The second year begins with Hart and Ford moving to an off-campus apartment, while Bell is still at the dorm as the advisor for the 1-L students. Some of the 1-L students hound Hart for his Contracts outline, until Ford and Bell auction it off (against Hart's wishes). Meanwhile, 1-L Connie Lehman shows a personal interest in Hart ... or is it only his outline?
Kingsfield's friend and former student, now the Attorney General of the United States, asks him if he would accept a nomination to the Supreme Court. Hart decides to celebrate Kingsfield's eightieth birthday, even though it is known that the professor disapproves of such festivities.
Hart has a feeling that a popular law professor has plagiarized an article for Law Review, and tries to prove it, to the detriment of his schoolwork. Lehman suspects he is just jealous because she greatly admires the professor.
Connie attempts to help a returning student, now a single mother with no child care, and recruits Hart and Bell for assistance. Ford is assigned to an older woman's case against a slumlord.
When Hart's girlfriend Conny Lehman devotes all her time to an extra assignment from Kingsfield, the relationship is strained enough that Hart cheats on her and sleeps with a singer he met at the tavern. Dorm-Adviser Bell ignores the pleas for help from a first year student.
Recruiters descend on the campus, much to Kingsfield's irritation, offering summer employment to promising students. Hart, at the top of his class, is inundated with offers, particularly from two very different law firms. Bell despairs of landing a job because all his interviews go badly. Ford considers turning his father in for violating the school's recruiting rules using illegally obtained grade information when selecting interns.
As usual, the Law Review is behind schedule, but this time Golden is sidelined with pneumonia. Second-in-command Shaw seizes the opportunity for a power play, but it predictably backfires. Law Review activities are further complicated when, while their new computer is being installed and tested, a power failure threatens their precious deadline - until they enlist the help of the 'Wonks'.
Hart's girlfriend receives a scholarship offer in England. Hart tries to presuade her to stay with him, she suggests he come to England, which he refuses. Awaiting her decision on whether to accept the scholarship or stay there with Hart, she asks him to go with her to Kingsfield's empty classroom which she describes as a ""temple of reason"" (you knew then which she had chosen). Hart leaves angrily, but Golden talks him into seeing her before she leaves. As she leaves, Bell is there to comfort his friend Hart. True to form, Hart announces that he needs to check on what assignments Golden has for him and then he will study for Kingsfield's seminar.
Bell sues the city for damages and lost wages when he rides over a pothole and breaks his arm. Kingsfield has difficulty coping when Nottingham, his secretary, transfers to another office.
Love is in the air. Hart drags Golden out of the Law Review for a drink in Tavern where they meet two ladies (who are from another school and are on 'the hunt' for rich-lawyer husbands). Hart likes one, but is so busy that Ford steps in and dates her too. The other finds an actual attraction to Golden hindered by his focus on the Review.
Working in the public defender's office, Hart has to defend the perpetrator who assaulted and robbed Kingsfield. The violence on campus puts student on edge.
A minor incident between Golden and an engineering student about a parking space causes hostilities between the law students and the engineering students (or ""Wonks"" as they are called on campus). Golden has the Wonk's car impounded and the Wonks retaliate by moving Golden's car into the Law Review office (which is in a basement...). A romance between a law student and a Wonk is strained by the conflict. The matter is settled by a contest of legal knowledge between Kingsfield and a computer.
Ford's classmates want to petition for the replacement of a longtime professor they suspect of becoming senile. He strongly resists due to painful memories of his own aging grandfather being dropped from the family law firm by his father. Hart tries to develop a better relationship with his ultra-competitive (and beautiful) Law Review rival, Harriman.
Hart, returning home for his sister's wedding, ends up having to ignore family and boyhood friends because he has to spend every minute on the phone editing last-minute changes to his amicus brief notes he did for Kingsfield to give to the US Supreme Court. He recognises for the first time how much he's changed due to law school. Returning to his apartment, he tells Ford "for the first time, I feel like I belong here".
The students fear they will lose a popular professor when he becomes eligible for tenure but lacks significant publication credits.
A snowstorm stands Kingsfield, forcing him to spend the evening with Hart while Ford and Bell get to know Nottingham in a local bar.
Hart and Harriman compete to represent the school in the national moot court competition. First-year student Vivian struggles with speaking up in class.
A grieving father struggles to understand why his son committed suicide.
Stressed-out first-year students prepare for Kingsfield's final. When the final exam is stolen, Bell is charged with finding the students responsible.
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.
(Beginning the fourth season of this show, the third year of law school continues). Harriman is dumped by her fiance and has a one-night fling with Hart, who finds it meant much more to him than her.
Franklin Ford is falsely arrested and spends three agonizing days in jail before Golden can extract him from the police bureaucracy. Ford is deeply affected by his glimpse of the underside of the imperfect system he had spent most of his life pursuing.
The graduating class scramble to learn if their grades earn them Honors, Summa or Magna. Ziess finds he is a tiny fraction below the threshold and files a lawsuit against the law school over its grading procedures.
Laura stumbles across an art show, enters and wins 3rd prize, reawakening her past dreams about being an artist. Meanwhile, the other students have a "suppressed desires" party where everyone dresses up in a costume depicting what they really wanted to be in life.
[This episode has several clips, flashing back to early episodes] The first-year study group fractures under the pressures of finals. This two-part series finally shows all the characters future plans. Hart and the rest of Law Review scramble to get out their last issue while Bell scrambles for a job. Hart considers a possible teaching position at the school but Kingsfield resists. Laura tells Hart that she's going to drop law for art, which is much more fulfilling. Ford and Hart say goodbye to their apartment. Bell has one last time to talk with Kingsfield, and his parents step in. The graduation ceremonies begin with Hart as commencement speaker, giving deep thanks to Kingsfield. Diplomas are handed out.