A black client is tried for the brutal beating of a department store security guard during a riot. Bobby plans to use a defense very unpopular with both his client and second-chair Eugene. Meanwhile, Ellenor's obnoxious cousin wants to sue the travel agent that booked her honeymoon on allegations of 'emotional distress'.

After promising the mother of a murdered teen that he'll find the drive-by shooter responsible, ADA Lowe adopts a “whatever it takes” attitude towards the prosecution of the young gang member he thinks did it—who is defended by Ellenor. Meanwhile, Lindsay is moved to help a mentally retarded man find the daughter he lost touch with years ago as a result of being wrongfully incarcerated for over a decade.

Bobby and Eugene travel to a friend's home to counsel him when his daughter's newborn child is smothered. Bobby is forced into an ethical dilemma; his two options being to either contact the police, or conceal evidence in a possible homicide. Lindsay helps Jimmy defend a shipwrecked man accused of murdering a companion to save his own life. Rebecca gets a drug dealer off when the arresting officer recites an implausible story on the stand.

A crazed fame-seeker takes CBS CEO Les Moonves hostage in a ploy for TV time to be negotiated by Jimmy, also a hostage.

The death penalty comes under scrutiny in a controversial hearing centering on a troubled teen and admitted killer, whose case parallels Bobby's reinvolvement with a former lover.

Friction at the firm gets to Jimmy, who's torn between loyalties and principles. Meanwhile, tension besets Shore as he crosses swords with his brilliant but erratic new boss, whose behavior raises questions of competence.

Jimmy is tempted to compromise his integrity to get convicted murder (and insect admirer) Henry Olson released. Eugene and Rebecca represent a woman who's suing a plastic surgeon when her husband dies during a liposuction procedure. They soon realize they're as much on trial as the surgeon when the opposing attorney makes several references to their race.

Religious freedom figures in a criminal case. On trial: a Christian Science couple charged with the murder of their ill child, whose parents' faith forbids medical treatment.

The firm defends Kyle Healy, a wheelchair-bound man whose wife is charged with murdering his brother, the heir to a multimillion-dollar estate. Jimmy and Ellenor's defense is damaged by compelling circumstantial evidence; testimony about the defendant's stability — and the prosecution's playing of a shattering trump card. In other storylines, Jamie champions the cause of a lawyer who claims firms won't hire her because she's a rape victim; and Bobby, whose marriage is in trouble, links up with an old flame.

Bobby takes over the defense of a teenage prostitute accused of murder when her previous attorney withdraws, claiming he represents her 'john' (who's also her alibi). Ellenor revisits her past when her very first client is found passed out in a dealer's apartment with a bag of cocaine on his chest. Jimmy cuts a deal with opposing counsel so that both parties in a very bitter divorce get satisfaction.

Bobby fears that his protective feelings for a vulnerable female client may threaten his objectivity in her case. Lucy goes above and beyond the call of duty to help an elderly rape victim get the only thing she wants from her attacker—an apology.

Helen and Bobby are shocked to learn that the FBI suspects a popular and highly respected judge of accepting bribes. Convinced the judge is innocent, they're torn about whether or not to assist the U.S. Attorney in a “sting” operation which could also effectively put their careers on the line.

Ellenor and Eugene defend a fiery yet frightened client named Cassie Ray, a murder suspect with a shadowy past. Moreover, Cassie's alibi witness has significant skeletons in her own closet. In a separate case, Lindsay reluctantly defends an airline that refuses to carry passengers of Arab descent.

A date-rape case links the accused to Jamie, a former victim; the return of crazed Stanley Deeks prompts terrified Lindsay to take drastic action that could jeopardize her career.

Alan Shore is troubled by Sheila Carlisle's increasingly erratic behavior and fears for her mental - and legal - competence. Meanwhile, Shore is ordered by the court to represent a man who refuses to divulge his identity for fear that the unsavory nature of his crime will be made public

Eugene is presented with an offer he finds hard to refuse, and Ellenor is shocked when she hears the news, knowing full well that any departure by Eugene would mean the beginning of the end of the practice. Meanwhile, Jimmy is confronted by crooked lawyer Lenny Pascatore), who claims that the neighborhood only has room for one practicing attorney. Across town at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, Denny Crane ruffles some feathers by making Tara his personal paralegal, and Hannah Rose enlists Shore's help in handling an assault case involving two hockey players.

Eugene considers an exciting new offer for his future... could this mean the end of the practice? Meanwhile, Jimmy is shaken by an ominous run-in with neighborhood lawyer Lenny Pescatore, as their turf war heats up, and Ellenor clashes with sexy and ruthless attorney Hannah Rose of Crane Poole & Schmidt.

Bobby is kidnapped by an irate former client who claims Bobby's incompetence in a manslaughter trial forced him to spend 12 years in prison.

Bobby defends a man on trial for allowing his wife to be murdered in an 'honor killing'; an ancient cultural ritual used to punish adulterous behavior. Eugene reluctantly aids incompetent attorney Harland Bassett yet again. Ellenor announces that she's pregnant, encountering some adversity.

Lindsay presses Richard Bay to explain a questionable arrest of her client, who is an illegal alien. She ultimately discovers that the police planted drugs on her client, in order to force him to testify in a murder trial. The client refuses to testify, as the murderer is his own brother, and allows himself to be deported to Colombia. Meanwhile, Lucy's actions as a rape counselor are called into question during a date rape trial.

Helen Gamble heads up the prosecution of an accused murderer with suspected ties to the mob, a case her boss, DA Walsh, has an inexplicably strong interest in. Meanwhile, Lindsay unintentionally helps a familiar client get arrested.

Jimmy Berluti defends his high school crush, who is under investigation for a suspicious homicide, and Claire Wyatt interviews for a job at Lindsay's newly formed law firm.

Lindsay is hired by a drug dealer to defend his "mule" who's been caught smuggling drugs over the border. Jimmy takes on a case of a community stricken by cancer. Bobby must decide with whom he wants to pursue a romance.

When Bobby's priest performs an exorcism on a parishioner, who dies during the procedure, Bobby must manipulate the system to shield Father Martin from murder charges; Eugene represents Martin Parks in a bizarre malpractice suit. Jimmy decides to tape a television commercial, a decision that proves unpopular with his colleagues.

Jimmy is furious when his mother reveals her love for another woman. He feels obligated to represent her in court when she requests he argue her right to marry her lover. Meanwhile, Eugene refuses to defend a rapist after he runs into one of his client's victims in a clothing store.