Samantha drives to a lamp factory in a neglected industrial park outside Brushy in Hopper County. The owner, Mr. Simmons, is surprisingly cordial and offers her coffee. Samantha recaps the Booker family’s ordeal and gives him a copy of the lawsuit she filed against the collections agency. Simmons agrees to rehire Pamela Booker if Samantha gets the wage garnishment order revoked.

After 5:30 that evening, Samantha and Mattie Wyatt begin their daily ritual of gossiping over diet sodas in the conference room. Buddy and Mavis Ryzer arrive at the clinic seeking a lawyer for a black lung case. Samantha takes down Buddy’s history: He is a 41-year-old surface miner for Lonerock Coal who has severe black lung. Mattie joins them and begins taking notes.

Buddy recounts how he filed a federal black lung claim in 1999 and was awarded benefits, but Lonerock Coal appealed and refused to pay. Mattie explains the role of Casper Slate, a ruthless law firm that defends coal companies and exploits weaknesses in the system. Buddy’s benefit award was reversed after Casper Slate’s doctors, funded by the coal industry, blamed his condition on something other than black lung. Mattie notes that only 5% of miners with black lung receive benefits.

Mattie tells the Ryzers they will review the documents, and after they leave, Mattie shares the story of her own father’s horrible death from black lung, which motivated her and Donovan to become lawyers fighting coal companies. She explains that most private lawyers will not take black lung cases: They drag on for years with no payment. Mattie warns Samantha to consider the unfinished work she will leave behind when she returns to New York. After Mattie leaves, Samantha decides to review the Ryzers’ case. She walks to the Brady Grill, buys a sandwich, and returns to the conference room to begin going through their documents, preparing for an all-nighter.

On Wednesday morning, Samantha meets Buddy Ryzer in Madison, West Virginia, to get authorizations signed for his medical records. Then she drives to a hospital in Beckley, West Virginia, to retrieve records from Buddy’s 1997 surgery to remove a benign lung mass. While reviewing the records, Samantha discovers a report from Dr. Foy, an expert hired by Casper Slate, which was sent to the pathologist in Beckley. The report confirms that tissue samples from the 1997 surgery showed that Buddy had complicated black lung disease. Samantha realizes that Casper Slate learned from their own expert in 2000 that Buddy had black lung, then concealed this evidence and used other doctors to defeat his claim. She makes copies of the incriminating report.

The next morning, Samantha meets Buddy again to get the proper forms signed so that she can see his case files. She goes to the federal building in Beckley and successfully retrieves Buddy’s case files.

Late Thursday afternoon, Samantha meets with Mattie at the clinic and shows her the evidence. Mattie concludes that Casper Slate buried the unfavorable report from Dr. Foy and found other experts to testify for them. Samantha is outraged and asks why the firm cannot be sued. Mattie says no local firm would dare sue Casper Slate and advises Samantha to ask Donovan about filing in federal court. Samantha decides to take the Ryzer case, telling Mattie that she will go to war.

Mattie tells Samantha that Donovan, confident about his trial, has invited them for drinks. Samantha and Mattie go to Donovan’s office and find him with Jeff and Vic. Donovan reveals that Strayhorn Coal offered $500,000 to settle the Tate case that afternoon. Vic, Jeff, Mattie, and Samantha all advise him to take the settlement, but Donovan dismisses their advice; he is going to ask for $3 million in damages.

Samantha excuses herself and says good night. She drives to the Starlight Motel with cookies and books for the Booker family. Pamela is excited about a potential apartment in Colton they will look at in the morning.

On Friday morning, Samantha writes a memo about the Ryzer case and emails it to Mattie, Donovan, and her father. Donovan replies within 10 minutes, expressing his excitement about the case against Casper Slate.

Samantha picks up the Booker family and drives them to Colton. After dropping the children at school, Samantha and Pamela spend two hours apartment hunting. They have coffee downtown, where Samantha overhears locals discussing the Tate trial, noting that the courtroom is packed.

Samantha drives back to Brady. Mattie informs her that the jury now has the Tate case, and they wait anxiously for texts about the verdict. That afternoon, Francine Crump arrives at the clinic to sign her new will. As Samantha reads the will, which disinherits her children, Francine begins to cry, making Samantha worry about her legal competency. Samantha summons Mattie and Annette. Mrs. Crump reaffirms her decision, signs the will, and all three lawyers witness it and sign affidavits attesting to her mental fitness.

Later, Samantha and Mattie go to Colton to pick up the Bookers. They find Donovan, Jeff, and Lisa Tate near the courthouse, waiting for the verdict. Jeff reveals that Strayhorn increased its settlement offer to $900,000, which Donovan again refused. Samantha is struck by Donovan’s recklessness in risking his client’s chance at a large settlement. They meet with Pamela Booker, who has found a place to rent, and Mattie agrees the clinic will cover the first three months.

That evening, Jeff calls Mattie with the news: The jury has returned a verdict for $3 million, the full amount Donovan requested. Samantha reflects that she is beginning to understand the addictive rush of litigation. Mattie throws an impromptu victory party at her house that evening. The guests include Lisa Tate, Annette and her children, Barb and her husband, Claudelle and her husband, Vic Canzarro and his girlfriend, and Jeff. At the party, Jeff refills Samantha’s champagne and sits down very close to her on a patio swing.

