Fans of The Good Doctor were thrilled when ABC aired a backdoor pilot titled The Good Lawyer during Season 6. Now, the network has confirmed that the spin-off is officially happening. This exciting expansion of the Good Doctor universe centers around Joni DeGroot, a brilliant young attorney living with OCD who defends Dr. Shaun Murphy in court and quickly proves she’s a legal force to be reckoned with.
Played by Kennedy McMann, Joni made a powerful first impression. Her character is smart, empathetic, and refreshingly honest. The pilot episode received overwhelmingly positive feedback, prompting ABC to greenlight a full season. So what can we expect from The Good Lawyer and how will it connect to The Good Doctor?
Meet the New Legal Star
Joni DeGroot isn’t your average TV lawyer. Her OCD affects how she interacts with the world—but it also gives her a unique perspective that helps her find hidden patterns in cases others overlook. Like Shaun Murphy, Joni’s neurodivergence doesn’t limit her—it empowers her.
Joni’s mentor, Janet Stewart, played by Felicity Huffman, is a seasoned attorney who’s both supportive and skeptical of Joni’s methods. Their dynamic promises to bring depth, conflict, and inspiration to each episode.
A Shared Universe
Yes, characters from The Good Doctor will appear in The Good Lawyer. Freddie Highmore is confirmed to guest star in the pilot episode and possibly in future story arcs. Dr. Murphy’s journey may occasionally intersect with Joni’s, especially in medical-legal storylines.
Showrunner David Shore has promised that the spin-off won’t feel like a copy-paste but will “carry the emotional honesty and integrity that fans expect.”
With a mix of courtroom drama and personal growth, The Good Lawyer might become the next big hit—and a perfect companion to The Good Doctor.
