Ally McBeal is a young lawyer working in a prestigious Boston law firm which is headed by her law school nemesis, Richard Fish. Her former boyfriend, Billy Alan Thomas, is a colleague and they still share an attraction, even though Billy is now married to the beautiful and engaging Georgia, who also works at the firm. Elaine is Ally's assistant and the creator of wacky inventions; John "The Biscuit" Cage is the quirky but brilliant legal strategist; and Renee is Ally's confidante and roommate. A stunning and sharpe new lawyer, Nelle Porter, has been hired to bring in lucrative new clients. Various elements of Ally's life are explored in fantasy sequences, flashbacks and voiceovers.