The Practice (Season 2)

Between Justice And Morality Can We Choose?

A provocative legal drama focused on young associates at a bare-bones Boston firm and their scrappy boss, Bobby Donnell. The show's forte is its storylines about “people who walk a moral tightrope.”

Reasonable Doubts 8.0
Air date: 1997-09-20
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Bobby's judgment is called into question by the firm's other members when he becomes romantically involved with a beautiful, icy client who shot to death a male neighbor she claims was attempting to rape her. The prosecution says it was murder.
Betrayal 10.0
Air date: 1997-09-23
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: The firm defends Joey Heric, a colorful client on trial for the murder of his lover. Jimmy is tried on solicitation charges by a vengeful district attorney.
The Blessing 9.0
Air date: 1997-09-27
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Bobby and Gamble clash in and out of the courtroom when an emotional assisted-suicide case forces them to confront painful memories. Meanwhile, Lindsay goes head-to-head with her ex-boyfriend when she defends an elderly bookie.
Dog Bite 9.0
Air date: 1997-10-04
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Jimmy finally gets his first case, that of a little girl bitten by a dog. A juror approaches Lindsay with inside information on a case. Eugene defends a one-legged mugger.
First Degree (1) 0.0
Air date: 1997-10-11
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Ellenor and Lindsay face disbarment proceedings for their unethical conduct. Bobby defends a man accused of murdering his lover's husband. Eugene represents a police officer applying for disability, claiming the job made him a racist.
Sex, Lies and Monkeys (2) 8.0
Air date: 1997-10-18
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Ellenor is sued by George Vogelman, her podiatrist friend, for causing him emotional distress, while Jimmy defends a man who lost his job because in the eyes of his boss, he looks like a monkey. Lindsay has hazy recollections about a night out with Chris Kelton.
Search and Seizure 8.0
Air date: 1997-10-25
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Rebecca's friend enlists the firm to try to set a legal precedent by forcing his wife to have a C-section against her wishes. Benny Small is tried for drug possession.
The Means 7.0
Air date: 1997-11-08
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: A black client is tried for the brutal beating of a department store security guard during a riot. Bobby plans to use a defense very unpopular with both his client and second-chair Eugene. Meanwhile, Ellenor's obnoxious cousin wants to sue the travel agent that booked her honeymoon on allegations of 'emotional distress'.
Save the Mule 8.5
Air date: 1997-11-15
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Lindsay is hired by a drug dealer to defend his "mule" who's been caught smuggling drugs over the border. Jimmy takes on a case of a community stricken by cancer. Bobby must decide with whom he wants to pursue a romance.
Spirit of America 8.0
Air date: 1997-11-22
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Donnell & Associates travel to Redland Hills in a last minute attempt to get a stay of execution for convicted murderer Randall Jefferson while a documentary crew watches their every move.
Hide and Seek 10.0
Air date: 1997-11-29
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Bobby and Lindsay second-chair Bobby's old mentor, Raymond Oz, when Oz fears he's losing his memory. Eugene struggles with his conscience when he defends a man on trial for raping and murdering two boys. Jimmy's fantasies come true when a childhood sex symbol seeks his legal counsel.
Race with the Devil 8.0
Air date: 1997-12-13
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: When Bobby's priest performs an exorcism on a parishioner, who dies during the procedure, Bobby must manipulate the system to shield Father Martin from murder charges; Eugene represents Martin Parks in a bizarre malpractice suit. Jimmy decides to tape a television commercial, a decision that proves unpopular with his colleagues.
The Civil Right 9.0
Air date: 1997-12-20
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Jimmy is furious when his mother reveals her love for another woman. He feels obligated to represent her in court when she requests he argue her right to marry her lover. Meanwhile, Eugene refuses to defend a rapist after he runs into one of his client's victims in a clothing store.
The Pursuit of Dignity 8.0
Air date: 1998-01-03
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Bobby reconnects with an old girlfriend who needs his help after she is arrested for prostitution. Ellenor and Rebecca fight to keep a 12-year old girl with Tourette's Syndrome in school. Lindsay defends a woman who is suing her doctor for sewing live maggots into her leg to prevent post-surgical infection.
