'Law & Order' Trailer Sees New and Familiar Faces Fighting for Justice — Watch

Law & Order premieres on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC

Justice is back in session with the much-anticipated return of Law & Order — and PEOPLE has the exclusive first look!

The police procedural and legal drama is returning to NBC on Feb. 24 with both new and former cast members. Anthony Anderson (Kevin Bernard), Sam Waterston (Jack McCoy) and Camryn Manheim (Kate Dixon) are reprising their former roles alongside franchise newcomers Hugh Dancy (Nolan Price), Jeffrey Donovan (Frank Cosgrove) and Odelya Halevi (Samantha Maroun).

In the first trailer, the detectives and prosecutors are working together but there's some tension.

"Like it or not, we're partners with these guys," Lieutenant Kate Dixon tells Detective Frank Cosgrove. "So you better stay above the fray."

New Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price speaks to District Attorney Jack McCoy about why he was brought on board. "When you asked me to come here, you said, 'I need someone who sees the world through a different lens with the guts to make hard decisions,' " says Nolan.

Camryn Manheim, Anthony Anderson, Jeffrey Donovan
Virginia Sherwood/NBC

Jack replies, "It's okay to play the hero, as long as you win."

"If you try a good case, if you do it the right way, whatever the jury decides is right is the only way I know how to do it," says Nolan to District Attorney Samantha Maroun. "[It's] the only way that lets me sleep at night."

After more than a decade off the air, NBC announced in September it was ordering the 21st season of Law & Order. Recently, the show's stars spoke to PEOPLE exclusively about the exciting return at the Law & Order press junket.

"I feel great being back within the Wolf Entertainment family and being on the mothership," Anderson, 51, says. "I think had we not been unceremoniously canceled 10-plus years ago, I think the show would still be on the air and we'd be going into our 31st, 32nd season. That's what I like to think and believe and it feels great to be back."

"I feel privileged honored, really excited and terrified," says Manheim, 60, of her return while Waterson, 81, shares, "It feels absolutely great. Better than I could have ever imagined."

Sam Waterston
Michael Greenberg/NBC

Anderson says the series "is going to reflect what's going on in today's world" in season 21, adding that "it's going to be [a] truer reflection of what's going on between police and community and reform and all of that."

"It's shown truthfully and honestly — good, bad and indifferent. You have bad apples in every barrel, no matter what it is. I think our show is going to deal with that," he continues. "We scratched the surface of with the relationship of [my character] Kevin Benard and [Jeffrey's character] Frank Cosgrove and his dealings with [the] community and Cosgrove, and how he was investigated by Detective Bernard while he was in Internal Affairs. So we see that and there's a little bit of friction, to begin with, but then they grow to have this admiration and respect for each other but neither one is going to let the other cross the line and that's where we are."

Law & Order premieres on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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