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Claire Kincaid was an Assistant District Attorney who replaced ADA Paul Robinette, whom she went up against once. (L&O: "Custody")

History[]

Claire attended Harvard Law School and worked on the Harvard Law Review and became friends with Margot Bell, who later replaced her on Law Review. (L&O: "Savior") While at Harvard she took Adele Diamond's Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality class (L&O: "Discord") and her stepfather, Mac Geller's Contracts class. (L&O: "Aftershock") After graduating law school, Kincaid got a job clerking for appellate judge Joel Thayer, with whom she subsequently had an affair that lasted for three months out of the two years that they worked together. Kincaid joined the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, and she was promoted to felony assistant remarkably soon afterwards. She eventually ended up working under Ben Stone.

During her time working with Stone, charges were brought against Judge Thayer and Kincaid was forced to reveal their affair. She resigned from the DA's office and was censured by the disciplinary committee, but the censure was lifted and she was allowed to practice law once more. Once the case against Judge Thayer ended, Kincaid rejoined the DA's office. (L&O: "Censure")

Ben Stone was later replaced by Jack McCoy, and, due to his reputation for sleeping with his assistants, the first thing that Kincaid told him was that she would not be sleeping with him. (L&O: "Second Opinion") The two argued multiple times over trial strategies, but eventually became lovers. The nature of their relationship was hinted at, but it was not confirmed until after her death.

Claire and the city of New York were sued by Joanne Ellis and her husband, after she had worked out a plea deal with James Smith on a stalking charge. Smith went on to kill another woman named Linda Bowers and attack Joanne Ellis, who survived. Kincaid feels guilty that Smith had slipped through and repeated his violent behavior. After Adam Schiff reprimands her about this, Kincaid argues back at him and he decides to take her off of the case. She begins to seriously consider leaving the DA's office again, but Jack McCoy convinces her to come back to help try Smith. (L&O: "Pro Se")

Kincaid died just as she was considering leaving the DA's office again after witnessing Mickey Scott's execution; her car was struck by a drunk driver as she took an inebriated Detective Lennie Briscoe home from a bar. (L&O: "Aftershock") Following her death, Briscoe re-entered Alcoholics Anonymous and remained sober for the rest of his life; it is implied that he felt his drinking was responsible for her death. Her death also haunts McCoy, who in a later episode violates his legal ethics to convict a drunk driver of murder. (L&O: "Under the Influence")

Trivia[]

  • In one episode of Season 6, "Corpus Delicti", Kincaid was played by Jill Hennessy's identical twin sister, Jacqueline Hennessy. This was because Jill was filming in Baltimore for the crossover episode of Homicide: Life on the Street which was broadcast a few weeks later. Jacqueline Hennessy's performance was uncredited.
  • She is the first female ADA in the series as well as in the franchise.
  • Kincaid is the second main character in the franchise to have been played by more than one actor, the first being John Munch who was portrayed by a different actor when his teenage years were depicted in Homicide: Life on the Street, the third being Arleen Gonzales who was portrayed by a different actress in the pilot episode of Law & Order: LA and the fourth being Elliot Stabler who was portrayed as a child by James Lynch in the second season of Law & Order: Organized Crime and the fifth being Bobby Reyes who was portrayed by Joshua Garcia in the third season of Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Appearances[]


Icon L&O Law & Order - Main Characters
Law

Senior Detectives: Max GreeveyPhil CerretaLennie BriscoeJoe FontanaEd GreenCyrus LupoKevin BernardFrank CosgroveJalen Shaw

Junior Detectives: Mike LoganRey CurtisEd GreenNick FalcoNina CassadyCyrus LupoKevin BernardFrank CosgroveJalen ShawVincent Riley

Commanding Officers: Captain Donald Cragen • Lieutenant Anita Van Buren • Lieutenant Kate Dixon

Order

Executive Assistant District Attorneys: Benjamin StoneJack McCoyMichael CutterNolan Price

Assistant District Attorneys: Paul RobinetteClaire KincaidJamie RossAbbie CarmichaelSerena SoutherlynAlexandra BorgiaConnie RubirosaSamantha Maroun

District Attorneys: Adam SchiffNora LewinArthur BranchJack McCoyNicholas Baxter

Others

Elizabeth OlivetAlfred Wentworth

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