From the Hip

Robin 'Stormy' Weathers is fed up with the tedium of filing and research. He withholds knowledge of an impending trial to pressure his firm to let him try it, convinced he alone understands the facts.

In a meeting with the bank's president, the case is a simple assault that the client wants stretched to three days to inflate court fees. The banker hints that keeping the case high-profile benefits the bank's interests.

Weathers extends the case by raising a First Amendment challenge about the word 'asshole', turning the proceedings into a media frenzy. He uses provocative rhetoric to grab public attention and put pressure on opponents.

The senior partners are embarrassed by Stormy's antics and attempt to fire him. They worry his methods threaten the firm's reputation and client relationships.

The client fights back by threatening to move the bank's business elsewhere if Stormy continues his unorthodox tactics. The threat puts pressure on the firm to discipline him.

It is revealed that Stormy, despite appearing crafty, conspired with the other attorney to stage a brilliant legal engagement to boost their image. The revelation suggests a calculated plan behind the flashy public victory. The firm grapples with ethical implications.

Stormy wins the case, drawing a flood of new clients to the firm and earning a promotion to junior partner. The victory cements his reputation as a fearless, if controversial, litigator.

In an act of unfair retaliation, he is assigned to lead defense in a first-degree murder case against university professor Douglas Benoit. Benoit chose Stormy because he saw him in the prior case.

Stormy's loud, odd courtroom behavior impresses the judge and spectators, although he occasionally embarrasses his girlfriend Jo Ann. His showmanship raises the chances of an acquittal.

Stormy pushes for a plea to manslaughter, but Benoit stubbornly refuses. The attempt intensifies the moral tension and the stakes of the case.

Stormy discovers Benoit is guilty when a vague confession reveals the method. Benoit's description shows the 'clarity of mind' needed to split a skull with a hammer, describing the act in chilling detail.

Facing possible disbarment, Stormy chooses to antagonize Benoit into a direct confession on the stand, prioritizing duty over ethics. The decision marks a moral tipping point in his career and sets up a dramatic courtroom confrontation.