Recently, in an episode of the ABC drama "Boston Legal," the attorney played by actor James Spader was called upon to argue a case before the Supreme Court. The case involved the death penalty for a man in prison who was not mentally competent. He had raped, but did not kill, an eight-year-old child.

Before Spader got to the Court, we saw him interviewing the prisoner — who didn’t seem to realize what he had done, and had no idea of what was going on, but most definitely did not want to die.

The creator of "Boston Legal" is one David E. Kelley and, weekly, when this series appears, he brings such depth and insight to one legal argument after the other, that the viewer is left stunned.

© Richard Cartwright/ABC
James Spader before the Supreme Court in "Boston Legal"

The nuts and bolts of the program can sometimes be rather silly. There are lots of sex and games, male bonding, female flirting and foolishness. It is done in the manner of high farce while maintaining elements of realism. But there is no quarreling with writer Kelley when he gets his characters to court.

In this case the viewer was left dumbstruck. The Supremes file in; they look exactly as they do in real life. I was nonplussed at first; I honestly thought that perhaps the Court had sat for "Boston Legal." But, no, that’s not possible. These were actors made up to look like each of the nine. Producer Janet Knutsen told me, "We cast as close as we could to the real Justices. We dyed hair and used lots of makeup. We also started with geniuses in our casting department."

© Richard Foreman/ABC

Actor James Spader as Alan Shore in "Boston Legal"

Because Mr. Kelley’s argument, put into the mouth of actor Spader, is so unusual and great, I have received a transcript from David E. Kelley Productions. I think it should be required reading or viewing for every American, law student or not. (But I’ll bet the average law school would be reluctant to show "Boston Legal" to its students. They are so wrong.) Click here to read the exchange between Spader and the Supremes follows, just as it played on air.

Watch the video from YouTube below to see actor James Spader and his mythical but well-made-up Supreme Court Justices do their stuff.

This was great television. And it is a great American judicial and constitutional lesson.

I asked our pal Candice Bergen to tell me how to go about obtaining writer Kelley’s material and she did. (Candice is an integral part of the "Boston Legal" gang, although she didn’t appear in this episode.) But first she asked me, "Was it not a great show?" It was; it is! Surely they’ll be re-running it for eternity.

And I want to hear from you if you agree with me (or not) that the actors playing the Justices are almost so good that they convince you they’re true.

NOTE: Click on this text to read my nationally syndicated daily column.