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.

April 29, 1992. On the first day of the major L.A. riots, Becker stretches his practice and defends a theme-park employee fired for inappropriate behavior while in costume. Meanwhile, Rollins continues his leave of absence to be elected for City Counsel and canvass the riot torn South-Central district. Mullaney brings Zoey home to his house from the hospital to recover after the shooting. Becker's former secretary, Gwen Taylor, begins her law internship. With the departure of Grace Van Owen, C.J. Lamb, Alex DePalma, Frank Kittredge, and Susan Bloom, the firm hires Daniel Morales, a widower from Santa Barbara, as a partner, and he brings his infant daughter Lucy to work on his very first day. Brackman and Markowitz are caught in the riots when Brackman is falsely arrested for looting while on his way to the wedding chapel, and Markowitz is badly beaten by a mob.

Due to the stress of her return to work, Zoey opts to be out of the D.A.'s office and decides to leave L.A., and Mullaney. Meanwhile, Rollins' campaign sinks lower and lower as the election draws near. Becker looks inward to his future, but Roxanne sees just the same old Becker. In jail, Brackman learns about his new life from behind the bars. Markowitz is slow to heal and frustrations set in for him and Kelsey. Mullaney becomes aroused in his first case for the D.A.'s office in prosecuting a man in a child-abuse case, who is being defended by a nun lawyer.