The Practice

Bobby Donnell is a young, passionate lawyer struggling to keep his small Boston law firm afloat. He opened his practice full of idealist dreams of defending the innocent, but quickly realizes that defending the blatantly guilty tends to be more profitable.

Bobby's judgment is called into question by the firm's other members when he becomes romantically involved with a beautiful, icy client who shot to death a male neighbor she claims was attempting to rape her. The prosecution says it was murder.

Bobby is hit by a car while his mind is involved on other matters. Meanwhile, Ellenor becomes disillusioned with the law when she comes to the realization that underhanded behavior has become second nature to her. Eugene defends a young man on murder charges. Bobby visits his father. Rebecca shocks the firm when she announces she's passed the bar exam.

Bobby and Jimmy defend a dentist accused of murdering a frequent patient... but eventually discover he's hiding a sordid secret. Ellenor dines with George Vogelman.

Bobby doesn't want a client to testify to avoid introducing an incriminating videotape. Helen and Richard Bay may have coached a witness in the same trial. Ellenor and Lindsay represent a parent whose three children have all contracted learning disabilities.

A sensational murder case embroils a charismatic state senator, on trial for killing the man purported to be his wife's lover. Part 1 of two.

The strain of Lindsay's incarceration begins to affect her marriage and she lashes out at Bobby. Meanwhile, a zealous law-school grad who seeks to join the firm has a run-in with Ellenor; and Jimmy is embroiled in a 16-year-old child-kidnapping case that hinges on lawyer-client confidentiality.

Eleanor defends a man accused of killing his wife and unborn son. He contests that it was suicide. Eugene and Jimmy defend a woman who shot a crack dealer on her street. Alan Shore comes to Eleanor looking for a job after he was fired for embezzlement. He is given a case where a woman files charges against a homeless man who "Halle Berry'd" her (came out of nowhere and kissed her). He uses insurance fraud to coerce her into dropping the charges.