Brackman accidentally becomes the victim of a gay-bashing incident and tries to keep the incident a secret despite pleas from a gay former college friend to testify against his attacker. Kelsey is defending a logging company owner being sued, along with an environmental activist, by a maimed sawmill worker after an accident that involved the activist spiking redwood trees. Meanwhile, Mullaney goes out on a limb, with Zoey's help, to defend a woman who wants to plead guilty for possession of drugs in her apartment, knowing her boyfriend left it there. C.J.'s father, a veteran stage and screen actor, arrives in town from England on a drunken bender and sprays salt on family wounds.

C.J. takes a close interest in Becker's case involving a custody suit of her former lover, Maggie Barnes, whose past lesbian love affair with C.J. has threatened to take Maggie's children away and put them in the care of her ex-husband. Billy Castroverti is fired for his unsatisfying work performance. Low staff morale makes it difficult for Brackman to organize the annual Christmas party, so Benny and Castroverti take over the chores and intend to go all out. Meanwhile, Kelsey fumes as Markowitz is forced to go out of town to miss their son's 2nd birthday party. Zoey and Rollins quarrel over their plans for the holidays. A holiday card from the late Rosalind Shays brings a form of relief for both McKenzie and Grace. Also, a mentally unbalanced temp office worker, named Betty, drives everyone to distraction.

Grace get a personal message from beyond as she represents a widower who claims he was bilked out of a fortune by a psychic. Meanwhile, the breast-implant case continues as C.J. finds herself attracted to David McCoy as she tries to discredit the starlet maimed by the breast implants. Zoey is very pessimistic about the future of her relationship with Rollins as his work for the city counsel takes over their time together. Gwen finally sees through Kittredge and goes to McKenzie with the incriminating news, in which he fires Kittredge which prompts a hostile response from Bloom. Also, Sarah disappears to get away from her mother and Markowitz's meddling, but finally comes to her scenes and returns to revalue her life.

Rollins represents a man who is fighting to keep his pregnant girlfriend, put in a coma after a car accident, on life-support so their unborn child can be brought to full-term. Meanwhile, Morales finds himself inadvertently holding a piece of evidence in a murder case. Gwen's stalker continues lurking in the hallways and stairwells of the firm and takes advantage of Morales' legal trouble to kidnap his infant daughter Lucy. Mullaney's frail, estranged, alcoholic father pays an unexpected and unwelcome visit to him and Roxanne to reveal startling news about himself. Also, Markowitz's assault case is settled after he has an attack of conscience and lets his two attackers get off lightly, but Kelsey is not satisfied.