Nick Fallin, a high-powered, high-priced attorney living the good life is brought down to earth when he has to pay the price for his indulgent lifestyle. Busted for drugs, he must now perform 1,500 hours of community service and so Nick juggles his white-collar world of litigation with the not-for-profit world of child advocacy working with Children's Legal Services. Under the supervision of Alvin Masterson, Nick is thrust into the life of Hunter Reed, a young boy who has witnessed the murder of his mother by his father's hand. Back at Fallin & Associates, owned by Nick's father, Burton Fallin, he is dealing with company presidents who are looking to bring their business to Pittsburgh and spoiled dot com kids who want to get rich quick.

Nick is given the case of a wheelchair-bound boy who is about to be placed in a group home while his mother does time for prostitution. The boy, Lawrence, wants to live with his stepfather, but the man has a criminal record. The state wants him to live at St. Riley's, but Lawrence doesn't want to live among the mentally disabled. Nick thinks the only chance for him is to track down the father, a former customer of the mother's, and sue for child support. But, when the father wants to have more of a relationship with the boy, everyone is caught off guard. Meanwhile, Burton and Nick help out an old friend when his daughter, Rebecca, tries to take over his business.

Nick encounters problems with his 16-year-old gay gay client, who had been arrested for solicitation, when trying to place the boy with a gay couple rather than in a shelter.

Nick Fallin finds himself the advocate for a 12-year-old girl, Lesley, who needs to be adopted by foster parents immediately in order to receive a heart transplant. Laurie Solt, a social worker for Legal Services (LS), is having trouble placing her due to the many demands of caring for a child with congenital heart disease. Inspired by Lesley's strength after she learns her current foster parents are unable to adopt her, Nick takes the search on as a personal campaign to save Lesley's life. As hope of finding suitable foster care fades, Nick decides that the only way to save Lesley's life is to become her legal guardian. Nick's supervisor at LS, Alvin Masterson questions Nick's ability to care for Lesley. Eventually, the judge does grant Nick legal guardianship. Meanwhile, one of Burton Fallin's old friends, Harry Josephs is dying of cancer and tells Burton he is challenging the employment contract of Hopeson, Inc., which terminates employment if an

employee is unable to work for 90 consecutive days. Hopeson Inc. is a long time client of Fallin & Assoc. and Burton helped finalize the original employment contracts. Burton struggles with the responsibility of fighting for his clients and opportunity to stand by his friend.

Nick, now working at another law firm, is reinstated as the guardian of young Hunter Reed, his first case.

Polly Draper ("thirtysomething") guest stars

Both Nick and his child advocacy boss, Alvin, face Nick's father, Burton, in court. Nick, who is now working for Burton's competitors, Kirk and McGee, faces him when he is reassigned to Hunter -- the young boy who witnessed his father kill his mother -- after Hunter's father's controversial verdict comes in.

Meanwhile, Alvin agrees to defend his ex-wife (Draper), for whom he still has some unresolved feelings, in a wrongful termination case, only to realize that the company they are suing is represented by Burton.

After a rough turn of events at Kirk & McGee, Nick is back at Fallin & Assoc. just as Burton is looking into the case of Susan Newberg, deceased daughter of longtime client and family friend Frank Newberg. What begins as an investigation into Susan's widower Ray Harper, and the $11 million estate left to him, ends in a shocking case of suicide linked to sexual assault. Nick and Burton put their legal licenses and freedom at stake by violating their attorney/client privileges to protect Frank's youngest daughter and victim, 16 year-old. Meanwhile, first-year associate Amanda Bowles walks out of Fallin & Assoc. when Burton disapproves of her volunteer work at CLS.

Nick thinks a woman he helped get her kids, may still use drugs.

When a mother of a missing child shows up in Nick Fallin's office at Legal Services, he finds himself in the middle of an emotional struggle for closure and justice. Prior to the disappearance of her daughter Grace, Janine McGregor was in a car accident with her for which they were awarded a large settlement. However, since Grace has been missing for 10 years, the insurance company will not release the money.

After years of searching for her daughter, Janine believes her only chance to get the money she so desperately needs is to have Grace declared deceased. However, just as a judge is about to sign off on the declaration, Grace unexpectedly reappears saying she had been kidnapped and taken to Europe. Nick encourages Janine to take the necessary steps to verify Grace's identity. However, with nothing but her gut feeling, Janine is convinced that the girl who has returned claiming to be her daughter is really her "Gracie."

Meanwhile, Nick and Burton Fallin are faced with the death of a close friend and colleague, Judge Stanton. He was a long-time friend of Burton's and was the judge who presided over Nick's probation. His passing causes Burton to re-evaluate his life and his accomplishments as a lawyer.

Nick and LuLu find teenagers in her house, after they hear a girl screaming giving birth. They want to keep the baby and soon end up in foster care.

