Who was assistant in early Law and Order shows?

You're likely thinking of Lennie Briscoe, played by Jerry Orbach, who was a Detective on the original *Law & Order* series from 1992-2004. He was the partner of Detective Ed Green (played by Jesse L. Martin).

However, "assistant" can be a bit ambiguous in this context. There were a few other key figures who worked alongside the detectives in the early seasons of *Law & Order* :

* Adam Schiff, played by Steven Hill, was the District Attorney who oversaw the cases, often coming into conflict with the detectives.

* Lorna Simone, played by Dann Florek, was the Lieutenant who supervised the detectives, providing guidance and sometimes acting as a voice of reason.

It's important to note that while Briscoe and Green were the most prominent detectives in the early seasons of *Law & Order*, the show featured a rotating cast of detectives and assistant district attorneys throughout its run.