Since the departure of Michael Kuzak, Victor Sifuentes, Abby Perkins, and Jack Sollers from the firm, McKenzie and Brackman are looking for more litigator power. Grace, having suffered from a miscarriage and leaving Victor, returns to the firm and is immediately given a high-profile case with Mullaney in defending Elsa Chandler, a woman charged with murdering her abusive husband. McKenzie tries to adjust himself to the brash new tenant sharing office space, the crude, smart-mouthed, chain-smoking, entertainment lawyer Susan Bloom, to boost revenues for the sagging firm. Meanwhile, Becker's secretary, Gwen Taylor, is on jury duty and witnesses Bloom's associate, the crafty Frank Kittredge, go to the limits of ethics to defend his wealthy client from an assault charge. Kelsey and Markowitz struggle to find the right nanny for their son, Matthew, and they hire Ned Barron, a college student just right for the job. Also, Billy Castroverti is hired as a new junior associate.

The Elsa Chandler murder trial continues with Grace and Mullaney trying to elicit an emotional testimony from Elsa about her years of abuse so the jury will not convict her. Meanwhile, Rollins is representing a man against his brother in a civil action suit to make the U.S. government accountable for continuing MIA's in Vietnam. Also, Becker gets a lifetime opportunity by Susan Bloom to appear on TV as the co-host of an evening talk show.

Brackman accidentally becomes the victim of a gay-bashing incident and tries to keep the incident a secret despite pleas from a gay former college friend to testify against his attacker. Kelsey is defending a logging company owner being sued, along with an environmental activist, by a maimed sawmill worker after an accident that involved the activist spiking redwood trees. Meanwhile, Mullaney goes out on a limb, with Zoey's help, to defend a woman who wants to plead guilty for possession of drugs in her apartment, knowing her boyfriend left it there. C.J.'s father, a veteran stage and screen actor, arrives in town from England on a drunken bender and sprays salt on family wounds.

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.

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.

The firm worries about its reputation when Kittredge takes a high-profile criminal case of defending a mobster leader for allegedly murdering a rival mob leader and the new D.A., Ruby Thomas, becomes determined to see the case won at any cost. Meanwhile, Markowitz takes a rare court deposition in representing two women basketball players suing the Hollywood Hoopsters for wrongful termination.

Brackman's former sister-in-law, Veronica Berg, approaches Grace to help her in suing the school board for failing to pay for her developmentally-disabled son's private education. Meanwhile, Susan Bloom takes on a case of defending a lunch wagon proprietor being sued by an overweight man who assaulted him after accusing him selling him high-calorie drinks on a daily basis. Also, Roxanne helps an overworked and stressed out Gwen get back at Becker who's in between client meetings and his TV show.

C.J. takes a close interest in Becker's case involving a custody suit of her former lover, Maggie Barnes, whose past lesbian love affair with C.J. has threatened to take Maggie's children away and put them in the care of her ex-husband. Billy Castroverti is fired for his unsatisfying work performance. Low staff morale makes it difficult for Brackman to organize the annual Christmas party, so Benny and Castroverti take over the chores and intend to go all out. Meanwhile, Kelsey fumes as Markowitz is forced to go out of town to miss their son's 2nd birthday party. Zoey and Rollins quarrel over their plans for the holidays. A holiday card from the late Rosalind Shays brings a form of relief for both McKenzie and Grace. Also, a mentally unbalanced temp office worker, named Betty, drives everyone to distraction.

Mullaney and Zoey are on opposite sides in the prosecution of John Harvey, an accused, Ted Bundy-type serial killer, who manipulates the jury and both of them. Meanwhile, Brackman, Kelsey and Marktowitz deal with Giles Keenan, an eccentric businessman who comes to the firm for representation in landing a multi-million dollar movie deal. But Keenan's true sanity becomes an issue when Kelsey eventually voices her concern about it. Also, Bloom heats up her personal war with McKenzie when she videotapes him and Grace in a compromising position.

Kelsey represents a woman paralyzed during back surgery suing her physician who was allegedly impaired at the time by an epileptic seizure. Meanwhile, Grace represents Benny who petitions the court for custody of a homeless youth named Sam. Bloom tells Becker that she has the inside track on a fabulous job offer on national TV. Also, Brackman becomes romantically involved with Veronica Berg, but when his ex-wife, Sheila, finds out, she really lets him have it.

C.J. is representing a man suing the Federal government for negligence after a psychotic Federally-protected witness murdered his wife, and C.J. soon learns that she may be in way over her head which could threaten her career and life. Meanwhile, Mullaney's depression over murdering the serial killer John Harvey prompts Zoey to comfort him, but his presence stirs up trouble with Rollins. Also, Bloom sets Arnie to be duped by a rival TV station.

