分别讲述纽约市警察局局曼哈顿区第27警署警探破案和曼哈顿检察官起诉罪犯的故事。跟别的探案剧不同的是，法律与秩序很少有枪战追击火爆场面，也很少有高科技，更没有超人的英雄。警探们靠排查摸底一条街一条街的跑查案，检察官们靠在法庭内外一次一次的辩论谈判将坏人绳之于法。

纽约警察和检察官的故事，跨越15个春秋，1990年首播，至今仍受到亿万观众瞩目的长剧。
law & order第55届艾美奖最大的遗憾，已连续11年入围剧情类最佳电视剧奖提名的这部热门电视剧，这次却意外地未被提名，粉碎了它原本想要缔造的12次提名新高。
本片融警匪与法庭于一体的电视剧，片中讲述的犯罪基本原于真实生活，往往是近期报纸上的头条新闻。节目分为两部分，上半部分介绍警察研究现场，征询证人，提审嫌疑犯等一系列的侦破活动，后半部分详尽记录了案件侦破的后期工作，案件转交到检查官手里，检查官衡量案情，起诉，直到庭审，节奏紧凑，扣人心弦。由于最终坏人不一定被绳之于法，所以观众看的时候往往暗自捏一把汗。
这个剧集除了已经播出的15季之外，还包括3个特别的系列，一个是
Special Victims meijubar.net Unit 系列（6季），一个是Criminal Intent 系列（4季），和Trial By Jury
系列。可见其火爆程度。堪称NBC历史上，乃至美国影史上最宏伟的剧集。
"In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are there stories. "
这是Law & Order十四年如一日，也是我百听不厌的开场白，是以Law & Order franchise(包括spin-off的SVU)都兼有探员的办案过程跟检察官在法庭上的滔滔雄辩，这二者相互分庭抗礼成为Law & Order奠定其cop drama之教父地位的独特魅力，但是近来每回看Law & Order，都彷彿只是在等待后半小时的法庭戏上，也不是说前面的办案就不精采，但是总要在进入起诉过程中才显出本剧的成熟、世故，细腻精妙处的炉火纯青；一男一女老少两位检察官的不同考量而激盪出的互动、辩证，起诉的战略方针往往不只是黑白分明的司法正义考量，而牵扯到背后司法制度及其偏狭漏洞、细微的政治空气，Law & Order更不只是关在摄影棚里编造天马行空的离奇案件，它每回总是不犹疑地定睛盯上社会中的敏感命题。

This 7-year series chronicled the adventures of the Impossible Mission Taskforce (IMF), a team of government spies and specialists who were assigned "impossible missions" by the unseen "Secretary". Although the cast varied over the years, the main characters included The Team Leader (Dan Briggs the first season, then Jim Phelps the other six), The Techno-Wizard (Barney Collier), The Strongman (Willy Armitage), The Master of Disguise (first Rollin Hand, then The Amazing Paris), and The Femme Fatale (Cinnamon Carter, Casey, Dana Lambert, Mimi Davis).

The series is best known for its opening mission assignment (conducted by a pre-recorded tape), the theme composed by Lalo Schifrin, the leader's selection of mission agents from a dossier, the opening briefing, the intricate use of disguises and a typical "mask pulloff" scene near the end of most episodes, and the relative lack of characterization of the characters.

艾伦是西雅图的一名大学生，在一家危机中心做志愿者。一天晚上，艾伦独自一人在诊所时，一位女士打来电话，告诉艾伦她需要找人谈谈。她告诉艾伦，她吃了不少药，于是艾伦偷偷地寻求帮助。

Joe Kedzie is released from prison after committing a robbery. Only Joe knows where the money is hidden: at the bottom of a mine shaft out in the desert. Maxie and Madge find Joe when he goes to retrieve the money. He agrees to cut them in. Maxie gets greedy and Joe shoots him. Unfortunately, he also puts a hole in their only canteen. Joe lowers himself down the mineshaft with a rope to retrieve the money. He ties the money to the rope and sends it up. When he tries to climb out, Madge cuts the rope and he falls and breaks his leg. Madge tries to get away, but discovers that Joe has the keys to the truck.

This special explores the duality of justice in New York City, dividing its focus between police investigation and the subsequent judicial process. Throughout, it addresses a variety of complex criminal cases, many of them inspired by real headlines from the time, a hallmark of the franchise.