Pilot episode for the TV series introduces the lawyers and employees of McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney and Kuzak, a Los Angeles law firm, in dealing with their courtroom cases and personal matters out of the courthouse. While the entire office deals with the unexpected death of one of the founding senior partners, Norman Chaney, junior partner Michael Kuzak reluctantly takes on the defense of a wealthy and spoiled young man, accused with two friends, of raping a woman dying from leukemia. While intern Abby Perkins deals with her abusive alcoholic husband, divorce lawyer Arnie Becker takes advantage of his latest client caught up in her divorce. Public defender Victor Sifuentes is also offered to join the firm, while the ruthless managing partner, Douglas Brackman, deals with a surprising revelation from his new secretary.

Kuzak represents Harry Finneman, an elderly man who is fighting for his constitutional right to be freeze-dried after his death. Becker pursues Hilary Mishkin, a screenwriter client who is divorcing her director husband. Meanwhile, Markowitz and Kelsey represent a toy company president whose office faces a hostile takeover bid and they receive offers for partnership in return for their successful defense. At the end, Kuzak goes totally ape, literally, when he crashes Grace's wedding dressed in a gorilla suit and proclaims his love for her.

Kuzak represents Stacey Gill, a TV news anchorwoman who lost her on-air job following a broadcast of graphic reports concerning her breast cancer surgery. Meanwhile, Brackman is taken to court when a group of people that live in an inner city housing project accuse him of being a slumlord and their lawyer is Andrew Taylor, the former McKenzie Brackman associate. Jeffrey Sullivan causes concern for Victor when he suspects Jeffrey of dealing drugs within the office. Becker tries to work out a payment plan for his services to Hillary Mishkin.

Grace returns to day court and has problems keeping the prosecution of a man accused of stealing bull semen on the serious side. Meanwhile, Victor goes beyond professional bounds in urging a troubled family to seek redress for the death of their son in a car accident. Becker insists to Carolyn, his latest client, on aggressively pursing evidence against her husband's marital infidelities despite her objections, and then regrets it when she attempts to shoot her husband in Becker's office. Abby assists with Victor's case while searching for a suitable escort for a family wedding and winds up with an unexpected volunteer: a district attorney named George Handeman, who grilled her during her first court appearance.

Victor's love for Lauren is tested when she's arrested after she shoots and kills her ex-husband and it appears to have been premeditated. Although Victor gets the murder charges against Lauren dropped, he's still skeptical about her story of self-defense and breaks up with her. Meanwhile, Abby discovers Erroll in Brackman's office and learns of his arrangement with him while Sheila seduces Erroll as payback after learning of Brackman' affair, in which he suffers an anxiety attack. Grace prosecutes Reuben Mendez, a teenager who has been accused of killing his own father after years of abuse. Benny plays Santa at the annual Christmas party, where Becker persuades Roxanne to go with him to visit his parents for the holidays.

Kelsey and Sollers represent Suzanne Hamil, an obsessive woman charged with murdering her married lover, in which both her and Sollers resort to drastic measures to get their client acquitted by placing suspicion on the widow. Meanwhile, C.J. tries to defend a retiree accused of licking his Cane toad to get high. Also, McKenzie becomes a part-time arbitration judge to rule on a blues singer's lawsuit against his manager.