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.

Victor begins a complicated case concerning the undo influence of a younger woman over a much older man. Grace's return to the D.A.'s office is marked by dark humor over her prosecuting a man who clubbed a swan to death on a golf course. Meanwhile, Kuzak defends Megan Penny, a woman who killed a foreign diplomat Wilfred Arguayo who raped her and walked away because of his diplomatic immunity. Meanwhile, Benny fears for his job when he accidentally shreds an important file. Also, Brackman continues his secret affair with Rusty, until Erroll finds out.

Kelsey finds herself in an uncomfortable spotlight when she represents an adoptive mother fighting to retain custody of her child from the natural father who has the support of the Birth Parents Network. Meanwhile, Halliday is representing Madeline Churchill, a librarian with delicate sensibilities, suing a hippie librarian for constantly using profanity in front of her on the job and she gets embarrassed by Becker's come-on jokes. After Rollins learns that he is not up for partnership, he presents McKenzie an ultimatum: make him a partner or he will leave.