List of Boston Legal characters

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Boston Legal is an American legal comedy drama created by David E. Kelley. The series, starring James Spader, with Candice Bergen, and William Shatner, was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC. Boston Legal aired from October 3, 2004, to December 8, 2008. The series is a spin off of the Kelley series The Practice, and features Practice actors including Spader, Rhona Mitra, Lake Bell, and Shatner. It is set at the legal firm of Crane, Poole & Schmidt.

Alan Shore is a brilliant lawyer with a strong moral core who nevertheless is not above obtaining ethical outcomes through unethical means. Illicit computer hacking, blackmail, disguise and bribery are all tools he uses without hesitation. Alan is, however, unwavering in his defense of the underdog (unless he is representing the other party). He is disappointed and disillusioned with how the country has changed in recent years, and routinely confronts these issues in open court. Wherever he works, he treats his coworkers with levity and refuses to take himself too seriously. Alan suffers from night terrors, has a fear of clowns, and gave up his home, preferring instead to live in hotels. He has resigned himself to the fact that he will never be made partner at the firm due to his unpredictable behavior and lack of trustworthiness; while the managing partners of Crane, Poole & Schmidt do not fully trust Alan, they do recognize his talent as an attorney. Alan is best friends with (and later husband of) Denny Crane despite their sharp differences in political ideologies.

Tara Wilson first appeared as a paralegal at Young, Frutt & Berlutti. Fired from the firm after notifying Alan of his impending dismissal, Tara is hired to work at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, the firm representing Alan's civil case. Subsequently, she became a lawyer. Tara and Alan finally began a sexual relationship following his break up with Sally Heep, though their relationship hit a rocky patch when he hired a group of men to attack a man he had previously fought with. When Tara reconnects with one of her ex boyfriends, the two break up, and she promptly resigns from Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Her departure leads to Alan questioning his emotional suitability for a relationship.

Sally Heep first appeared as an associate at Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Introduced in The Practice, Sally began a relationship with Alan that crossed over into Boston Legal. However, after he used her to get information from a witness against their client so they could suppress his testimony, she broke up with him. Shortly after Shirley took over the Boston offices, she fired Sally for repeated errors in case preparation that called her competence as a lawyer into question. Sally returns in Season three as opposing counsel (“Whose God Is It Anyway?” and “The Verdict”).

A named partner of Crane, Poole & Schmidt, Dennis 'Denny' Crane is a renowned attorney of some fifty years of practice who claims he has never lost a case, and never will. He is an eccentric who considers himself a legend and loves to say his own name to "sign" his verbal utterances. In one of the final episodes of The Practice, he explained that often people don't believe they're in the room with a legend, so he says his own name to let them know it's true. Denny suffers from memory loss and confusion as part of the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, but often refers to his troubles as "mad cow disease" when his utterances are confusing to others or when he himself becomes confused. While he is still trying cases frequently as late as Season 1 of Boston Legal, by Season 2, he seems to have lost most of his talent for complex litigation, though he still shows flair in appealing to a jury in closing arguments. By Season 3 he mostly serves as a figurehead at the firm, rarely trying cases and appearing in court more often as a plaintiff and defendant due to his antics. When he does appear in court as a lawyer in later seasons, however, he still performs well. Denny is a conservative who loves firearms and believes gun control is for "communists". He also refuses to defend anyone who is accused of extremely heinous acts; in one episode, he shoots a client because of the nature of his crime (raping and murdering a child). This is just one of several people he shoots over the course of the series, with several characters saying that Denny "shoots people". Denny enjoys an extremely close friendship with Alan Shore, is also a womanizer like Alan, and has no problem sleeping with the wives of judges and clients. Though he marries another woman in Season 2 (from whom he is quickly divorced after engaging in an act of infidelity at their wedding reception), he still pines for Shirley Schmidt. Denny and Alan marry in the series finale.

The following characters first appeared in Boston Legal, and formed part of the regular ensemble. The original cast includes Spader, Bell, Mitra, Shatner, Monica Potter, and Mark Valley. Candice Bergen joined the ensemble during season one, while René Auberjonois recurred for a short time before being promoted to series regular. Julie Bowen, Justin Mentell and Ryan Michelle Bathe joined the series in the second season, while Craig Bierko, Constance Zimmer, and Gary Anthony Williams first appeared in season three. John Larroquette, Saffron Burrows, Tara Summers, and Taraji Henson joined the series in season four, as did Christian Clemenson, who had recurred since season two. Character Portrayed by Occupation Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 Lori Colson Monica Potter Junior Partner colspan="3" Brad Chase Mark Valley Junior Partner colspan="3" Shirley Schmidt Candice Bergen Named Managing Partner colspan="5" Paul Lewiston René Auberjonois Managing Partner colspan="3" colspan="2" Denise Bauer Julie Bowen Senior Associate colspan="2" Garrett Wells Justin Mentell Associate colspan="3" Sara Holt Ryan Michelle Bathe Associate colspan="3" Jeffrey Coho Craig Bierko Junior Partner colspan="2" colspan="2" Claire Simms Constance Zimmer Associate colspan="2" colspan="2" Clarence Bell Gary Anthony Williams Associate colspan="2" colspan="2" Carl Sack John Larroquette Managing Partner colspan="3" colspan="2" Jerry Espenson Christian Clemenson Junior Partner colspan="2" colspan="2" Katie Lloyd Tara Summers Associate colspan="3" colspan="2" Lorraine Weller Saffron Burrows Associate colspan="3" Whitney Rome Taraji P. Henson Associate colspan="3"

