The Guardian - 2 ª Season

Nick is arrested and refused bail for parole violations after Mandy Gressler's ultimately fatal OD in his home. Unless the court is convinced the cocaine came with her, Nick's case looks hopeless. Burton hires reputable criminal attorney David Belden, but personally leads the case discretely, helped by ADA Finneran. When Mandy's mother Mary refuses to let her granddaughter Shannon (11) testify, Burton even takes the stand. Only Jake remains prepared to start a partnership with Nick.

Nick defends, without actual sympathy, confused Ronnie Wagner (13), who killed and later raped his adoptive mother and risks being tried as an adult, which may mean execution. Laurie Solt admits she ignored psychiatric therapy recommendations to speed up the adoption. A fender bender with Kim, who convinces him to let her brother Charlie McPherson repair the damage rather than inform the insurance company, leads to Nick becoming her lover before discovering she's a uniformed cop. Jake and James recruit private clients for the new firm, but Nick has doubts whether those aren't rather distractions for scoring the major corporate clients he's after.

Ex-senator Caldwell commits suicide in his firm office. Nick continues his hot affair with Kim in secret. Burton keeps advising people what to file, albeit through other lawyers. Nick's new firm defends the manager of a firm developing a city project requiring cemetery plots to be expropriated, Alvin takes on the cause of families opposing exhumations. The FBI suspects Caldwell's motive was exposure in a case of abuse of information from his legislative days. It implicates his right hand Mitchell Lichtman, who tries unsuccessfully to blackmail Burton, who ultimately decides not to go through with his impending appointment as federal judge.

Nick pleads the case of over-eager, unattractive pre-teen Josh Bennett, from Gill Mueller's orphanage, who wants to continue partaking in events to present kids to potential adopting couples. Nick gets permission but is ordered to chaperon Josh in person. The boy's usual tantrum after an event follows even though a couple finally shows interest, which is withdrawn as a result. Burton renamed the firm Fallin & Fallin and expects Nick to get involved in all aspects of management, even letting staff go when they don't bring enough business.

Nick decides to plead a damage claim for tenant Wilcox's small son Bryant's serious lead-poisoning, but soon realizes multiple foul play involving specialized lawyer Mark Hanson. Jake tries to help Barbara get an embarrassing photograph and ridiculing comment from a dating site, but painfully runs into law student Ignatius J. Reilly's legal argument as well as his mates' fists.