Fairly Legal

Although her dad, a leading law firm's founder, recently died, Kate Reed's hard to please stepmother prods her mercilessly to keep up the pace in her extraordinary section, out of court arbitration. Kate's ex, public prosecutor Justin Patrick, is crucial in obtaining information, which she handles with conscience, trying to do right for tycoon client Charles Pease and the innocent good son in the car that hit his succession-destined son Doug's. The unexpected full truth proves surprisingly relevant to all. Judge David Nicastro exacts revenge on her by simultaneously imposing a rather absurd pro bono mediation with a 24 hour deadline.

Despite resolving her cabbie's coffee-war with a biker on the road, Kate is late for a business client, forcing Lauren to take over, but she dares not enter her late husband's office to retrieve the case file. Justin asks enthusiastic Kate to prevent an embarrassing jury trial on damages the treasury can't afford for Steve Janks, who was released after 22 years of innocent incarceration. It gets even harder once Steve realizes he can't get his social life back anyhow. The Reed family is agonized by the impending reading of the late patriarch's last will.

Kate's nemesis Judge Nicastro assigns her to mediate a case between a high school football coach and the angry parents who claim his old school methods border on abuse. When the videotaped evidence doesn't make sense to her, Kate unearths the real reason for the coach's controversial actions.

Kate is mediating a dispute between the host of a cooking show who made a very popular barbecue sauce, and the company he made a deal with to manufacture it. Kate eventually learns that the host is not the actual creator but his producer who prefers to stay anonymous. But a man shows up who says he's the producer's father and the true creator of the sauce and demands his share. Kate learns that her father abused her which is why she keeps a low profile. Lauren tries to get all of her late husband's clients to stay with them. And she meets with one who's clearly a chauvinist, who decides he doesn't want her to handle his business. Lauren turns to her step-son, Spencer for help and he gives her some advice. And Justin's boss is pressuring to close a case of trespassing wherein a guy broke into a house he thought was his. Justin makes a plea deal but his boss is not satisfied with it and tells him to speak to the owner of the house that was broken to. Justin learns the owner is a friend of his boss and that she's acting out of spite and paranoia because the man has a criminal history.

Justin Patrick made wonderful sex with Kate, so she's in the mood to 'treat' him. He has his doubts about the how, mediating with his nudist 'neighbor' in the apartment across the street. Richard Neumeier is physically recovered from a car accident, which the company offers more then standard compensation for. However his wife demands much more because it also changed his personality, which undermines the basis of their marriage.

Kate mediates when a maverick inventor threatens suicide at his termination. Lauren helps finalize a divorce between a wealthy investor and her woodsy ex-spouse. Kim, the sandwich girl volunteers to model for Leo's graphic novel project.

Kate represents a woman who's parents were illegal immigrants and who assumed someone else's identity in order to enlist in the military. Justin and Kate face signing their divorce papers. Lauren concludes a large case involving a Chinese patent infringement.

Kate's juggling two cases. In the first the firm's been engaged to get the music rights to a song from a one hit wonder group that split on bad terms. In getting both sides to agree to mediation she discovers that they created more than just a song together. The second case involves a dispute between two gamers who need their cyberspace dispute mediated.

Kate's best friend is getting married and Kate's been asked to mediate the signing of a pre-nup. When the girl's father starts making waves Kate gets involved and does some research which leads to some problematic information.

Justin is hurt when Kate misses his legal profession award, shocked when she blurts out she's pregnant, furious when that is overruled by the doctor. Devoted stepfather Pete Marshall needs mediation between him and his dead wife's mother, who wants to take his step-daughter (Vero) Nika to her home country of Croatia, but their bickering makes her run away. Step-mother Lauren fires 'rebel' Kate after meeting co-heir David Smith, whom she buys out under threat of endless court proceedings. Judge Nicastro commandeers Kate to mediate between the eternally litigious brothers Ralph and Danny Sabbatino.