The actor will return to the network where he previously starred on 'The West Wing' and 'L.A. Law.'

Jimmy Smits is returning to NBC.

The West Wing and L.A. Law grad has been tapped to topline the network's pilot Bluff City Law.

The potential series is described as a character-driven legal drama that follows the lawyers of an elite Memphis law firm that specializes in the most controversial landmark civil rights cases. Led by legendary lawyer Elijah Strait (Smits) and his brilliant daughter, Sydney Keller (Caitlin McGee, Grey's Anatomy), they take on the toughest David-and-Goliath cases while navigating their complicated relationship.

Smits' Elijah is further described as being a legendary defense lawyer from Tennessee who is well-known to all in the Memphis community.

The casting brings Smits back to NBC, where he played an attorney for more than 100 episodes of L.A. Law and eventual president on The West Wing. The actor, who fields multiple offers every broadcast pilot season, most recently did an arc on ABC's How to Get Away With Murder; starred on Fox's 24: Legacy revival; and did a season of Netflix's The Get Down. His credits include FX's Sons of Anarchy and multiple Star Wars feature films as Sen. Bail Organa. Smits is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment and Hansen Jacobson.

Bluff City Law hails from co-creators/executive producers Dean Georgaris and Michael Aguliar, with the former attached to pen the script. David Janollari will also exec produce the Universal Television drama.

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