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 wants to take his relationship with Grace public, then reporters drag her through the mud during a press conference when her former fiancé tells them that she left him at their wedding with an unknown man (Kuzak) in a gorilla suit. Meanwhile, Kelsey pushes the trustees of a fund intended to benefit the poor and homeless of Beverly Hills into doing something. Victor tries to defend the spoiled Jeffrey Sullivan on drug dealing charges, who is convinced he can buy his way out of the drug rap. Also, Abby's stress over her missing son comes out while she is helping Becker in a divorce case between a couple using their child as a bargaining chip.

Sid Hershberg tries to make a comeback, but he can't take the pressure and kills himself in front of Kuzak while he is trying to get the attempted murder charges against Nina Emmons dropped. Becker gets caught making out with a client's former wife. Meanwhile, Kelsey faces a mountain of garbage (literally) as she tries to win a contract dispute over an inventor's tea-bag technology. Brackman quarrels with everyone over the annual holiday festivities and McKenzie gives his secretary, Iris, a law book for her future career of studying law. Abby's ex-husband lets their son, Eric, stay with her for the Christmas holidays, and Victor returns to the firm.

Kuzak has little sympathy for his celebrity client, Patrick Boyd, in defending him for drug possession. Rhonda creates a scene at the firm after Brackman breaks off his affair with her. Meanwhile, Victor meets Lauren Sevilla, an unhappy woman he met after getting stuck in a elevator whose marriage is on the rocks. Rollins goes ahead on his own to retrieve a client angry with Markowitz, and then lands his for himself. Kelsey's anti-Semitic and racist mother arrives in town to meet with Markowitz. The Rohner vs. Gradinger case comes to a climax, and dramatically changes Abby's future.