To prosecutor Tim Kerrigan, the case of John Dupres appears open and shut. Not only is Dupre (infamous for his drug dealing and call-girl business) accused of murdering a prostitute and the son of a powerful businessman, but he has killed his lawyer in full view of a courthouse guard. For Kerrigan, this case could be his stepping stone to a position in Congress, but only if he helps sentence Dupre to the death penalty. Even to Dupre's new defence attorney, Amanda Jaffe, the result of this case seems clearly drawn. But when certain clues start popping up, from knife wounds on Dupre's own hands to hints dropped by friends of the murdered call girl, Jaffe begins to suspect there may be other people involved. She has heard about the notorious Courthouse Athletic Club - a group of wealthy lawyers and judges with country club memberships - but has never before believed that the club may demand the act of murder as a membership ticket. As more evidence piles up and even her own safety is threatened, Jaffe begins to realise that Dupre may not be the criminal he seemed and that the real culprit could lie within the plush, protected walls of the State's most prominent country club.