Working for a legal aid office in New York City, Gwen Sullivan fights for clients who can't afford to choose their own attorney. The passion she has for her job and for those she represents has cemented the rebellious and wildly outspoken Sullivan as arguably the most talented public defender in her district. Along with the complicated cases she tackles in a hurried environment, Gwen must also manage various distractions at the office, including working with her ex, newly appointed supervisor Charlie Riggs, whose extraordinary talent in the courtroom is only matched by his outsized ego, and Earl, her stern, hard-to-please father, a former judge.