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.

Grace pushes hard for the death penalty against a convicted gang member and murderer of a prison guard in which she gets rewarded with threats against her life by his gang members. Meanwhile, Victor becomes intimately involved with Jocelyn Pennebaker, a dentist he defended in a malpractice suit. Becker suffers trying to go on a date with his new temporary secretary while Roxanne is away on jury duty and holds firm against the acquittal of a man facing an assault and battery charge.

Victor represents a furrier against an animal rights group suing him for the death of many animals. Meanwhile, Leo Hackett insists on sterilization for Alice after learning that she and Benny are now sleeping together, which ends up diving the lawyers. Markowitz finds his day disrupted as he tries to make the firm's softball match and Kelsey's Lamaze class. Also, Abby returns full fold to the firm after Dorothy Wyler leaves.

Grace is prosecuting a man accused of sexually molesting his five-year-old daughter and has to put the young victim on the witness stand. Meanwhile, Markowitz begins his first litigation case for the defense of a dating service company when a woman sues them for failing to provide her with her "Mr. Right." Brackman's mail-order melons bring a rat to the office and a comedy of errors ensues as everyone spends the rest of the day trying to capture it. With the firm in serious financial trouble, the partners are divided at bringing in a "rainmaker"; a new partner to provide additional clients and boost revenues. A certain Rosalind Shays is hired.

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.

Abby takes on the sad case of a couple trying to return their violent and mentally unstable adopted, seven-year-old son to the orphanage. Meanwhile, Gwen Taylor, Becker's former temp and final fling before his marriage to Corrinne, comes back to work at the firm full-time as Markowitz's secretary and Becker tries to keep distant to her at any cost. While Kuzak and Rollins debate on their handling of the Chisolm case, Grace asks the no-nonsense Judge Richard Armand to take over as judge for the case, while Holloway finds a witness for the prosecution.

Rollins and Kuzak begin the Chisolm trial and dealing with the media circus and biased protesters, which takes a turn when Rollins puts Holloway on the witness stand. Meanwhile, Cara Jean "C.J." Lamb, a feisty, British-born attorney for a plaintive suing one of their wealthy clients for illegal re-zoning, outfoxes McKenzie, Brackman and Markowitz's counter-suit against her and receives a lucrative job offer by McKenzie in return for her aggression. Victor represents Martin Lowens, a professor suing a candid camera show who lifted his toupee on the air, while becoming aware of his feelings for Grace, who's now involved in a romance with Jack Sollers.

While representing a couple suing a hospital that gave the woman an unnecessary hysterectomy, Victor rashly counsels the couple to refuse a settlement that would keep the hospital's malpractice a secret. Meanwhile, Markowitz goes to federal court to represent Upton Weeks, a long-term client and tax rebel. Zoey becomes stressed out in dealing with two cases simultaneously which involve trying to prosecute two gang members who accidentally killed a woman's child in a drive-by shooting, and a mugger who robbed an elderly man. Grace discovers that she is pregnant with Victor's baby. After an after hours meeting with McKenzie, Rosalind accidentally steps into an empty elevator shaft and falls to her death.

Kelsey faces disbarment for revealing knowledge of her former client Suzanne Hamil's murder obtained through attorney-client privilege. Victor, now an independent lawyer, is representing his old friend Mark Gilliam, an AIDS-stricken lawyer, suing an insurer for not providing coverage for his medical needs, while he and Grace finally marry. Meanwhile, Becker tells Roxanne that he has feelings for her and they end up falling through the ceiling while engaged in a little romp. Abby is finally made a partner, and McKenzie inherits Rosalind Shays' estate.

McKenzie unwillingly becomes the surrogate parent for a chimpanzee that's involved in a divorce case between two animal trainers. Becker and Roxanne face the trauma of moving in together. Meanwhile, Mullaney is representing the owner of an inner-city housing project being sued by a tenant for the right to defend himself since guns have been banned where he lives. At the request of a Women's Rights group, Grace petitions the court on behalf of a former drug addict woman facing involuntary sterilization.