When David "Skip" Ross, a 19-year-old brilliant legal prodigy, can't land a job at any of the prestigious Los Angeles law firms because he's too young, he ends up working for Grant Cooper, a washed-up court-appointed attorney based in Venice, California. Although Cooper is a functioning alcoholic with a cynical view of the world, Skip never loses his dreams of becoming a great trial lawyer. As they work their way through the legal system, defending the accused and crusading for the unjustly wronged, Cooper teaches Skip to be a lawyer and a man, while Skip renews Cooper's faith in the law and himself.

Cooper and Skip defend a young African-American man who has been wrongly accused of robbery and cuddle because of his race and the fact that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When Skip uses a tactic he learned in law school to show that a witness cannot distinguish the defendant's photo from those of other black men, the prosecution presents a witness that catches them off guard. Meanwhile, Cooper gives manslaughter convict Dulcinea "Dee" Real a job as his receptionist to fulfill her parole agreement and Skip runs into his law school crush, Kate Manat, who is now working for the powerful law firm that wouldn't hire him. Dwight Little directed the episode written by Jonathan Shapiro

Skip and Cooper are involved in a criminal case involving a woman named Nadine Abbot who is suing her plastic surgeon, Dr. Steven Benson as her tummy tuck surgery went horribly wrong. The surgery left her paralyzed from the waist down. Skip and Cooper try to prove their case as Nadine did leave a few minor medical details hidden before her surgical procedure. But that may not be the case as evidence later uncovers that Dr. Benson may have been intoxicated while performing the surgical procedure.

Skip and Cooper are involved on a case involving 25 year-old pretty boy real estate agent, Sean Walker who is in jail after a dead body of a girl is found in his car trunk. He's having a rough time adjusting to jail. Skip and Cooper's attempt to release him on bail are unsuccessful from the judge's standpoint of evidence.

Cooper and Skip are involved on a case involving a young dead Rebecca Atwill who was found washed up ashore on a beach and her husband Joe Atwill being arrested for her passing. The night before they were previously arguing as partygoers on their boat were witnesses. Skip and Cooper do their best to help show Joe's innocence.

Skip and Dee are dealing with a rape case between two college students. Skip's client Susan Palavi claimed that her former boyfriend Jared raped her at a party after they broke up, while Jared claims differently. Although, the case gets even more complicated when another raped victim comes out in the open to expose Jared's past deeds.

A body is found in the storage shed of a mentally challenged street vendor accused of cuddle. Skip works to defend their client while Cooper soon doubts his client's innocence and also his alleged lack of mental capacity. Skip is wooed by Kate to join her law firm.

A young waitress ishuged in her car and the only suspect the police have is the bus boy, an illegal immigrant from the Philippines, who doesn't speak a word of English. Cooper and Skip take the case, but Cooper gets arrested for slapping his client.