Dick Wolf and NBC are moving forward on a new Law & Order series, this time focusing on criminal defense rather than the prosecution side of the aisle. NBC announced they’ve given Law & Order: For the Defense a straight to series order with CSI‘s Carol Mendelsohn on on board as showrunner and executive producer.
“This new show is exciting for me personally,” stated Wolf. “We spent the last 30 years on shows that played offense. Now it will be great to play defense, and being able to do it with Carol is an honor and an opportunity for both of us to do television that hasn’t been done before.”
“We can’t wait to bring audiences the latest chapter of Law & Order, which will explore a different angle of the criminal justice system,” said Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Programming, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We’re excited about Dick Wolf’s perpetually thought-provoking approach as well his collaboration with Carol Mendelsohn, who we have been eager to do a series with for a long time.”
Two-time Emmy Award winner Dick Wolf executive produces along with Arthur Forney, Julie Weitz, and Peter Jankowski. The new Law & Order series will be produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television.
Law & Order: For the Defense will join a franchise that began with Law & Order and includes Law & Order: SVU with Emmy winner Mariska Hargitay and Law & Order: Organized Crime starring Christopher Meloni.
The announcement of the new primetime drama did not include an anticipated premiere date or cast info. It did include the following series description:
“From two-time Emmy Award-winning producer Dick Wolf, creator of the Law & Order brand, Law & Order: For the Defense will take an unbiased look inside a criminal defense firm. The series will put the lawyers under the microscope, along with the criminal justice system with every week delivering the promise of a contemporary morality tale.”