Mike McBride (John Larroquette) – McBride, although a lawyer for only eight years, is renowned in Los Angeles for his tough persona and commitment to his clients. Quirky and unconventional, his methods often draw negative attention from his peers, as well as a certain measure of dread from every ADA he must face in the courtroom. Larroquette himself decided that McBride should not have a first name and resisted using even an initial.[citation needed] The name plate on his desk, however, says "M. McBride" and in the first movie, McBride's jury summons is briefly seen, noting that his first name is Mike. Later promos for the show also refer to him as Mike. He is more commonly known as "Mac". McBride has inherited a rundown ranch and a white dog, Jesse, from a client serving a life sentence.
Phil Newberry (Matt Lutz) – Phil is former public defender who is fortunate enough to try a case in which McBride is a juror. Though Phil fails to convince the rest of the jury of his client's innocence, McBride's contrary vote is enough to hang the jury. Upon meeting face to face, Phil realizes he can learn much from this seasoned litigator and goes to work for McBride. Phil Newberry is often the "gadget guy", a post-modern counterpoint to McBride's old-fashioned sleuthing. In the first episode, he is revealed to have a trust fund and is willing to work without pay.
Roberta Hansen (Marta DuBois) – Roberta is a sharp-tongued homicide detective with the LAPD. She and McBride share a somewhat mysterious romantic past, but have put aside their entanglement to work together as friends. Though sometimes at odds, McBride and Roberta respect and trust one another, often coming together to solve crimes everyone else has abandoned. In later episodes, Roberta's office moves from a roomier one in the corner of the police headquarters to one closer to the middle of the station. Though it is never explained in the story, the switch was made for shooting reasons because the corner office was more difficult to light.[citation needed]