If there were a lawyer who could win even in the worst of circumstances, it would have to be Alan Shore (James Spader). Sticky cases are his specialty, and he always gives it his best shot no matter how much of an uphill battle he faces. When he gets his latest case, though, the complexities are a little higher.
Taking on a murder case is the least of Alan's problems. The man Alan must try and defend is accused of trying to cover up a murder his brother committed. He admits he did it, but Alan's closing argument results, as usual, in an acquittal.
Denny Crane (William Shatner) takes on the role of second chair, which proves to be interesting in and of itself. The two are a study in contrasts, especially when it comes to law. Alan may have a bag of tricks, but at least he knows when the stakes require his full attention. He also respects the law enough to not cross the line, too far. Although he could have told the district attorney his client murdered her fiancee, he would be breaking a confidence. In law, privilege means nobody else is supposed to know what a client tells the attorney. Cases are meant to be won or lost by the evidence alone. Renata was convicted for the murder she committed; Alan forced Renata to take a plea deal by showing her he was willing to lose his license to uphold justice ("The Bride Wore Blood"). Denny has seen his most effective days as a lawyer go by. Still, the pair together are fun to watch.
Back at the firm, a battle is taking place. Paul Lewiston (Rene Auberjonois) brings a document around which he wants everyone to sign. The people he wants most to sign are the ones who are dating another firm employee. Should a pair break up, Paul wants to avoid a lawsuit for sexual harassment.
Despite being standard procedure for business these days, Brad Chase (Mark Valley) refuses. He thinks the idea is "dumb", which does not sit well with the managing partner. Neither is about to give in, but Paul has the option to fire Brad if he doesn't sign. Brad doesn't, so Paul does, but the situation is not over.
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