Founding Crane, Poole & Schmidt partner Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen) returns to the firm to help bring order to the chaotic office. The firebrand Schmidt proves to be a formidable adversary to Alan Shore, and gets under the skin of Denny Crane, with whom she has a checkered history. Meanwhile, Lori represents a Sudanese native who sues the U.S. government for lack of action in the face of the horrific atrocities being committed in his country, and Alan Shore defends a man who killed his mother in a fit of rage, hitting her over the head with a skillet.
