhile, Shore is ordered by the court to represent a man who refuses to divulge his identity for fear that the unsavory nature of his crime will be made public

Episode credits

Directed by Simon CurtisWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Sharon Stone, Jason Brooks, Alex Carter, Ron McLarty, Richard McGonagle, Chris O'Donnell, Gregory Itzin, Tyrees Allen

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Episode 5

The Heat of Passion (1)

44m

A complex murder case implicating a white supremacist embroils Eugene; malpractice fears haunt Jamie; the defense of accused killer Roland Huff embattles Shore, whose tactics astonish Tara and precipitate a run-in with a judge.

Episode credits

Directed by Nick GomezWritten by David E. Kelley, Lukas ReiterGuest stars Rick Lenz, Denis Arndt, Kenneth Welsh, Susan Blommaert, Ken Hudson Campbell, Bari Hochwald, Bill Doyle, John Walcutt

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Episode 6

The Lonely People (2)

44m

Eugene and Jimmy's defense of the leader of a white supremacist group takes an unexpected turn when surprising new developments come to light. Meanwhile, Shore continues in his quest to free Roland Huff from prison, and Jamie and Eugene must come to terms with their differences.

Episode credits

Directed by Christina MusreyWritten by David E. Kelley, Lukas ReiterGuest stars Mike Muscat, Denis Arndt, Lisa Edelstein, Kenneth Welsh, Susan Blommaert, Ken Hudson Campbell, Tucker Smallwood, John Walcutt

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Episode 7

Rape Shield

44m

A rape case rattles Jimmy, ill-prepared to defend a client who maintains his innocence despite overwhelming evidence against him. Also, ethics violations catch up to Shore, who has a showdown with Eugene.

Episode credits

Directed by Jeannot SzwarcWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Holland Taylor, Laz Alonso, Lisa Edelstein, Bruce Weitz, Capathia Jenkins, Elisabeth Moss, Tom Kemp, Janet Song

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Episode 8

Concealing Evidence

44m

Alan Shore uses questionable, if not illegal, tactics in representing his clients — Ted Grayson, a mentally unstable man accused of murder, and Karen Evanson, a woman who claims her husband's suicide was induced by a prescription drug.

Episode credits

Directed by Bill D'EliaWritten by David E. Kelley, Lukas Reiter, Jonathan ShapiroGuest stars Ron Leibman, Lisa Sheridan, Herb Mitchell, Tony Amendola, Amy Aquino, Michael Sean Tighe, Christopher Shea, Sam Vance

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Episode 9

Victims' Rights

44m

Alan Shore defends a twelve-year-old girl who is trying to escape an arranged marriage in her home country. Meanwhile, Eugene tries to help a man who is seeking justice for the brutal murder of his wife.

Episode credits

Directed by Jeannot SzwarcWritten by Peter Blake, David E. KelleyGuest stars David Andrews, David Garrison, Kate Burton, Marguerite MacIntyre, Bill Moseley, Mim Drew, Edmund L. Shaff, Josh Hamilton

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Episode 10

Equal Justice

44m

Alan Shore uses unorthodox tactics when he's appointed by the court to defend a young man accused of murder. Meanwhile, Tara must try her first case when she's thrown into covering Shore's previously scheduled client.

Episode credits

Directed by Andy WolkWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Remy Ryan Hernandez, Freda Foh Shen, Hank Stratton, Steven Flynn, Brenden Jefferson, Reggie Jordan, Tzi Ma, Jordan Baker

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Episode 11

Police State

44m

When the police torture a man they believe shot one of their own, Eugene, barely able to contain his emotion, takes the lead in seeking justice.

Episode credits

Directed by Andy Wolk, Rod HardyWritten by David E. Kelley, Jonathan Shapiro, Jonathan ShapiroGuest stars Femi Emiola, Blake Heron, Bill Smitrovich, Marshall Allman, Michael Patrick McGill, Ray Abruzzo, Michael O'Neill, Alejandro Furth

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Episode 12

Avenging Angels

44m8.0 / 10

Jimmy Berluti and Jamie Stringer defend an elderly man, Walter Josephson, who is accused of killing a member of the local Irish mob, and Alan Shore agrees to help a friend — by any means necessary — who discovers his wife is cheating on him.

Episode credits

Directed by Joseph Berger-DavisWritten by Peter Blake, David E. KelleyGuest stars James Eckhouse, Michael Nouri, Colby French, Tess Lina, Ralph Waite, Tim Snay, Jeremy Flynn, Jessa French

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Episode 13

Going Home (1)

44m

When his best friend from childhood is accused of murdering his mistress, Alan Shore returns home to defend him.

Episode credits

Directed by Michael ZinbergWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Betty White, Morgan York, Michael Reilly Burke, Taylor Nichols, Jill Clayburgh, Rick Hoffman, Patrick Dempsey, Colleen Flynn

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Episode 14

Pre-Trial Blues (2)

44m

An ongoing, sensational murder case besets Shore with pre-trial anxieties centering on jury selection; a hostile judge; a priest's confession; and suspicions of malpractice that involve a manipulative witness for the prosecution.

