Although part of "The Third Year" this episode takes as Hart's second year of law school winds down. Golden is interviewing for a clerkship at the Supreme Court but I struggling to get on with the task of recommending to Kingsfield his successor as president. Rita Harriman wants the job very badly but so does Hart. Ford has mixed feelings about whether he wants his "perfect" younger brother to follow him to this school. Kingsfield becomes involved with trying to persuade a former head of the Securities and Exchange Commision to give up her desire to spend more time with her grandchildren and instead join the faculty. Golden has some misgivings about whether clerking at the Supreme Court is really the best direction for his career.

At the start of the third year, Hart assumes Presidency of Law Review and proposes a controversial approach to the first issue. He also struggles with leadership issues. His problems are compounded by an article request from Kingsfieldmthat does not fit with the theme of the issue. Professor Tyler begins classes, and clashes with Kinsgsfield over admitting Bell to her class, since Bell has not completed all the prerequisites. Bell becomes dorm advisor to the new group of first year students. New student Rose struggles to adjust to law school after raising a family. Ford's younger brother Tom is a first year student, and his presence causes friction, as the brothers have always been very competitive. Harriman is chosen by Hart to run the writing competition, whereby students without the best grades have an alternative method to apply for Law Review. Ford enters the writing competition.

A guy whom Hart and Ford know shows up looking for them. They're not there but Tom is. He tells Tom that he's having problems with his landlord. Tom suggests that he not pay the rent. Later he shows up claiming that because of Tom he got thrown out. He then lodges a complaint and Tom is facing censure for his actions. While Hart tries to help Tom, Ford is not exactly willing to help.

Laura is having trouble adjusting to the added time commitments of Law Review while keeping up with her regular courses. All her friends are disturbed by the changes in her personality but she denies that anything is wrong except that she's busy. Laura does a poor job in her preparation of a note for the Law Review and Hart convinces other Review members that she should be put on probation instead of kicking her off altogether. Bell tries repeatedly to talk with her and offer help and support, but her protests continue. Hart is forced to redo Laura's work for the Law Review note when she hits bottom. Professor Tyler engages Kingsfield and a visitor from Kingsfield's early days at Oxford in a special seminar which is a debate about whether the American or English view about a certain controversial law is correct.

Pressure causes first year student Williamson to get in serious trouble. Tom Ford defends Williamson before a committee chaired by Kingsfield. Rose dates Soloway's father.

Rose husband's files for divorce. And she has to face him when he appears to be unfair with the settlement.

For the first time in 40 years, Kingsfield doesn't show up for work or class - all day. Everyone is flabbergasted, then worried. Nottingham has kittens. However, there is a logical explanation: remember, Kingsfield is always teaching.

Hart notices a respected judge has inconsistent rulings and goes to talk with his clerk, (an alumni). The clerk is reluctant to being openly named as a source revealing that the judge has been dishonest with his rulings.

Ford's 1L girlfriend gets pregnant. He wants the baby; she doesn't. She consults with her 1L friend, a mother 20 years older who's just embarking on the career she postponed when she got pregnant. Comic subplot re the 1L faculty tea.

Bell directs a law school themed show put on by the law students. Kingsfield attends a law convention in Los Angeles.

Alumnus, Jeremy Brooks, after suffering a stroke, is convinced by Prof Kingsfield and Hart to go to court to fight for reinstatement of his Medicare benefits.

Golden is working on his first case at a law firm. It involves a pharmaceutical manufacturer who's suing a TV news show that aired a story that claims one of his products is defective. But upon meeting Golden, the client is not so keen on him. Eventually Golden thinks he knows why he's treating him like that which might make representing him difficult.