After the attack on the World Trade Center the opening was changed for one episode to reflect the sacrifices of the NYPD and the NYFD.
At the start of the season one episode "Torrents of Greed, Part 2" the customary "In the criminal justice system..." opening monologue and screen title were replaced with a monologue and screen title about manipulation of the legal system.
The Season 17 episode "Tombstone" ends with live action during the credits instead of the usual black background.
When the 15th season episode "Gunplay", originally aired in October 2004, was rebroadcast in March 2005, it ran with the opening credits showing Annie Parisse, even though the episode features Elizabeth Rohm who was originally credited. As a result, Rohm is uncredited in the rebroadcast of this episode.
Some (but not all) episodes show a disclaimer emphasizing the fictional nature of the story just prior to the closing credits. This is particularly important on those episodes that were inspired by well-known real-life legal cases.