REVIEW: Pro Bono Brings a Fresh Twist to the Courtroom K-Drama Formula

’ve probably said this more than once by now, but I’m a total sucker for courtroom dramas and courtroom comedies. Not all of them stick the landing, but even when they don’t, I usually still have a good time.

This new K-drama immediately caught my attention thanks to a premise I hadn’t really seen before: a judge who steps away from the bench to become a lawyer again — and not just any lawyer, but one working in the pro bono department. That alone earns it some originality points. The writing does a solid job balancing heavier dramatic material, like a case involving an immigrant and domestic abuse, with the lighter, sometimes goofy humor you expect from Korean series. As for the cases themselves, most of them work well, though some definitely stand out more than others. The immigration-related case was easily the strongest, full of twists and emotional beats that kept me invested. The case involving the mother and her son also surprised me, especially with the direction it ultimately took, and the final case had a nice layer of intrigue that wrapped things up in a satisfying way.

One thing I appreciated is that the show usually takes an episode or two to fully explore each case, which helps the emotional payoff. That said, with only 12 episodes total, the series feels a bit limited in scope. I honestly enjoyed spending time with these characters so much that I found myself wishing there were more cases and more episodes, which is both a compliment and one of the show’s biggest drawbacks.

Performance-wise, the cast delivers across the board. Jung Kyung-ho, who I first really noticed in Crash Course in Romance, is once again very likable here. He brings just the right amount of cockiness, but there’s also an underlying charm that makes it easy to root for his character, especially as he grows over the course of the series. His character arc is fairly predictable, but it’s still satisfying to watch unfold, and he handles the comedic moments really well. His chemistry with the rest of the cast is strong, particularly with So Joo-yeon. Their banter and the way their relationship develops make for some genuinely fun moments.

Some of the supporting players also manage to steal the spotlight, especially in those early cases. One kid in particular was fantastic — genuinely endearing and surprisingly emotional — and it was hard not to feel for what he was going through.

All things considered, this isn’t the best courtroom K-drama I’ve seen (it’s definitely no Extraordinary Attorney Woo), but thanks to a strong lead performance and consistently solid writing, it’s an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.