Burtton turns his law firm over to Sen. Nathan Calldwell, he gets ready to be a federal Judge.

In The Season Finale Burton and Lulu tells Nick damaging information but that deals with a wanted killer. Dr. Reed asks to be his son's (Hunter)Trustee but their future could be in trouble.

A 13 year old is charged with the rape and murder of his mother and could be tried for first-degree murder. Nick must try and get the case to juvenile court.

After deciding to work together, Nick and Burton Fallin return to the old offices of Fallin & Associates to create a new firm, Fallin & Fallin. Finally working on equal ground, Nick and Burton's first big client turns out to be Allegheny County Hospital, which is under scrutiny as one of the nurses is arrested and confesses to killing patients in the oncology department during his shifts. The hospital faces several potential lawsuits from the family members of the patients who died. To assemble a strong team of attorneys, Nick and Burton bring in James Mooney to help with the case but soon discover that his grandmother died in that very hospital just a few months earlier. James immediately removes himself from the case but he eventually gives into his desire to fight for the underdogs and tries to find representation for the family members. Meanwhile, Nick is also thrown into a case as a favor to Laurie Solt, where he must defend a child's right to attend an adoption party. This is a concept that Alvin Masterson finds reprehensible, as he believes it treats the children as though they are cattle to be sold at market.

Alvin head of Legal Service of Pittsburgh is arrested and LuLu takes over after seeing him on tv.

As the legal guardian of two siblings he represented the year before, Nick must find the missing sister so she can be a bone-marrow donor to save her dying brother.

Nick takes on the case of two children after their brother dies from their father's neglect.

LuLu represents an old friend after one of her adopted children is dead. Nick represents someone he knew as a kid.

Nick takes the case of a 16 year old mom who wants to put her baby up for adoption, after her father ends up being arrested for the murder of the 16 year old's very ill mom.

Brian Olsen (LuLu's Husband) ends up being accused of negligence.

Burton, Lulu & Nick each find themselves in tight spots. Burton tries to stop Shannon from being hurt, Alvin finds Nick & Lulu at the office late Will they still have jobs after Alvin finds out?

Nick is upset because Lulu is about to take a job in California and while in court loses control of his temper while trying to finish his call and later goes to court ordered therapy. Shannon meets her dad for the first time, Burton has to go to a hearing to find out if he can keep Shannon.

Nick advises James to stay away from Taliek (James accused him of killing Levi then found out he accused the wrong guy) Now Taliek lost the court battle to get his son back. James and Larry Flood get ready to leave for home having no idea that they will be fighting for their lives.

Lulu starts her job as Director of LSP, leaving Alvin to wonder if he is needed at LSP. Nick helps a couple sue a fertility clinic because the baby is black. The parents want to keep the baby and the clinic to pay for damages. Nick needs to help find Samantha Gray who lost her sight because her dad.

Samantha goes to Nick's office to tell him she isn't going back to the place she came from. Nick has dinner with Mrs. Aaronson who became pregnant after doing a procedure to have a baby, now the lawsuit against the clinic will be dropped.

Samantha learns her dad lost his rights to be a dad because he was drug addict.

Nick waits with Samantha on a bench in the courthouse wondering if her dad will show up for the hearing. When he doesn't show up Nick finds him doing drugs.

Nick tries to find a place for Donny Longo & his Grandfather to live together, but Donny has a hard time with Rebecca's ruling (the Judge that handled the shelter hearing). Meanwhile Burton must try to get Mr. Lounge's house back from a man that bought it at an auction.

Mr. Longo lived in the house for 65 years with paying rent.

Nick learns that Mr. Longo used the property for bad purposes that caused Mr. Longo to lose custody of Donny.

Nick tries to find an unwanted foster child a home Philip may have hurt the baby. Burton gets angry after finding that Shannon posed for a photographer named Malcom Reeves. Burton learns that Roy signed papers letting Shannon model.

Nick learns that his house was robed so she could by make-up. Burton learns ran away with Malcom.

Nick sees a change in his dad that worries him, Burton keeps getting dizzy due to Vertigo. Burton wonders if he will be a good dad to Shannon. After Nick & Burton learn Shannon has been found they try to get the woman who called police about Shannon to tell Nick and Burton where Shannon might be.

When Burton offers to pay the woman to tell where Shannon is Nick isn't sure the woman will tell the story.

Alvin tells ALS will later affect Nick about his date with Victoria and how they're relationship and for Alvin his only form of communication will be blinking his eyebrows. At a court hearing Alvin is asked to turn over his files involving past clients at LSP.

Alvin isn't ready to turn over the yet just yet because feels that in doing so would violate the Attorney client privilege.

Nick also helps a young boy who claims he can't remember being abused Nick learns that Andrew has been lying to him all along and now has to testify at his father's hearing.