List of Law & Order characters

Television show character list

The American television police procedural and legal drama Law & Order (1990–2010, 2022–present) follows the fictional cases of a group of police detectives and prosecutors who represent the public in the criminal justice system. Law & Order is known for its revolving cast, as most of its original stars had left the show within the first five seasons.^[1] The longest-serving main cast members of the original series include Jerry Orbach as Det. Lennie Briscoe (1992–2004),^[2][3] S. Epatha Merkerson as Lt. Anita Van Buren (1993–2010),^[4] and Sam Waterston as EADA/DA Jack McCoy (1994–2010, 2022–2024).^{[citation needed]}

Characters

Main characters

Police officers

Sergeants

Senior detectives

Junior detectives

Supervising officers

Prosecutors

Executive Assistant District Attorneys

Assistant District Attorneys

• In the 1997 season 7 episode "We Like Mike", Caleb Duff is listed as Assistant District Attorney beneath Adam Schiff as District Attorney and John J. McCoy as Executive Assistant District Attorney at the New York County District Attorney's Office, though he never appears on screen.

Manhattan District Attorneys

Other main characters

Recurring characters

NYPD personnel

NYPD officials

27th Precinct support detectives

Crime Scene Unit investigators / crime lab technicians

Assistant Medical Examiners

Defense attorneys

Judges

Arraignment judges

Trial judges

Appellate judges

Guest characters

Defense attorneys

See also

• Law & Order (franchise)
• List of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit characters
• List of Law & Order: Criminal Intent characters
• List of Law & Order: LA characters

References

1. Carlson, Erin (2008-10-31). "Can 'Law & Order' outlive 'Gunsmoke'?". San Jose Mercury News. Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
2. Starr, Michael (May 18, 2004). "Jerry Orbach Signs Off After 12 Years on 'Law & Order'". Fox News. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
3. Brantley, Ben; Severo, Richard (December 29, 2004). "Jerry Orbach, Star of 'Law & Order,' Dies at 69". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
4. Ausiello, Michael. "Exclusive: S. Epatha Merkerson exits 'Law & Order'". The Ausiello Files. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2010-04-04. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
5. "Maura Tierney Joins Law & Order as Series Regular (Exclusive)". TVline.com. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
6. Jane Hall (August 20, 1991). "The High Cost of Reality : Television: The producers of NBC's 'Law & Order' say filming the hourlong drama in Manhattan costs 20% more than re-creating New York on a Los Angeles back lot--but the results are worth it". LA Times. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
7. Jennifer Mashuga (January 6, 2022). "The Impact Of Greevey's Death In Law & Order". Looper. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
8. "Stolen". Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Season 3. Episode 3. October 12, 2001. NBC.
9. Greevey's Death - Law & Order, retrieved 2024-01-28
10. "Endurance". Law & Order. Season 11. Episode 1. October 18, 2000. NBC.