William M. Finkelstein

William M. Finkelstein is an American screenwriter, television producer, actor and television director.

He has worked as a writer and producer on Law & Order, Brooklyn South, Murder One, L.A. Law, Cop Rock, NYPD Blue, and The Good Fight. He co-created Brooklyn South with frequent collaborators David Milch, Steven Bochco and Bill Clark. He won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for L.A. Law in both 1989 and 1990. He was nominated for the award again in 2001 for Law & Order. He has been nominated 4 times for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. He also wrote the script for Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans to largely positive acclaim.

Awards and nominations Year Awarding body Category Result Work Notes2001Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesNominatedLaw & OrderShared with fellow producers Dick Wolf, Barry Schindel, Jeffrey M. Hayes, Arthur Penn, Kathy McCormick, Lewis Gould, Richard Sweren, Arthur W. Forney, William N. Fordes, Lynn Mamet, Kati Johnston and Gary Karr1999Edgar AwardBest Television EpisodeNominatedBrooklyn South episode "Skel in a Cell"Shared with co-writers Doug Palau, Nicholas Wootton, Stephen Bochco, David Milch and Bill ClarkNominatedBrooklyn South episode "Fools Russian"Shared with co-writers Scott A. Williams, Matt Olmstead, Allen Edwards, Stephen Bochco, David Milch and Bill Clark1990Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesWonL.A. LawShared with fellow producers David E. Kelley, Rick Wallace, Elodie Keene, Michael M. Robin, Alice West, Robin BreechOutstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesNominatedL.A. Law episode "Bang... Zoom... Zap"Shared with co-writer David E. KelleyEdgar AwardBest Television EpisodeNominatedL.A. Law episode "Urine Trouble Now"Shared with co-writers David E. Kelley, Michelle Gallery and Judith Parker1989Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesWonL.A. LawShared with fellow producers Steven Bochco, Rick Wallace, David E. Kelley, Scott D. Goldstein, Michelle Gallery, Judith Parker, Phillip M. Goldfarb and Alice WestOutstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesNominatedL.A. Law episode "His Suit is Hirsute"Shared with co-writers Steven Bochco, David E. Kelley and Michele GalleryOutstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesNominatedL.A. Law episode "Urine Trouble Now"Shared with co-writers David E. Kelley, Michelle Gallery and Judith Parker1987Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesNominatedL.A. Law episode "Sidney, the Dead-Nosed Reindeer"