In Melody Madson – May it Please the Court, a sixteen-year-old genius attorney must learn how to survive in the adult world of law and litigation.

SHORT SYNOPSIS

Melody Madson’s first few weeks at the law firm of Lazlo, Marshdon and Brown are spent in her office at her computer. Weeks pass before she finally gets her big break when senior partner, Dan Marshdon, Jr., assigns her to handle her first real case. Melody and her relationship with her best friend, Jewel Johnson, becomes strained as Melody’s friendship with another associate at the firm, Maggie, advances and she develops romantic feelings for Dan’s son, Eric, but doesn’t discuss them with Jewel. Her feelings for Eric deepen, her relationship with Jewel goes on hiatus, the key medical record in her case turns up missing, and Melody feels her life is crumbling around her. With nowhere else to turn, Melody and Jewel eventually reunite and Jewel offers to help Melody look for the missing record. Late the following evening, Jewel finds the missing record hidden in Maggie’s desk drawer. The next morning, Melody rushes to the courthouse and arrives just in time to stop Dan from dismissing the case. Maggie is fired on the spot and Melody, knowing she had not lost the medical record, regains enough confidence to deliver the opening statement at trial.

LONG SYNOPSIS

Melody is a genius sixteen-year old attorney at the law firm of Lazlo, Marshdon and Brown. When she is introduced to L, M and B’s other attorney’s and employees on her first day, she immediately realizes how difficult it will be getting the new adults in her life to take her seriously but resolves to give it her best and try to make friends at the firm.

Melody spends her first few weeks at work sitting idle in her office at her computer and begins to question her decision to become an attorney. Things start looking up when Melody is photocopying a binder of exhibits and helps senior partner, Dan Marshdon, Jr., locate a lawsuit opinion in the law books after another associate, Maggie, is too busy to help him. On her way to lunch, Maggie thanks her for helping and Melody thinks she may have found her first friend at the firm.

Another two weeks pass before Melody finally gets her big break when Dan assigns her to handle her first real case representing a client trying to stop demolition of the Midland Marquee Theater building included as part of the settlement of a slip and fall case at the building.

Melody’s excitement about her first real case is cut short when her best friend, Jewel Johnson, barely pays attention to her news and is more concerned with her date to her high school’s fall dance. Melody and Jewel’s friendship becomes more strained as Melody’s friendship with Maggie advances and she develops romantic feelings for Dan’s, son, Eric, who is assigned to help with her case as a high school assistant, and doesn’t discuss her feelings with Jewel. Her feelings for Eric deepen, her relationship with Jewel goes on hiatus, the key medical record in her case turns up missing, and Melody feels her life is crumbling around her. Things appear even more hopeless when the original of the key medical record is destroyed from the doctor’s office so cannot be duplicated.

When she can stand it no longer, Melody tells Eric about her true feelings for him. Though he promptly coincidentally leaves the firm, Melody is proud of herself for being honest with Eric, but more importantly, with herself. She realizes a relationship with Eric would not have worked anyway.

After a full day of failed research to try to find some other way to win the case besides with the missing and destroyed medical record, Melody turns to Jewel out of desperation. The girls reunite, Jewel offers to help Melody look for the missing record, and Melody recommits herself to her friendship with Jewel. She realizes she and Jewel’s changing lives doesn’t mean their friendship automatically needs to end.

Late the following evening, Melody finds Jewel missing after returning from getting a drink while Jewel takes one last look through the documents. She finds Jewel in Maggie’s office rifling through her desk; Jewel finds the missing record hidden in Maggie’s desk drawer. Melody cannot reach Dan on the telephone and the next morning rushes to the courthouse to try to find him to stop him from dismissing the case and allowing the demolition. She arrives just in time. Dan calls the office, Maggie is fired on the spot and Melody, now knowing she had not lost the medical record, gains enough confidence to deliver the opening statement at trial.

