In the late 1950s, a bright and determined young woman, one of the few in her class, enters Harvard Law School. She faces a plethora of challenges and discrimination due to her gender, from professors and peers alike, all while balancing marriage to her supportive husband, and motherhood. Her resilience is further tested when her husband, also a Harvard Law student, is diagnosed with cancer, forcing her to attend both her and her husband's classes to keep their academic hopes alive. Through her unyielding spirit and sharp intellect, she manages to excel against the odds.

Years later, as a law professor with a growing family, she comes across a case that speaks to her. The case centers on a man denied a tax benefit typically reserved for women assumed to be caregivers, reflecting a societal prejudice embedded in the American legal framework. Sensing an opportunity to challenge the legal system, she takes on the case with fervor, hoping to set a legal precedent that could crack the foundation of decades of gender discrimination. This case becomes a career-defining moment, propelling her into a legal battle that brings to light the necessity of equal treatment under law for both men and women.