A desperate Kuzak sweats out of preparations for his appeal before the California Supreme Court in a final attempt to overturn the conviction on Earl Williams on a technicality. Meanwhile, Rollins becomes upset when Rosalind brings in another big client; a factory with substantial South African holdings. Also, Becker's new client is Al Vogel, the bitter ex-husband of a TV newswoman who threatens to go public with a pornographic video tape of her.

Kuzak uses new evidence and a testimony by a very hostile witness to plead for a new trial for Earl Williams. Meanwhile, Victor defends Dr. Michael Dayan, a surgeon being sued for wrongful death by a woman after he refused to perform emergency surgery on her injured husband who was infected with AIDS, and the opposing counsel, Mark Gilliam, who himself secretly has AIDS, tries to get the jury and Victor to look on the positive side of a man with the disease. The firm is rocked by the resignation of Leland McKenzie after 25 years, but the scramble to succeed him starts immediately with Brackman, Markowitz and Rosalind pitted against each other and Rosalind wins due to her skill of manipulation and deception.