Of all the women characters on the various L&O series, the only one who bears even a vague similarity to any of the women with whom I worked in that office is Christina Nicholson, played by the actress Julianne Moore on "Conviction."

As to African Americans, Billy Desmond, played by J. August Richards on Conviction and Courtney B. Vance as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver on "Crminal Intent" are fairly accurate.

On the other hand, A.D.A. Brian Peluso, played by Eric Balfour on "Conviction," is a vulgar stereotype of Italian Americans. My mentor in that office was Italian American and I am pretty certain he was not in debt to loan sharks nor did he employ detectives to intimidate his landlord.

While it has been a number of years since I left the job, I think it safe to say that the only past or present A.D.A for which Rob Lowe would be suited to play would be the late John F. Kennedy Jr., who was a poor lawyer and who got his job through political connections while the rest of us had to make do with MERIT.