Claim: James Spader is the star of Boston Legal.

Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley and produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC . The series aired from October 3 , 2004 , to December 8 , 2008 . The series , starring James Spader , with Candice Bergen , and William Shatner , is a spin-off of the long-running Kelley series The Practice , following the exploits of former Practice character Alan Shore at the legal firm of Crane , Poole & Schmidt .