THE HYPE THE END IS NEAR NOW TV HISTORY IS AFFECTED BY THE RULE OF `LAW'.

As NBC trumpeted on Monday, ``Law & Order'' has accomplished something no other drama has managed to accomplish in the history of American television: It earned its highest ratings in this, its 11th season on the air. Among the reasons for its enduring success, naturally, are the writers' ability to transform current events into compelling stories and the show's constant revolving door for characters and actors.

Both are in evidence in tonight's episode, one of those that attempts to outrage its audience. The subject is a shooting at a high school that leaves four students dead; the killer, cloaked in a ninja outfit, escapes without being identified by anyone. Once detectives find the perpetrator, a face familiar to fans - Carey Lowell's Jamie Ross - returns to the fold, only this time she's defending the murderer, and she's very good at her job.

The solution to putting the killer away is dangled a little too obviously, thanks to a well-placed poke at the news media, and the denouement will strike some as a little farfetched. But leave it to ``Law & Order'' to explore all sides of the issue with a dramatic thoroughness, and take time to bid farewell to Angie Harmon, a relative newcomer to the show who, as tougher-than-she-looks Abbie Carmichael, coincidentally replaced Lowell. She'll be replaced by Elisabeth Rohm, who will play an aggressive prosecutor with political aspirations. ``Law & Order'' airs at 10 tonight on KNBC Channel 4.

- David Kronke

High-schoolers, star voyagers and the prez face crossroads in TV finales

As we head for that final frontier - summer reruns - a number of TV shows are closing up shop tonight or getting ready to.

The season finale of Emmy winner ``The West Wing'' (NBC, Channel 4, 9 p.m.) centers on the end of President Bartlet's (Martin Sheen) eight-year concealment of his multiple sclerosis. As he prepares to disclose his illness at a press conference, he also knows he'll be confronted with an important question he must answer: Will he seek re-election? We can hear fans of the series chanting, ``Four More Years.''

Meanwhile, the Capeside class of 2001 over at ``Dawson's Creek'' (WB, Channel 5, 8 p.m.) are finally graduating and preparing to leave high school behind. (Aren't they old enough to be soccer moms and dads by now?) As is the case on such momentous occasions, it's a time of sentimentality - valedictorian Joey (Katie Holmes) receives a gift her dead mother prepared before she passed away - and high jinks - a couple of students, including Jen (Michelle Williams), have plans to stir up the traditional ceremony.

And over on ``Star Trek: Voyager'' (UPN, Channel 13, 9 p.m.) the crew is in turmoil during its penultimate episode before it gives way next year to a new ``Trek'' enterprise, called, appropriately enough, ``Enterprise.'' Tonight, Capt. Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) decision-making is questioned by her second in command, Chakotay (Robert Beltran), when she is willing to hand over a key piece of technology to an alien race. We assume they patch things up for next week's two-hour ``Endgame.''

- Rob Lowman

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Photo:

(1 -- color) Pomp and circumspection is the order of the day when the folks of ``Dawson's Creek'' - Mark Matkevich, left, James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and Kerr Smith -receive their diplomas on tonight's episode, at 8 p.m.

(2 -- color) President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen), still grieving the death of his secretary, will also make a stunning admission on tonight's episode of ``The West Wing.''