# Law & Order season 12

The following is a list of Law & Order episodes from the series twelfth season, which originally aired from September 26, 2001 to May 22, 2002. This season is the last season to feature Dianne Wiest as DA Nora Lewin and the first to feature Elisabeth Röhm as ADA Serena Southerlyn.

## Cast

Season 12 began with a mostly unchanged cast. Serena Southerlyn (played by Elisabeth Röhm) replaced season 11's Abbie Carmichael (Angie Harmon in the role of Assistant District Attorney).

### Main

* Jerry Orbach as Senior Detective Lennie Briscoe
* Jesse L. Martin as Junior Detective Ed Green
* S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
* Sam Waterston as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy
* Elisabeth Röhm as Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn
* Dianne Wiest as Interim District Attorney Nora Lewin

### Recurring

* Leslie Hendrix as Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers

## Episodes

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 254 | 1 | "Who Let the Dogs Out?" | Don Scardino | Kathy McCormick & Douglas Stark | September 26, 2001 (2001-9-26) | E2208 | 20.68 |
| The investigation into the death of Sandy Meekin a jogger mauled by a vicious dog leads to an Attica inmate, his attorneys, and an underground dog-fighting ring. First appearance of Elisabeth Röhm as ADA Serena Southerlyn. ||||||||
| 255 | 2 | "Armed Forces" | Martha Mitchell | Richard Sweren & Sean Jablonski | October 3, 2001 (2001-10-3) | E2210 | 22.55 |
| The fatal stabbing of Joseph Eastman a man leads to the discovery of his status as a Vietnam war veteran and the truths uncovered about an incident that occurred with him and three former soldiers in his division. ||||||||
| 256 | 3 | "For Love or Money" | Constantine Makris | Wendy Battles & Sean Jablonski | October 10, 2001 (2001-10-10) | E2207 | 22.07 |
| The death of Ronnie Buck a parolee, who was a hit man, leads to a wealthy widow and daughter who may have hired him to kill their rich relative. ||||||||
| 257 | 4 | "Soldier of Fortune" | Richard Dobbs | Barry Schindel | October 24, 2001 (2001-10-24) | E2206 | 21.39 |
| The daring daylight kidnapping of a diamond dealer which results in two murders at the scene uncovers an international dynasty of blood diamonds sales and its links to a foreign civil war. ||||||||
| 258 | 5 | "Possession" | James Quinn | Robert Palm | October 31, 2001 (2001-10-31) | E2202 | 18.07 |
| Investigating the murder of Virginia Boone a woman in a rent-controlled apartment, Green and Briscoe initially turn their attention to janitor Roberto Ramos, who had been given a cash gift of $5,000 by the deceased but claimed he didn't remember her when questioned. But it isn't long before the detectives discover that she was engaged in a long-running battle with her landlord and had been blocking the potentially lucrative sale of the building. ||||||||
| 259 | 6 | "Formerly Famous" | Richard Dobbs | Wendy Battles & Marc Guggenheim | November 7, 2001 (2001-11-7) | E2201 | 18.96 |
| The shooting death of a former singer's wife leads the detectives to investigate his manager and sons after his explanation of the events surrounding her death have no credibility. Based on the murder of Bonny Lee Bakley ||||||||
| 260 | 7 | "Myth of Fingerprints" | David Platt | S : Eric Overmyer; T : Terri Kopp & Aaron Zelman | November 14, 2001 (2001-11-14) | E2209 | 20.42 |
| A murder investigation uncovers deliberately faulty forensics in the wrongful conviction of two men 12 years earlier in the case that paved the way for Van Buren's promotion. ||||||||
| 261 | 8 | "The Fire This Time" | David Platt | David Black | November 21, 2001 (2001-11-21) | E2205 | 17.77 |
| When a building is set ablaze, a girl must be identified despite her fatal burns. Through further investigation, it turns out that an extreme environmentalist group struck the match. ||||||||
| 262 | 9 | "3 Dawg Night" | Stephen Wertimer | S : Aaron Zelman; S/T : Richard Sweren | November 28, 2001 (2001-11-28) | E2203 | 20.22 |
| When a celebrity is implicated in a nightclub murder, McCoy and Southerlyn battle the flaks who attempt to insulate their client from any involvement or interrogation. ||||||||
| 263 | 10 | "Prejudice" | Ed Sherin | Jill Goldsmith | December 12, 2001 (2001-12-12) | E2213 | 19.39 |
| The murder of Thomas Reddick a magazine publishing company's black CEO leads to a suspect who has a clear streak of racism and whose attorney intends on using that as a mental defect. ||||||||
| 264 | 11 | "The Collar" | Matthew Penn | Richard Sweren | January 9, 2002 (2002-1-9) | E2214 | 19.95 |
| The death of Father Grady a cleric leads the detectives to a priest who was given information by a murder suspect outside of the church but insists that he can't discuss anything about it, bringing McCoy to question whether the confessional seal should apply. ||||||||
| 265 | 12 | "Undercovered" | Jace Alexander | Wendy Battles & Noah Baylin | January 16, 2002 (2002-1-16) | E2220 | 21.17 |
| The father of a dying girl gets his revenge on an insurance executive who denied a leukemia treatment for his daughter. One problem arises when the father is technically on both sides of the law. ||||||||
