...and justice for all.

Baltimore defense attorney Arthur Kirkland punches Judge Fleming during a heated argument over the case of Jeff McCullaugh and is arrested for contempt of court. The confrontation lands him in jail while the case against McCullaugh remains unresolved. Fleming uses the incident to attempt to control Kirkland and his defenses going forward.

McCullaugh has already spent a year and a half in jail for a crime he may not have committed. New evidence suggests his innocence, but Fleming refuses to consider the appeal because it is late. The delay underscores the obstacles in overturning what appears to be a mistaken identity case.

Kirkland begins a new case defending Ralph Agee, a young Black cross-dresser arrested for a robbery. Agee lives with a deep fear of being misgendered and of ending up in a male prison. The defense is shaped by Agee's vulnerability and the social tensions surrounding gender identity.

Kirkland regularly visits his grandfather Sam in a nursing home, where Sam's health and memory are deteriorating. The visits reveal that Sam raised Kirkland and helped him through law school, shaping Kirkland's outlook on justice. The scenes establish a personal motive rooted in family history.

Kirkland starts a romantic relationship with Gail Packer, a member of the legal ethics committee. The affair adds a layer of personal complexity to his professional obligations. Gail also serves as a reminder of the ethical boundaries Mike must navigate.

Judge Francis Rayford, a calm yet reckless figure, takes Kirkland on a helicopter ride over the city to test how far he can fly. Kirkland is terrified as the aircraft loses fuel and fails to land safely. The ride culminates in a crash into knee-deep water, revealing Rayford's volatile temperament.

Rayford, a Korean War veteran, carries a rifle in his chambers and a pistol in his shoulder holster. He eats lunch on a ledge outside his office window, four stories up, displaying a pattern of risky, almost suicidal behavior. His volatile persona foreshadows the tensions surrounding the courthouse and the cases Kirkland handles.

Fleming asks Kirkland to defend him against brutal accusations of assault and rape, betting that Kirkland's public dislike of him will help his defense. Fleming also blackmails Kirkland with an old attorney-client confidentiality violation, threatening to ruin him professionally if exposed. Kirkland accepts, aware that his disbarment could be on the line.

Jay Porter, Kirkland's friend and partner, becomes unstable after a guilty client kills two children following an acquittal. Porter arrives drunk at Kirkland's apartment, shaves his head in a misguided belief it will help him, and violently lashes out in the courthouse hallway before being hospitalized. His collapse underscores the cost of moral compromise in the legal system.

Kirkland entrusts Warren Fresnell to present a corrected probation report for Agee, insisting it be shown to the judge. Fresnell arrives late and forgets to submit the corrected report, leading to Agee receiving jail time instead of probation. Kirkland confronts Fresnell in anger, exposing systemic missteps in the courthouse process.

Thirty minutes after Agee is sentenced to jail, Kirkland learns that Agee has died by suicide. The death underscores the human cost of procedural failures and the emotional toll on those hoping for mercy or reform. Kirkland's fury at Fresnell intensifies as the consequences become personal.

McCullaugh, who has been sexually and physically assaulted by other inmates, snaps and takes two hostages. Kirkland pleads with him to surrender and promises to help, but a police sniper shoots him when he moves in front of a window. The dramatic event removes a volatile element from the courtroom saga and intensifies the high-stakes environment.

In a tense turn, Kirkland takes on Fleming by showing photographs of him involved in bisexual BDSM with a prostitute. Fleming acknowledges the sexual misconduct, admitting his guilt. The admission reframes the trial's moral landscape and complicates the courtroom dynamic.

During the trial, Fleming jokes about his victim, and Kirkland delivers a blistering opening that pokes at the system and Bowers's ambition. He tearfully predicts that Bowers will win by not convicting Fleming, then accuses Fleming of guilt in a sharply personal address. Kirkland is dragged out of the courtroom as the spectators react with mixed emotions, and Rayford storms out in frustration.

Exhausted by the battle and facing the likelihood of disbarment, Kirkland sits on the courthouse steps to collect his thoughts. Jay Porter passes by, tipping his wig to Kirkland in a bittersweet gesture of camaraderie. The moment caps a day of upheaval and moral reckoning within the legal world.