A junior partner at Crane, Poole & Schmidt and former prosecutor, Lori Colson found herself inexplicably attracted to Alan during the first season. Initially, Lori focuses her efforts on practicing civil law, though after working with Edwin Poole she becomes more comfortable with criminal cases, believing them to be incredibly rewarding emotionally. Though she was close friends with Shirley Schmidt, she files a sexual harassment claim against Denny Crane in the first season. Denny later apologized to Lori, though she departed the firm shortly thereafter. Alan later comments that Shirley had "ushered" Lori out, suggesting she resigned under significant pressure from the managing partners.

Brad Chase is the man who the others turn to when they need something done. He often relies on his Marine Corps background to both intimidate others and undertake physically demanding tasks. Brad is a self proclaimed homophobe, though this manifests more as feeling uncomfortable around LGBTQ+ people than hatred or bigotry. He has even represented homosexual clients with all of his might, the same as any other clients of his. While Brad hated Alan initially, he later became slightly more tolerant of him. In the second season, Brad becomes a partner at the firm, though he finds his job at risk when he offers to pay Denny's fiancée not to marry him. Brad initially had a strong relationship with Lori Colson, though upon her departure from the firm he grows close to Denise Bauer. The two later have a child together, and marry shortly after. Shortly after the third season, he leaves the firm to begin work as an Assistant District Attorney.

Shirley Schmidt is a named partner of Crane, Poole & Schmidt, a firm she founded with partners Denny Crane and Edwin Poole. With a propensity to remind her younger colleagues that she's "Schmidt", Shirley is tasked with reining in Denny's preposterous behavior, directing litigation, and practicing law. Prior to founding her firm, Shirley attended Wellesley College where she met her share of intelligent Harvard students. She spent a significant amount of time in New York, before being called to Boston by Paul Lewiston. Shirley used to have a romantic relationship with Denny, a past she now views with sardonic detachment, often making jokes about it. She is portrayed as extremely desirable in the series: smart, sexy, and sought after by many of the men around her, including her ex husband Ivan Tiggs and fellow lawyers Denny, Alan, Jeffrey Coho and Carl Sack. She eventually marries Carl Sack in the series finale.

Paul Lewiston is a managing partner of the Boston office and legal advisor of Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Paul is skilled in client relations and is an expert in Far Eastern markets and legal problems of corporations doing business in that part of the world. Unlike Denny and Alan, Paul generally does things strictly "by the book." He has had several antagonistic run ins with Denny and Alan over their apparent lack of respect for the law. His middle aged daughter, Rachel, is introduced in Season 2 as a meth addict, and Paul has her abducted and placed in a rehab center. He takes custody of her daughter (his granddaughter) Fiona. After this, being tied up with being a father figure to his grandchild, he is seldom seen in the Boston office. It was Lewiston who negotiated the acquisition of Crane, Poole & Schmidt by a Chinese law firm in the series finale, though he later begins to regret this action.

Denise Bauer was introduced as an aggressive young attorney at the start of the show's second season. A senior associate at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, Denise is thrown when, on her first day in Boston, her husband files for divorce and insists that she pay him so he can live while setting up his career as a mediocre golf pro. Her distractions over the divorce cause her trouble with some cases, though she later settles on compensating her husband with a single time alimony payment of one hundred thousand dollars. In season two, Denise begins a relationship with a terminally ill man named Daniel Post, a romance that leads to her travelling to a haunted house to retrieve his head following his death. Denise's first professional blow is delivered when she is passed over for partnership in Spring 2006, despite being considered a safe bet. In season three, Denise discovers she is pregnant with Brad's baby, and as of the seventeenth episode, she had decided to have the baby. She later marries Brad Chase, and after taking extended maternity leave, accepts a partner position at a different law firm. She later returns as opposing counsel. She is shown to be fluent in Italian.

Garrett Wells was introduced in the second season premiere as a brash young attorney who is obviously attracted to Denise. He does go over her head with some clients but aids her by blackmailing her ex husband's attorney/pastor to get him to back down from his demands for money. He is not all that effective in the courtroom, being humiliated on more than one occasion by no nonsense judges. He is also intimidated by Catherine Piper, the caterer and former assistant to Alan Shore, who actually runs him out of his own office. He is not seen after the end of Season 2. It is unclear whether he is still with the firm or was let go by the partners, absent any explanation. During season two he begins a relationship with a paralegal, initially bringing disgrace to the firm due to their mistimed sexual encounters.