Mullaney aids fellow lawyer, Alex DePalma, in a class action suit by Honduran banana farmers suing an American chemical company who claim that a company-designed pesticide made them sterile. Meanwhile, Margaret Flanagan (The district attorney who unsuccessfully prosecuted Earl Williams for the murder of Nina Corry in Season 4) confides in Zoey about her troubled past as she begins to confront long-repressed memories of child abuse. Kelsey goes out on a dinner date with Matthew's nanny, Ned, while Markowitz meets a regal actress he admired as a child.

Victor Sifuentes returns to Los Angeles to sue the man responsible for his brother's death and to address his disintegrated relationship with Grace. Meanwhile, Kittredge drags Gwen into a dispute between his client Uta Keller, a fashion designer and her protégé Sergio. Benny's ward, Sam, visits the office and causes trouble when he's suspected of stealing things. Also, Alex DePalma is hired as the new junior associate.

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.

Rollins represents a wealthy Orthodox Jewish philanthropist being sued when he withdraws financial support for a medical researcher who hopes to use data from Nazi experiments to save lives. Meanwhile, the Markowitz receive an unexpected surprise: a paternity suit filed by a 16-year-old girl, named Sarah Alder, who claims to be Stuart Markowitz's daughter from a long ago affair. Becker's resolve to be faithful to Roxanne is sorely tried during his late-night preparations with his provocative co-anchorperson, Julie Rayburn.

Grace receives a lot of hostility from her female colleagues when she defends a college baseball player accused of date rape. Meanwhile, Alex DePalma becomes embroiled in a complex courtroom sting operation headed by Ruby Thomas to nail a corrupt judge. Roxanne and Becker's tentative relationship is nearly capsized by Julie's revelations to her. Also, Markowitz gets Sarah a job at the firm with Kelsey's tentative approval.

Becker tries to win back Roxanne after his psychologist suddenly dies during a session. Meanwhile, Brackman and his ex-wife, Sheila, clash again when their youngest son, Alexander, gets in trouble with the law. Susan Bloom shocks the office with invitations to her unexpected wedding to Mikhail, a Russian movie actor. The Markowitzes' nanny, Ned Barron, went too far when he comes on to Ann Kelsey again and he is fired. DePalma asks McKenzie for help when his participation in the judicial sting operation impairs his ability to function in court when faces the wrath of other judges in his quest to find one for his latest case involving defending an alleged embezzler. Ann Kelsey was arrested for obstruction of justice and suspicion of illegal aliens by INS Agents when she bought a new nanny and having her son Matthew returned home. Also, Gwen and Kittredge's romantic fling quickly turns into a torrid affair.

Zoey is prosecuting a corrupt multimillionaire who tries to buy his way out of a murder charge after a hit-and-run that killed a homeless man. Meanwhile, the Brackmans and Benny must face each other in juvenile court after Sam and Alexander get into trouble together. The Markowitzes ask a reluctant Sarah to be Matthew's new nanny. Also, Bloom and Mikhail face their first INS interview while Mikhail makes a play for C.J.

Markowitz makes another rare courtroom appearance to defend a condom manufacturer barred from distributing his American flag decorated condoms in the U.S. Meanwhile, Rollins mulls over the possible results when he is approached with an offer to sit in for a city-council seat. Gwen feels betrayed when she thinks that Kittredge used their relationship to damage one of Becker's clients involving a woman her elderly mother, whom is Becker's client, for ownership of the lady's estate. Also, Mullaney goes to Palm Springs to act as a mentor to a novice female D.A. in a murder case.

Zoey helps a jail house lawyer with his case in defending another inmate for murder. Meanwhile, Sarah gives her mother and the Markowitz a cause for worry when she starts behaving rebellious over her mother's disapproval of a new boyfriend. C.J. faces off against David McCoy, a crafty blind lawyer, while she is defending a Hollywood studio chief being sued by a aspiring actress who places the blame for her faulty breast-implant surgery. Bloom experiences very mixed emotions when Mikhail and a starlet actress steam up the camera lens during a movie shoot. Also, Becker seeks a way to get back at Kittredge for destroying his case.

Grace get a personal message from beyond as she represents a widower who claims he was bilked out of a fortune by a psychic. Meanwhile, the breast-implant case continues as C.J. finds herself attracted to David McCoy as she tries to discredit the starlet maimed by the breast implants. Zoey is very pessimistic about the future of her relationship with Rollins as his work for the city counsel takes over their time together. Gwen finally sees through Kittredge and goes to McKenzie with the incriminating news, in which he fires Kittredge which prompts a hostile response from Bloom. Also, Sarah disappears to get away from her mother and Markowitz's meddling, but finally comes to her scenes and returns to revalue her life.

Becker meets with an AIDS-stricken ex-lover, Paige Dietrich, who needs a will drawn before she dies, and Roxanne gets a blood test when she learns of Becker's past connection with Dietrich. Meanwhile, Victor Sifuentes visits Grace with a marriage proposal. DePalma is representing a ex-convict, also dying from AIDS, who is suing the medical board to keep him covered on their insurance. Brackman and Sheila get more intimate and decide to remarry.