Series synopsis
Beyond the Bar, also known as 에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들 is a South Korean drama television series that premiered on JTBC on August 2, 2025. It ended on September 7, 2025. It was created by Kim Jae-hong. It stars Lee Jin-uk, Jung Chae-yeon, Jeon Hye-bin and Lee Hak-ju.
A young, rookie lawyer with a strong sense of justice joins a top law firm — navigating the complex legal world under a cold, demanding mentor.
Premise
A young, rookie lawyer with a strong sense of justice joins a top law firm — navigating the complex legal world under a cold, demanding mentor.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Lee Jin-uk as Yoon Suk-hoon
- Jung Chae-yeon as Kang Hyo-min / Kang Hyo-Ju
- Jeon Hye-bin as Hyo Min-jung
- Lee Hak-ju as Lee Jin-woo
- Kang Sang-jun as Han Seong-chan
- Kwon Ah-reum as Han Sul-ah
- Kim Yeo-jin as Kwon Na-yun
- Hong Seo-jun as Kim Yool-sung
Supporting cast
- Kim Kang-min as Ji Kook-hyun
- Lee Bo-ra as Yullim Law Firm Employee
- Lee Ju-yeon as Choi Ho-Yeon
- Kim Eui-sung as Ko Seung-Cheol
- Park Jung-pyo as Ko Tae-Seop
- Park Hyoung-soo as Hong Do-Yun
- Kwon Seung-woo as Choi Hee-Chul
- Ji Su-yeon as Yeon-A
- Yun Yoo-sun as Choi Eun-Hee
- Lee Seung-yeon as Lee Ji-eun
Guest cast
- Cheon Hee-joo as Seol Eun-yeong (Eps 6,12)
- Han Seo-wool as Hwang Ye-jin (Eps 5)
- Ko Gun-han as Kang Min-Jun (Eps 7,8)
- Park Soo-oh as Yoon Seok-Hoon (teen)
- Kim Min-ju as Kim Yeong-Mi (Eps 10)
- Shin Gi-hwan as Choi So-Yun (Eps 10)
- Yoo Yeon as Myseong-Suk (Eps 10)
- Lee Ja-ryeong as Judge (Eps 10)
- Jeon Jun-woo as Prosecutor (Eps 10)
- So Yun-ho as Det. Han Su-Cheol (Eps 10)
- Jeon Ah-hee as Prison Guard (Eps 10)
- Kang Ha-kyung as Jung Wu-Sol (Eps 10)
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 12 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 12 | August 2, 2025 | September 7, 2025 |
| Season 2 | 0 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Induction Despite a rocky start at Yullim Law Firm, Kang Hyo-min joins Yoon Seok-hoon's team — and impresses him when she finds a discrepancy in their first case. |
August 2, 2025 |
| 2 |
Hot Water Is the Test for Tea and Love Seok-hoon and Hyo-min take on a case involving a man who broke into a fertility clinic — earning trust in a tangled battle of love, health and injustice. |
August 3, 2025 |
| 3 |
Butterfly Chrysalis A complex no-contact car accident involving a child sends Seok-hoon and Hyo-min digging for clues. Seok-hoon receives a bold offer from Yullim's founder. |
August 9, 2025 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | JTBC |
|---|---|
| First aired | August 2, 2025 |
| Last aired | September 7, 2025 |
| Runtime | 71 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Saturday, Sunday at 22:40:00 |