The Guardian
Programme Synopsis
Growing up as the son of prominent Pittsburgh corporate lawyer Burton Fallin (Dabney Coleman) hasn’t shielded Nick Fallin (Simon Baker) from having to pay the price for his own brushes with the law.
Sentenced to community service as the result of a drug conviction, Nick joins forces with social worker Laurie Solt (Kathleen Chalfant, Kinsey) to represent abused, neglected, and at-risk kids in court.
Reluctantly, he’s now The Guardian, a part-time child advocate at Legal Aid Services, where one case after another is an eye-opening instance of kids caught up in difficult circumstances. Being forced to careen between representing fragile young charges.
Episode Guide
| Episode Number | Episode Name | Episode Number | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot | 12 | Causality |
| 2 | Lolita | 13 | Privilege |
| 3 | Reunion | 14 | Family |
| 4 | Men From The Boys | 15 | In Loco Parentis |
| 5 | Paternity | 16 | Solidarity |
| 6 | Indian Summer | 17 | The Divide |
| 7 | Feeding Frenzy | 18 | Mothers Of The Disappeared |
| 8 | Heart | 19 | Lawyers Guns & Money |
| 9 | Funnies | 20 | Shelter |
| 10 | Loyalties | 21 | The Chinese Wall |
| 11 | Home | 22 | The Beginning |
Pilot
Nick Fallin, a corporate lawyer, is sentenced to perform community service representing abused, neglected and at risk kids.
Lolita
Nick is assigned to represent a pregnant fifteen-year-old who has accused her stepfather of rape.
Reunion
The success of Nick's lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company depends on a young boy accusing his father of murder; James tries to keep an 11-year-old from following his mum and brother into prison.
Men From The Boys
Nick tries to get a gay teen adopted by a gay couple; Amanda takes the lead in defending a philandering executive against a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Paternity
Nick fights to have a disabled boy placed with his ex-con stepfather; the Fallins are drawn into a proxy fight that could tear apart a family they have long represented.
Indian Summer
A teenage runaway coerces Nick into helping keep her and a younger sister from being separated; Alvin faces the loss of funding for his legal services clinic.
Feeding Frenzy
A car accident leaves Jake facing a possible jail term; a mother seeks to keep her mentally disabled son from being exploited by a drug dealer.
Heart
Nick offers to adopt a twelve-year-old heart transplant candidate.
Funnies
Nick reluctantly takes on the D.A. who prosecuted him when Barbara's son is arrested for possession.
Loyalties
As Nick represents an Arab American who is being sued for defending his restaurant against a vandal's attack, Burton must face a flurry of possible defections from the firm, including his own son.
Home
As Nick tries to reunite a twelve-year-old boy with a schizophrenic dad who murdered his wife, Alvin represents his ex-wife in a lawsuit being argued by Burton.
Causality
Moving to a new law firm starts Nick him on a downhill slide; Alvin represents the daughter of a woman he regrets defending years ago.
Privilege
Nick suspects a longtime client of sexually abusing his daughter.
Family
As Nick takes responsibility for a troubled teenage cousin, Burton is forced to confront some unpleasant memories of his late wife.
In Loco Parentis
A drug addicted mother takes her baby hostage in an effort to keep the infant from being taken away.
Solidarity
As James represents a nephew being tried for the shooting death of his mom's abusive boyfriend, Nick's plans to make his feelings about Lulu clear are sidetracked by some unexpected arrivals.
The Divide
Nick and Lulu square off over the adoption that will split up two brothers; Jake struggles to find a way to keep his parents from losing their house.
Mothers Of The Disappeared
After a woman asks Nick to have her daughter declared dead, the long-missing girl suddenly returns.
Lawyers Guns & Money
A parole officer asks for help in his girlfriend’s purchase of a strip club in exchange for keeping Nick’s own violations from hurting Burton’s chances at Federal judgeship.
Shelter
A pair of homeless teenagers seeks help in getting married and keeping their baby; Nick runs the risk of botching an important deal that Burton hoped would prove he can be trusted with the firm.
The Chinese Wall
Burton’s decision to bring in a powerful former state senator and his aide into the firm stuns Nick.
The Beginning
Burton’s confirmation to the federal bench leaves Nick facing some tough decisions about his future.
