The Paper Chase

Golden has some choices to make. Who will succeed him as president of the law review, and if he should accept a clerkship with the supreme court. Kingsfield shows a potential professor (former head of the SEC) how challenging being a teacher would be. Ford's younger brother comes to visit and look over the school. [Although aired a part of "The Third Year" this episode shows the end of Hart's second year.]

Hart, begins his third year as the new president of Law Review. Guiding the staff in a different way than Golden, the first publication proves a struggle. Meanwhile, Ford tries to adjust to the idea that his younger brother is now attending the same law school.

Franklin Ford's mechanic friend has landlord problems and asks for first-year student Tom Ford for legal advise. Tom gets in trouble with the results.

Laura feels the pressure of being a 2nd year, and working on the law review. She turns to drugs to help her do the work.

Ford younger brother defends a first year who cracked under the pressure and hit his teacher.

Rose has to contend with her husband filing for a divorce and her friends band together to help her prepare. They find the ex wasn't being honest in several ways.

Kingsfield stays away from campus for an entire day to teach his students to cope with problems in his absence. He also wants to teach his class an important lesson regarding different ways of fulfilling a contract.

A visiting state supreme court judge is toasted by the facility, but his clerk, (a former law review member), has a story that needs telling.

Ford's girlfriend announces she's pregnant and as much as he wants the baby, she says has no say in her decision.

The Law School's annual stage show is directed by dictatorial Bell. Kingsfield travels to Los Angeles and finds himself in a very unfamiliar environment. Franklin Ford sings Gilbert and Sullivan and Bell is convinced to amuse all (except returned Kingsfield) with a skit wherein Kingsfield goes to heaven.

Hart has to find a keynote speaker for a dinner and approaches a past Law Review President, Jeremy Brooks. Mr. Brooks is almost as well respected as Kingsfield but is found hiding at home now a stroke victim and too prideful to be seen in a wheelchair. Hart finds out the medical treatment that could substantially improve Brooks's condition has ended because of Medicare bureaucrats. Prof Kingsfield to go to court to fight for reinstatement of his friend's benefits so treatment can resume.

Golden, having passed the bar, is now a lawyer assigned to defend an antisemitic client in a libel suit. The first-years mourn the retirement of a popular janitor who's anxious for his retirement.