Tue, Jul 24, 1984
A snowstorm strands Kingsfield on his way to the airport. When he knocks on the nearest door to use the phone, it is Hart's apartment. When they learn the airport is closed, Kingsfield stays for dinner and conversation. Across town, Mrs. Nottingham steps into Ernie's Tavern, seeking shelter while waiting for the bus. Ford and Bell invite her to their table, and the three of them spend the evening consuming brandy.
Tue, Jun 26, 1984
A distinguished and popular professor of trial law is afflicted with "senility." No one has noticed this except his students, perhaps because his symptoms are worse under the pressure of a lecture situation. Many of the students are frustrated and want to petition to have him replaced as they feel his performance compromises their education. Ford, having witnessed the problem in his own grandfather and enduring his devastation at being removed from the family's firm, has sympathy and wants to find a kinder way to resolve the problem. He goes to Kingsfield for help who denies it's an issue and chastises him, but Kingsfield plays chess with Professor Grey and in beating him easily discovers they're right. Eventually he offers him an Emeritus position and the Professor, with grace, dignity and final lesson thrown, in resigns from teaching.
Tue, Nov 21, 1978
The students pair off (via random draw) for 'Moot Court', a courtroom-like competition. Hart lucks out, as his partner is close friend and fellow study group member Logan. Bell is not so lucky, as his partner is Raymond Livingston. Livingston, fresh off an undergraduate career at West Point, believes in the 'strong body, strong mind' approach, so he and Bell are up at dawn for calisthenics and jogging every day before studying. Meanwhile, all the intense 1-on-1 studying time with Logan causes Hart to examine his personal feelings for her. Predictably, the final 2 teams in the competition are Hart/Logan and Bell/Livingston.
Tue, Mar 27, 1979
Kingsfield's character and background are further developed in this episode: his own days as a student at the law school, hanging out at Ernie's in the 1930's, and his friendship, then, with Ernie Sr. However, now Ernie's is threatened with closure. The entire block, owned by the university, is to be razed to enable construction of a new gym and a parking lot. Ernie can't afford to hire a lawyer to fight the university and Hart takes on the job -- only to learn that his adversary is Kingsfield, representing the university. Bravely, Hart confronts Kingsfield and appeals to him, only to be rebuffed by his professor. But Kingsfield's nostalgic memories are sparked by the encounter and he visits Ernie's, there encountering Ernie Sr., who's visiting his son. While they talk, Kingsfield discovers something that might save the bar from being torn down. Later, Kingsfield craftily drops suggestive hints to Hart without revealing that his aim is to guide Hart into making the same discovery. At the last moment Hart finds proof that the building was built in 1774 and is eligible to be named an historic monument, thus illegal to tear down. This saves Ernie's, the law students are happy, and Kingsfield is satisfied that his mentoring, though covert, worked..
Tue, Apr 24, 1979
Professor Kingsfield unleashes his first-year students in the campus-wide annual scavenger hunt. In an effort to find the answers to more questions than any other study group, everyone is wreaking havoc on all the campus libraries, including hiding and 'borrowing' books so that others cannot get answers. This annual ritual inflames Professor Smathers, who implores the dean to not only terminate the scavenger hunt, but to remove Kingsfield from various committees. As usual, Kingsfield ignores the dean's 'requests', but invites Smathers and the dean to the next class, where they can see the real benefit of the scavenger hunt.
Tue, Feb 20, 1979
Hart is chosen by Kingsfield to assist him and a third-year student to prepare for a case in New York City. The 3-L, nearing graduation, is busy seeking future employment, and dumps the majority of the work on Hart. Kingsfield detects this, and dismisses the 3-L from the case, leaving Hart as his only assistant. Hart accompanies Kingsfield to the Big Apple, where preparation can take a back seat to the nightlife.