| 266 | 13 | "DR 1-102" | Richard Dobbs | Marc Guggenheim & Aaron Zelman | January 30, 2002 (2002-1-30) | E2216 | 20.56 |
| The bludgeoning of two women in their apartment leads the detectives to a suspect who has taken a hostage while demanding legal representation. Southerlyn's actions to secure the hostage's release, while heroic, result in disbarment proceedings against her for violation of Disciplinary Rule 1-102. ||||||||
| 267 | 14 | "Missing" | David Platt | S : Barry Schindel; T : Eric Overmyer & Matt Witten | February 6, 2002 (2002-2-6) | E2212 | 18.95 |
| When a girl's parents frantically search for her, Briscoe and Green see that the girl's belongings were packed up in her apartment. They learn that the girl had been seeing a married man — her boss. When the boss is brought up on charges, his wife sheds some new evidence. ||||||||
| 268 | 15 | "Access Nation" | Constantine Makris | Sean Jablonski & Terri Kopp | February 27, 2002 (2002-2-27) | E2215 | 17.90 |
| The murder of Tracy Conley a psychologist leads to a case involving a computer company that sells information and their responsibility in shielding their clients' history in order to serve their needs. ||||||||
| 269 | 16 | "Born Again" | Jace Alexander | S : William N. Fordes; T : Jill Goldsmith & Matt Witten | March 6, 2002 (2002-3-6) | E2204 | 20.09 |
| The investigation into the death of Paula Weston an 11-year-old girl uncovers the possible culpability of the child's mother and a rebirthing therapist. ||||||||
| 270 | 17 | "Girl Most Likely" | Steve Shill | Lynn Mamet | March 27, 2002 (2002-3-27) | E2227 | 19.25 |
| When Julie Cade a high school student is found dead in an apartment building, Briscoe and Green suspect that the murder was a result of her getting a message board shut down. As McCoy and Southerlyn investigate the case further, they realize that her best friend, who was reluctant to come forward as a witness, may be the answer to the murder. ||||||||
| 271 | 18 | "Equal Rights" | James Quinn | Terri Kopp | April 3, 2002 (2002-4-3) | E2221 | 18.93 |
| A stock analyst's murder leads Briscoe and Green to a corporation whose stock had fallen. ||||||||
| 272 | 19 | "Slaughter" | Constantine Makris | Rob Wright | April 10, 2002 (2002-4-10) | E2218 | 19.54 |
| The investigation of the murder of university student Andrew Hatcher leads to a case involving meat contamination at a food service. ||||||||
| 273 | 20 | "Dazzled" | Lewis H. Gould | Eric Overmyer & Matt Witten | April 24, 2002 (2002-4-24) | E2224 | 19.15 |
| When Katy Snyder a "gold digging" wife is found dead, there are plenty of possible perpetrators. Her husband has become "whipped" and blinded by his young wife and then messes up his story to Briscoe and Green. When he finally comes around, it seems that the wife's ex-boyfriend was getting revenge for being fired from a contracting job. The medical examiner uncovers some more clues which point to a bitter alcoholic ex-wife. Eventually, the criminal comes forward but the only crime she has committed is trying to save her family. ||||||||
| 274 | 21 | "Foul Play" | Richard Dobbs | Richard Sweren & Stuart Feldman | May 1, 2002 (2002-5-1) | E2222 | 19.30 |
| The investigation into the death of Mike Drucker a private investigator uncovers corruption, deceit, and immigration fraud in a Youth Baseball League whose manager will go to any lengths to win. ||||||||
| 275 | 22 | "Attorney Client" | Matthew Penn | Jill Goldsmith | May 8, 2002 (2002-5-8) | E2225 | 19.77 |
| The wife of an attorney with many disgruntled clients is killed, but the detectives believe that he was the intended target as he was willing to reveal information despite confidentiality agreements. As the investigation continues, his tumultuous love life is exposed and the prosecutors are suspicious of his desire to return to the courtroom. ||||||||
| 276 | 23 | "Oxymoron" | Constantine Makris | Michael Harbert | May 15, 2002 (2002-5-15) | E2217 | 18.30 |
| The murder of Eliza Glazer a young doctor leads Briscoe and Green to her involvement in an underground oxycodone ring, of which the leaders have hatched a plan to con McCoy and Southerlyn out of a trial. ||||||||
| 277 | 24 | "Patriot" | David Platt | William N. Fordes & Sean Jablonski | May 22, 2002 (2002-5-22) | E2226 | 19.51 |
| A tenement building explodes and the lone victim is Joseph Haden. The building was rent controlled and there had been a tenant strike, so the police initially suspect arson. But the landlord doesn't have insurance, ruling out their arson theory, and the medical examiner discovers that Haden's neck was broken and he was tied up before the explosion happened. Trying to figure out Haden is even more difficult. He didn't appear to have a family or a girlfriend and never got any substantial mail. He worked at the Jiffy Job service station making minimum wage, yet had $90,000 in the bank. Briscoe and Green do some more digging and find out that Haden was using an alias, and his real name was Yusuf Haddad. Last appearance of Dianne Wiest as IDA Nora Lewin. ||||||||