Mike McBride is a curmudgeon with a heart of gold. He takes cases based on their merit rather than on their monetary value, which often leads to terse notices from bill collectors. A disillusioned member of the LAPD, McBride left the force after twelve years and went back to school to become a lawyer. With the aid of his ever-present sidekick, Phil Newberry, and his former girlfriend, Detective Roberta Hansen, McBride and his team solve crimes the old-fashioned way.