Racial tensions threaten to explode in city-wide rioting when Rollins represents an innocent black family suing the Los Angeles Police Department for excessive violence when the police destroyed their home after mistaking it for a crack house. Meanwhile, Judge Grace Van Owen ponders the appropriate sentence for an eight-year-old crack delivery boy who murdered a policeman after he tried to take his cocaine package away. Brackman, cured of his impotence, begins dating Marilyn. Also, Rosalind interferes with Victor's case concerning a couple suing a liquor company for negligence because of a conflict of interest.

Murray suddenly dies from a stroke before the Christmas holiday, devastating everyone including Benny and Roxanne. Meanwhile, a smitten McKenzie willingly volunteers himself and a reluctant Grace to defend Rosalind against savings & loan charges, despite everyone's protest. Victor is representing a hospital chief of staff being sued by Paul Kohler, a bitter doctor who claims he was fired because of his physical disfigurement. Brackman and Rollins try to use hypnosis to control Noah Cowen, the businessman with Tourette's Syndrome, in preparation for a financial deal meeting. C.J. arranges the office Christmas party with Grace as Santa, and Kelsey tells Markowitz that she is thinking of a divorce.

Zoey's latest case involves her pushing for the execution date of David Lee, a death-row schizophrenic murderer. Meanwhile, Billy Castroverti is representing a splenectomy patient suing a doctor's right to profit from her donor cells. Bloom gets into a territorial dispute with Roxanne over the office, and Benny becomes afraid of Kittredge after he yells at him for not doing a good job. Also, Mullaney becomes depressed after he learns that Zoey and Rollins are seeing each other and deeply in love.

Margaret Flanagan hires Kittredge to represent her in her civil suit against her allegedly abusive father. Meanwhile, McKenzie, although on a diet, ends up as the gastronomic judge in a humorous dispute between a noted cookbook author and her former pupil, a rising chief. Also, Rollins' father, a lawyer, arrives in town for a visit and for legal help while Mrs. Rollins, a civil rights activist, meets Zoey with undisguised hostility.

Markowitz is approached by Barry Glassman, an old friend who reveals that he's a fugitive named Jay Ellison wanted for attempting to help a Black Panther member escape from prison in 1968 and asks him to help arrange his surrender. Meanwhile, Morales is representing a pot-smoking couple suing the school system for encouraging their daughter to turn them into the police. A casting agent raises Denise's expectations about an acting career. Also, Benny develops a crush on Denise and begins to ignore Rosalie who wants to move in with him.