Sara Holt is a smart lawyer who isn't above using her own beauty to help her client. A first year associate, Sara is shown to be good friends with her colleague Garrett Wells, and the two often conspire to win cases by unethical means the most notable of which involved seducing and blackmailing a minister. Sara works primarily with Denise Bauer, though she entertains the idea of a relationship with Alan Shore, and the two date on one occasion. She departs the series in season two, absent any explanation.

Jeffrey Coho is an intense, grandiose criminal defense attorney from the New York City branch of Crane, Poole & Schmidt who joins the Boston firm in Season 3, accompanied by Claire Simms. Jeffrey is as comfortable with making enemies as he is making friends. He had a fleeting relationship with Denise, and as such is cordially despised by Brad Chase. After finding out that Denise's baby is not his, Jeffrey leaves the firm in episode fifteen of Season three, wearing his Buzz Lightyear costume.

Claire Sims is a smart, sexy lawyer who, along with Jeffrey Coho, joins the firm in the second episode of Season three. She did undercover work in the Scott Little case, and has a penchant for flirting with witnesses. Claire initiated a relationship with Clarence Bell, who was first her assistant and later a fellow associate. She was written out following the end of season three, absent any explanation.

Also known as Clarice, Clevant and "Oprah." In his default persona, Clarence is hopelessly shy and introverted, and frequently has trouble maintaining eye contact. To deal with this drawback, he role plays as other people who embody the characteristics he cannot. He originally sued his place of employment for gender discrimination. He is hired by CP&S as Claire Simms' assistant, and after it is discovered he is a law school graduate who has been admitted to the bar, he becomes an associate. For a time, he and Claire are an item. Joining the Litigation Division, he and Jerry Espenson become friends, and he enjoys something of a mentoring relationship with Carl Sack. He disappeared at the end of Season 4 with no explanation.

A senior partner at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, Carl transferred from the New York City office to help Shirley in managing the Boston branch following the withdrawal of Paul Lewiston from a leadership role to concentrate on raising his granddaughter. He is initially unable to come to terms with the carefree conduct of the Boston office and once considers moving back to New York. However, he finds his footing in the Boston office, becoming a mentor to the associates, particularly Katie Lloyd, Clarence Bell and Jerry Espenson. He also falls in with the sometimes surreal legal activities of the Litigation Division, notably by filing a lawsuit against the broadcast television networks in which the plaintiffs demanded that they air programs for people with working brains. Carl is an old flame of Shirley's and proposes to her in "Thanksgiving." Shirley and Carl are married in a civil ceremony by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at Nimmo Bay in the series finale.

An attorney diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, whose quirks include purring whenever he feels anxious and upset; constantly exclaiming "Bingo!" as an affirmative; hopping when excited; and awkwardly walking with his hands pressed to his thighs (which earned him the moniker "Hands Espenson" among the other CP&S attorneys). Since his diagnosis, Jerry has received mental and behavior modification therapy which has increased his confidence in dealing with people. Before his disorder was diagnosed, he was arrested for holding a knife to Shirley's throat after being denied partnership in the firm for the third time. Shirley dropped the charges against him after Alan promised to get Jerry the therapy he needed. After therapy, he founded his own successful law firm and opposed Alan Shore in several cases, defeating him in court despite Alan's employment of various tricks intended to rattle him. Jerry was able to use his firm and its client list as leverage to rejoin CP&S, moving from the Corporate Law department to Litigation, where he was surprisingly successful, to the delight of Alan and Shirley. Alan has even admitted that he considers Jerry to be one of the finest attorneys he has ever known. He made partner in the final season, following a declaration of support from Denny Crane and an eloquent speech of his own to the partners. Carl Sack, who had initially been dubious about him, was proud to extend the offer of partnership in the firm to Jerry. Jerry attended Harvard University, where he obtained J. D. and MBA degrees.

An Englishwoman by birth, Lorraine came to America as a result of an agreement with the British government. She had been a high class madam in London, with a string of escorts who serviced very senior members of the British government (and, it was rumored, the Royal Family). Her current citizenship is unclear, though it may be presumed she is a naturalized American. She graduated from Harvard Law School and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar. Joining Crane Poole & Schmidt as a litigator, her background is discovered by Whitney Rome and Katie Lloyd—who also discover, following Jerry's losing his virginity to an escort who had fallen for him, that Lorraine is still a practitioner of "the oldest profession," running strings of high priced escorts in Boston, New York, and Washington, DC. Shortly after this information became known at the firm, Lorraine left Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Whether she resigned or was fired is unclear.

A strong willed associate who transferred to Crane, Poole & Schmidt's New York offices after a break up. In her arrival at the firm, Whitney is immediately thrown into a case involving a bullfighting child whose mother wants sole custody.

A young associate from England and a recent Harvard Law graduate, she is taken under the wing of Shirley Schmidt and assigned to share an office with Jerry Espenson, with whom she tries cases frequently and develops a platonic friendship and later romantic relationship.