Samantha, Donovan, and Jeff fly to Virginia in Donovan’s Cessna through turbulent weather. They land, rent a car, and arrive at Marshall Kofer’s office in Alexandria. Marshall congratulates Donovan on the Tate verdict. Donovan outlines his legal theory for a federal lawsuit against Casper Slate and Lonerock Coal, seeking punitive damages for fraud and conspiracy.

Marshall calls it a trial lawyer’s dream but notes it will cost at least $2 million to litigate. He explains that he is a matchmaker for litigation funders and says he can easily arrange the money. He also stresses that Donovan will need to assemble a powerful legal team to fight Casper Slate. When Donovan asks her, Samantha gives her gut feeling that Buddy Ryzer is a “fighter” and up for the lawsuit.

Marshall asks Donovan about his investigation into the Hammer Valley cancer cluster and Krull Mining. Donovan confirms that he is signing up clients for a lawsuit but is cautious with details. Samantha internally reflects on the potential lawsuit, clash between Donovan and his stolen documents and a mining company owned by a Russian gangster, with poor plaintiffs caught in the middle.

The Tate verdict generates local excitement. Strayhorn Coal promises an appeal but makes an initial settlement offer of $1.5 million, which Lisa Tate wants to accept. Donovan, Samantha, and Jeff meet with the Ryzers, who are furious about Casper Slate’s deception and want to sue. Donovan contacts trial lawyer friends in West Virginia about joining the lawsuit, but they decline.

A week later, Donovan holds a press conference in Charleston, West Virginia, to announce the filing of the Hammer Valley lawsuit against Krull Mining. He claims to have documents proving Krull knowingly polluted groundwater and covered it up. Donovan also becomes obsessed with the Ryzer case, talks to Marshall Kofer daily, and secures a litigation fund’s offer. After verbally settling the Tate case for $1.7 million, Donovan offers Samantha a full-time, salaried position, which she again declines. Internally, she lists her reasons: She is wary of litigation, just passing through, committed to the clinic, and fears his reckless, rule-breaking style and the potential for a personal relationship.

On November 12, Donovan files the Ryzer fraud suit and answers questions from the media. On November 24, three days before Thanksgiving, Donovan is found dead.

On Monday morning at the clinic, Mattie screams after receiving a phone call. She announces that Donovan is dead; his plane, which he was flying, crashed. The staff reacts with shock and grief. Jeff called and told Mattie that Donovan’s plane was found in the woods near Pikeville, Kentucky.

That afternoon, Samantha meets a distraught Jeff at a remote scenic overlook. Jeff insists that Donovan was killed by powerful bad guys connected to the coal world. His leading suspect is Krull Mining because of the incriminating documents that Donovan possessed. He explains that he has already told the sheriff to treat the plane as a crime scene and has notified federal authorities.

Jeff describes the traumatic experience of identifying his brother’s body at the morgue. He vows to find who is responsible and get revenge. He confirms he has seen the Krull documents and knows they are hidden nearby. He describes a memo detailing how it was cheaper for Krull to pay off cancer victims than to fix a leak. Jeff warns that unknown enemies may be surveilling and listening. Samantha tells Jeff her father can help find experts to investigate the crash.

Later, mourners gather at Mattie and Chester’s house, bringing food and gossiping about the crash. Both Samantha and Jeff feel overwhelmed by the mourning ritual and leave the gathering separately. Samantha and Annette stay up late, talking about Donovan.

The next morning, Samantha reads a newspaper article about the crash, which makes no mention of foul play. Marshall calls Samantha and promises to have more information about the crash when she arrives in Washington for Thanksgiving. Both the legal clinic and Donovan’s law office are closed, with wreaths on their doors.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mattie gives an emotional eulogy at Donovan’s memorial service. Judy and their six-year-old daughter Haley sit in the front row by the closed casket. Samantha feels an overwhelming desire to flee Brady. After the service and a brief graveside ceremony, she drives five hours nonstop to her mother’s apartment in Washington, feeling relief to be back in the city. That evening, Samantha and Karen eat sushi, drink wine, and talk.

The next day, Samantha has lunch with Marshall. She learns that the litigation fund has already pulled out, and the Ryzer fraud case is stalled. Marshall tells her that he is trying to assemble a new legal team and find new funding for the case. He also reveals that his source at the NTSB confirmed Donovan made no distress call before his plane vanished from radar in clear weather.

Samantha suggests Donovan might have fallen asleep while using the autopilot, a habit he had mentioned to her. Marshall prefers the pilot error theory to foul play. He concedes Krull Mining is capable of murder but questions their motive, arguing that killing only Donovan would not stop the Hammer Valley lawsuit, since other law firms are involved. Samantha counters that Lonerock and Casper Slate had a strong motive since Donovan was the sole lawyer on their case, and his death effectively ends it. Marshall remains unconvinced that a publicly traded company like Lonerock would commit murder.