Episode credits

Directed by Christina MusreyWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Betty White, Michael Reilly Burke, Marc Vann, Taylor Nichols, Jill Clayburgh, Rick Hoffman, Patrick Dempsey, Colleen Flynn

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Episode 15

Mr. Shore Goes to Town (3)

44m

Fireworks erupt at Dr. Stewart's trial when shocking testimony is elicited from the defendant's strong-willed mother, a conflicted priest and a crackpot.

Episode credits

Directed by Dennis SmithWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Betty White, Michael Reilly Burke, Marc Vann, Taylor Nichols, Jill Clayburgh, Rick Hoffman, Patrick Dempsey, Colleen Flynn

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Episode 16

In Good Conscience (1)

44m

There are major shake-ups at the firm, as tensions rise between Eugene and Alan Shore. Meanwhile, the firm takes the case of a young man who is suing the doctor he feels is responsible for the death of his wife during childbirth.

Episode credits

Directed by Kelli WilliamsWritten by David E. Kelley, Jonathan ShapiroGuest stars Marla Sokoloff, Gary Cole, Jeremy Davidson, John Keefe, Helen Carey, Stephen Mendillo, Richard Holden, John Sterling Carter

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Episode 17

War of the Roses (2)

44m

Tensions between Shore and Eugene rise to the boiling point when Shore retains the services of a high-profile law firm to go head-to-head with Young, Frutt & Berluti in the face of his abrupt firing from the firm.

Episode credits

Directed by Joseph Berger-DavisWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Marla Sokoloff, Vince Colosimo, William Shatner, James Hornbeck, Stan Ivar, Sherri Parker Lee, Conor O'Farrell, Jim Jansen

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Episode 18

The Case Against Alan Shore (3)

44m

Eugene and his firm stand against Alan Shore and his "new" firm. The entire episode revolves around Eugene, Ellenor, and Jimmy testifing that Alan doesn't deserve the amount of money Alan proposed. Can Ellenor really testify against her friend? How will Alan go against his old firm?

Episode credits

Directed by Bill D'EliaWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Marla Sokoloff, Vince Colosimo, Adam Goldberg, William Shatner, Stan Ivar, Gordon Michaels, Anne Stedman

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Episode 19

The Firm

44m

Friction at the firm gets to Jimmy, who's torn between loyalties and principles. Meanwhile, tension besets Shore as he crosses swords with his brilliant but erratic new boss, whose behavior raises questions of competence.

Episode credits

Directed by Christina MusreyWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Vince Colosimo, Nicole Bilderback, Bill Smitrovich, Gina Gershon, Lake Bell, Currie Graham, Billy Gardell, Herb Mitchell

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Episode 20

Comings and Goings

44m

Eugene is presented with an offer he finds hard to refuse, and Ellenor is shocked when she hears the news, knowing full well that any departure by Eugene would mean the beginning of the end of the practice. Meanwhile, Jimmy is confronted by crooked lawyer Lenny Pascatore), who claims that the neighborhood only has room for one practicing attorney. Across town at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, Denny Crane ruffles some feathers by making Tara his personal paralegal, and Hannah Rose enlists Shore's help in handling an assault case involving two hockey players.

Episode credits

Directed by Jeannot SzwarcWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Vincent Pastore, Vince Colosimo, Debi Mazar, Ivar Brogger, Lake Bell, Billy Gardell, Donna Pieroni, Rebecca De Mornay

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Episode 21

New Hoods on the Block

44m

Eugene considers an exciting new offer for his future... could this mean the end of the practice? Meanwhile, Jimmy is shaken by an ominous run-in with neighborhood lawyer Lenny Pescatore, as their turf war heats up, and Ellenor clashes with sexy and ruthless attorney Hannah Rose of Crane Poole & Schmidt.

Episode credits

Directed by Bill D'EliaWritten by David E. Kelley, Frank RenzulliGuest stars Dylan McDermott, Vincent Pastore, Debi Mazar, Ivar Brogger, Lake Bell, Billy Gardell, Paul Raci, William Shatner

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Episode 22

Cheers

44mfinale

Denny and Alan make an appearance before Judge Eugene Young; Hannah Rose recovers from her bout with Ellenor; Jamie accepts a job with Berluti; Ellenor invites Bobby Donnell to help his former colleagues bid farewell to the firm.

Episode credits

Directed by Jeannot SzwarcWritten by David E. KelleyGuest stars Dylan McDermott, Betsy Brandt, Vincent Pastore, Kate Burton, Vince Colosimo, Alyssa Shafer, Lake Bell, Frank Birney

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Episode information updated Jul 24, 2026

More about The Practice

Cast

Dylan McDermottBobby Donnell
Steve HarrisEugene Young
Camryn ManheimEllenor Frutt
Michael BadaluccoJimmy Berluti
Jessica CapshawJamie Stringer
LisaGay HamiltonRebecca Washington
Kelli WilliamsLindsay Dole
Lara Flynn BoyleHelen Gamble

Credits

Created by
David E. Kelley

Production details

Status
Ended
Series type
Scripted
Episodes
168
Original language
English

Networks & production

  • ABCUnited States
  • David E. Kelley ProductionsUnited States
  • Daydreamers Entertainment
  • Decode Entertainment
  • 20th Century Fox TelevisionUnited States

Themes

boldboston, massachusettscomplexdramaticintenselaw firmlawyerserious