Line of Duty 8.0
Air date: 1998-01-05
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Bobby is arrested and tried for the deaths of three police officers, after he tips off a client, using information obtained during a sleepover at Helen's, that the police are planning to raid him. Jimmy has to defend himself when an opposing attorney claims he's unfit to practice law.
Truth and Consequences 8.0
Air date: 1998-01-12
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Rebecca's life is threatened after she witnesses a murder and picks the killer out of a police lineup. Jimmy continues his case against the electric company.
Burden of Proof 8.0
Air date: 1998-01-19
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: The trial against Boston Electric begins, with Jimmy bringing both a weak case and doubts as to whether his star witness will be sober, into court.
Ties that Bind 8.0
Air date: 1998-02-02
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Lindsay and Ellenor defend a pornographic star accused of killing her co-star. Complications arise in the Moreno case when it appears Rebecca's ID of the suspect may have been tainted. Lindsay's fondness for having her elbows sucked works against Bobby when he sucks on Helen's elbows.
The Trial (1) 8.0
Air date: 1998-02-09
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Bobby defends Dr. Jeffrey Winslow, on trial for the brutal murder (and decapitation) of his mistress. Neither Bobby nor Helen (the D.A. on the case) will back down, sending their relationship into a tailspin. Eugene defends Rebecca's irascible uncle on tax evasion charges.
Cloudy with a Chance of Membranes (2) 8.0
Air date: 1998-02-16
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: The saga of Dr. Jeffery Winslow continues. Bobby uses every trick in the book to keep Dr. Winslow out of jail.
In Deep 9.0
Air date: 1998-03-02
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: The Luis Moreno case finally comes to trial with Rebecca more determined than ever to testify. Ellenor rushes off to defend Cruikshank again, leaving Lindsay to defend a man being cited for using too much water in his toilet. Eugene faces his own prejudices during an altercation with a dry cleaner.
Another Day 8.0
Air date: 1998-03-09
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Bobby is called on to defend Joey Heric on murder charges once again. Lindsay goes up against her former professor, Anderson Pearson, when she represents a client who's addicted to cigarettes. Lindsay sues Pearson himself when she suspects his firm of burying damaging information. Ellenor defends Cruikshank against anti-tourism charges, earning hersely several trips to jail when she vehemently disagrees with the judge's decidedly biased position.
Checkmate 8.0
Air date: 1998-03-16
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Joey's case comes to trial. Ellenor represents a woman heckled by a carnival clown.
Trees in the Forest 8.0
Air date: 1998-03-30
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Tensions rise when Lindsay requests a partnership. Eugene defends a gang member on murder charges while Rebecca receives an animal rights activism award.
Food Chains 8.0
Air date: 1998-04-06
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: The furor over Lindsay's demand for partnership continues. Bobby discovers that Lindsay's not the only associate looking for another job. Rebecca is involved in a car accident she believes is a scam. Rebecca and Jimmy go undercover to ferret out the guilty. Ellenor meets up with an old friend in the midst of a chimpanzee custody trial.
Axe Murderer (II) 8.0
Air date: 1998-04-27
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Bobby works with the firm of Cage and Fish to help in the defense of Marie Hanson, an apparent axe murderer who may have been Lizzie Borden in a past life. Ellenor discovers that her new boyfriend is the crooked chiropractor treating Rebecca, while Lindsay and Helen discuss Helen's future with the DA's office. The crossover starts on Ally McBeal S01E20 The Inmates (I).
Duty Bound 8.0
Air date: 1998-05-04
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Jimmy's faith in his priest is shaken when Father Ryan is arrested for the murder of a 16-year-old boy. Jimmy desperately tries to track down the real killer before Father Ryan's case goes to trial. Ellenor struggles over her sense of ethics and her blossoming relationship with Fred Spivak.
Rhyme and Reason 8.0
Air date: 1998-05-11
Runtime: 44 min
Overview: Bobby defends a young boy who killed his mother over a seemingly inconsequential argument. Eugene wrestles with his conscience over the morality of his profession and its possible effects on his son, Kendall. Lindsay tries to land a class action asbestos suit.