Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) is a boozy washed-up attorney with a losing streak a mile long. So when he's handed a lucrative out-of-court settlement, everyone expects him to take the money and run. But Frank is tired of running. In a desperate bid to reclaim his self-respect, he recklessly brings the case to court only to discover that if finding the whole truth is a little like trial and error, then finding real justice is a lot like trial by fire.