"The law works for those who tell the truth. It is an instrument for justice and a means of evaluating — with great accuracy and beauty — the truth and meaning of human interactions." — Professor Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr.

Rural Minnesotan James T. Hart (James Stephens) is unprepared for the life of a first-year law student at an Ivy League school. On his first day, in his first class, he elicits the ire of the revered and feared contracts professor Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr. (played by the brilliant John Houseman reprising his Academy Award®–winning movie role). But Hart is committed. And smart. And so is The Paper Chase.

In order to keep up with the never-ending workload, Hart joins a study group for support. Each episode explores the trials and tribulations, the successes and failures, the competition and camaraderie of those students under pressure.

Premiering on CBS in 1978, the show's first season won great critical praise for its dramatic depth and superb acting. It reran on PBS for a couple of years until Showtime picked it up (with much of the original cast) and continued on through graduation.