Rudy Baylor is a young attorney out to make a difference in the justice system.

He is also the only

hope of an elderly couple after their corrupt insurance company refuses to payout a claim that could
save their child's life. In this judicial drama, Baylor rails against corporate lawyers, corrupt judges, and
abusive husbands, all with the help of a fellow lawyer who hasn't even passed his bar exam. He is
facing long odds in the courtroom - and this is only his first case.

Rudy Baylor is about to graduate from Memphis State Law School. He secures a position with a
Memphis law firm, who then loses his job when the firm is bought out by the large Memphis law firm
Tinley Britt. As one of the few members of his class without a job lined up, a desperate Rudy is
introduced to J. Lyman "Bruiser" Stone, a ruthless but successful ambulance chaser, who makes him
an associate. To earn his fee, Rudy is required to hunt for potential clients at the local hospital and
sign them up to personal injury lawsuits. He is introduced to Deck Shifflet, a less-than-ethical former
insurance assessor who received a law degree but doesn't practice law, having failed to pass the bar
exam six times.

Rudy signs two clients. One is his new elderly landlady, who needs a revised will drawn. The other is a
poor family, Dot and Buddy Black, whose insurance bad faith case could be worth several million
dollars in damages. With Stone's firm about to be raided by the police and the FBI, Rudy and Deck set
up their own practice and file suit on behalf of the Blacks, whose leukemia-stricken son, Donny Ray,
could have been saved by a bone marrow transplant for which his identical twin brother is a perfect
match. The procedure should have been covered and paid for by their insurance carrier, Great
Benefit Life Insurance, but the claim was instead denied.

Rudy, having just passed his bar exam, has never argued a case before a judge or jury. He now finds
himself up against experienced and ruthless lawyers from Tinley Britt, headed by Leo F. Drummond.
On his side, Rudy has several supporters and a sympathetic, newly-appointed judge. While preparing
the case in the local hospital, he meets and later falls in love with Kelly Riker, a young battered wife
recovering from injuries inflicted by her husband Cliff.

Donny Ray dies just before the case goes to trial. Rudy uncovers a scheme by Great Benefit to deny
every insurance claim submitted, regardless of validity. Great Benefit was playing the odds that the
insured would not consult an attorney. A former employee of Great Benefit testifies that the scheme
generated an extra $40 million in revenue for the company. The trial ends with a plaintiff's judgment
of $50.2 million. Great Benefit quickly declares itself bankrupt, thus allowing it to avoid paying the
judgment. This leads to a series of lawsuits which forces Great Benefit out of business. Ultimately,
there is no payout for the grieving parents and no fee for Rudy, although Dot was never concerned
with the settlement money, because for her helping to put the company out of business is an even
greater victory.

During the Black trial, when Kelly is beaten again by Cliff, Rudy helps her file for divorce. While he
and Kelly retrieve items from her home, Cliff arrives and threatens to kill Rudy, attacking him with a
baseball bat. Rudy wrestles the bat away from Cliff and cracks his skull with it. Kelly intervenes and
orders him to leave. Cliff dies from the injuries and Kelly allows herself to be charged with
manslaughter to protect Rudy. Rudy gets the charges dropped, but Cliff's vengeful family have made
several death threats against them both. Rudy and Kelly leave the state, heading for someplace
where Rudy – who has become disillusioned with the law – can become a teacher, and Kelly can
attend college.