There’s always a danger when adapting a popular series to the screen, especially when moving from the big screen to the small. When Netflix announced the adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer series, they wanted the show to stand apart from the successful movie starring Matthew McConaughey.
That’s no easy task. Readers have their own expectations, and viewers already have an idea of the story that’s already been told. That is why Netflix made the decision to focus the first season of the series mainly on the second book, The Brass Verdict.
The series, which first debuted in May of 2022, doesn’t just pick up where the first book and the movie left off, it changes the storyline so that the first season plays out like an introduction to the series. Connected plot lines—like Mickey Haller’s injury at the end of the first book—are altered.
Other characters and plots are changed, but the most significant is the renamed Cisco. Played by Angus Sampson, Cisco adapts the role of Haller’s half-brother, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detective Harry Bosch, who had to be renamed due to a rights conflict with Amazon Studios.
While the change might seem confusing in an explanation, in actuality it works well for both new viewers and fans hoping to get immersed in the longer series. And don’t take our word for it! The show has high ratings almost equal to that of the movie, ranking an 81% positive review on Rotten Tomatoes, just 1% lower than the 82% approval rating of the movie.
Considering this, it’s no surprise that the show was renewed for a second season. Part 1 of Season 2 premiered July 6th, and Part 2 is set to be released on August 3rd.
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo returns as the star of the series, the successful but troubled defense attorney Mickey Haller. Haller’s first ex-wife, played by Neve Campbell, will be a recurring character, while his second ex-wife and legal aide (Becki Newton) plays a larger role. Jazz Raycole returns as Haller’s personal driver, Izzy Letts, and Angus Sampson is back as Cisco.
New to the cast this season is Lana Parrilla (Once Upon a Time) playing Lisa Trammel, a local chef fighting with a predatory real estate developer who ends up being Haller’s new client. But making Haller’s life difficult is a formidable new criminal prosecutor played by Yaya DaCosta (Chicago Med).
The plot will be largely taken from Connelly’s fourth Lincoln Lawyer book, The Fifth Witness, with some expected changes to make the story congruous with the first season. Some of the other changes fans hope to see is the resolution of who actually killed Martha Renteria, a sub-plot from the first season that was taken from the original book.
With a month between Part 1 and Part 2, there’s plenty of time to dive into the books and really get to know the characters. Check out the trailer for the new season below, then brush up with all seven Lincoln Lawyer books!
Want to dive even deeper into The Lincoln Lawyer? Check out the books in chronological order below!
The Lincoln Lawyer
Mickey Haller knows that inside a courtroom, right and wrong, guilty or innocent, are less important than the story you tell. It’s about manipulation, negotiation, and winning. Sometimes justice finds its way in there, too.
He operates out of the back of his Lincoln, representing the dregs of L.A. criminals—until he gets his first high-paying client. Even better, the Beverly Hills playboy appears to be innocent. But when Mickey’s investigation gets too close to the truth, someone close to him is killed. Suddenly Mickey has to use every trick in his dirty book to stay alive.
The Brass Verdict
It took two years, but Mickey Haller is back in the courtroom, and things are finally looking up. Hollywood lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered, and Mickey inherits his biggest case ever. Vincent was defending Walter Elliott, a powerful studio executive charged with murdering his wife and her lover. Unfortunately, the publicity puts Mickey right into the killer’s sights.
Harry Bosch is searching for Vincent’s killer, and Mickey might be the perfect bait. But the detective and the lawyer are in more danger than either realize, and working together might be the only way they survive.
The Reversal
When new DNA evidence means convicted murderer Jason Jessup gets a new trial, prominent defense attorney Mickey Haller changes sides. He agrees to prosecute the case if he can choose LAPD detective Harry Bosch as his lead investigator. Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, but his defense attorney is a genius at media manipulation, turning the tide in Jessup’s favor.
With Jessup out on bail, an eyewitness reluctant to testify, and threats emerging around every corner, Bosch and Haller have their hands full. As the evidence stacks against them and time runs out, the only thing they’re sure of is that Jessup plans to kill again.
The Fifth Witness
As the economy turns, more of defense attorney Mickey Haller’s clients use public defenders to save a buck. To make some extra income, Mickey takes on foreclosure defense. But then Lisa Trammel, one of his clients, is accused of killing the banker she believes is responsible for taking her home.
The evidence is against her, and Mickey suspects she might be guilty—until he finds out the banker dabbled in black market deals. When Mickey is attacked, he's confident he's on the right trail. He keeps digging, determined to put on the best defense of his life. But nothing can prepare him for the shocking revelations that come after the verdict.
The Gods of Guilt
When Mickey Haller gets a text about a murder case, he’s immediately intrigued. Murder pays well and demands all his skills. But then he finds out the victim was one of his former clients, a prostitute he believed he helped to clean up her life.
As he digs, he realizes that instead of taking her out of danger, he may have been the one who put her in front of it. He focuses all his efforts into the case. He wants to proving his client’s innocence, sure. But most of all, he needs to prove his own. Otherwise, the ghosts of his past may never stop haunting him.
The Law of Innocence
When defense attorney Mickey Haller is pulled over and the police find a body in his trunk, he finds himself sitting in the wrong seat in the courtroom. Slapped with an outlandish bail, he’s stuck in jail and charged with murder. But Mickey is the best. So, he decides to defend himself.
He knows he’s been framed, but proving that from inside the Twin Towers Correctional Center in downtown L.A. is going to take all his skills and all his trust. Relying on his team while trying to keep his head down, he’s determined to figure out who wants to destroy his life. He's out to prove—beyond a reasonable doubt—his innocence.
Resurrection Walk
Mickey Haller started his career taking one-in-a-million cases, the ones that take a miracle to win. Now he’s decided to go back to his roots. That’s why he agrees to defend a woman convicted of killing her sheriff’s deputy husband. Four years after the crime, she continues to insist she’s innocent.
To help, he brings on LAPD detective Harry Bosch, who realizes the prosecution’s case just doesn’t make sense. The sheriff department wanted an easy win with a fast investigation. Now, the deeper Haller and Bosch get, the more they realize someone is covering up why the deputy really died.