CHAPTER BY CHAPTER OUTLINE

Chapter One:
It is Melody’s first day as a sixteen-year old attorney at the law firm of Lazlo, Marshdon and Brown, or L, M and B. She is introduced to all one hundred thirty-five employees and their reactions make her feel like a joke.

Chapter Two:
After sitting in her office doing nothing all day, attorney Jared Robertson finally gives Melody an assignment but it is only to file a document at the courthouse. This is something technically any sixteen year old could do and leaves her feeling discouraged.

Chapter Three:
Melody is so tired from her day at work all she wants to do is go to bed but her family surprises her with a party to celebrate her first day. Melody avoids talking about her day.

Chapter Four:
As Melody tries to fall asleep and readies herself for her second day as an employed attorney, she thinks back to law school graduation and how her self confidence began to unravel that day. She decides maybe she needs more friends and vows to find one at the firm.

Chapter Five:
Melody is excited to spend the weekend with her best friend, Jewel Johnson, before Jewel begins her Junior Year in high school the following Monday. When Jewel causes her to cut her foot open, Melody becomes more aware of Jewel’s selfish personality. She cuts her visit short to prepare for her second week at work.

Chapter Six:
While making copies in the firm law library, Melody helps Dan Marshdon, Jr. locate a case after another associate, Maggie, is too busy to help. Maggie thanks Melody for rescuing her. Melody doesn’t realize until Maggie walks away that perhaps Maggie could be the friend in the firm she was looking for.

Chapter Seven:
Melody finally gets her big break. Dan Marshdon, Jr. assigns her to handle her first real case. She begins to read the case documents and learns L, M and B’s client is trying to stop demolition of the Midland Marquee Theater, included as part of a settlement of a slip and fall case at the building.

Chapter Eight:
Melody spends all Saturday with Jewel helping her to get ready for Jewel’s school formal fall dance. Melody continues to become more attuned to the one-sided nature of their friendship.

Chapter Nine:
Melody excitedly continues to learn the lawsuit she’s been assigned. Dan introduces Melody to his sixteen-year-old son, Eric, who will be working with Melody as an assistant on the case to prepare him for his future career as a lawyer. Her friendship with Maggie progresses when Maggie stops to talk with Melody and Eric and invites Melody to join her for coffee.

Chapter Ten:
Eric and Melody get closer when Melody shares a medical record she found indicating the slip and fall case upon which her case is based could be a fraud and Eric shares his frustration with being pressured into his father’s footsteps. Melody enjoys going out to lunch with Maggie and is happy for their blossoming friendship.

Chapter Eleven:
Melody notices her feelings for Eric are deepening well beyond friendship. She is confused by them but does not share her concern with Jewel. When Jewel and Melody go to the mall and Melody talks about Maggie, Jewel gets angry and stomps away, leaving Melody in the middle of the crowded mall.

Chapter Twelve:
Eric works a full day at L, M and B with Melody and they go out for pizza. The two become closer but Eric has not hinted he feels anything more for Melody than friendship. Eric also has a devoted girlfriend adding to Melody’s confusion about her feelings.

Chapter Thirteen:
Melody deposes the parties from the slip and fall case. One of the parties discloses numerous boxes in the basement of the Midland Marquee Theater which need reviewed in detail. Eric is more than happy to help Melody with the task, joking with Melody about needing to protect her in the building’s basement. But then Eric mentions his anniversary with his girlfriend and Melody’s feelings gnaw at her.

Chapter Fourteen:
Melody and Eric spend the day in the building’s cold, damp basement looking through the stacks of documents. As they are leaving, she thinks he is about to kiss her when he tells Melody she is such a good friend. Jewel and Melody get in a fight when Melody tells Jewel she cannot get together with her on Saturday because she has plans with Maggie. Melody’s feelings for Eric continue to tear her up inside and she decides she needs to tell him the truth even if it scares him away and scaring him away might be for the best.

Chapter Fifteen:
Melody schedules the deposition of Dr. Maerow, the doctor who wrote the medical record that will surely save the building from demolition. She is humiliated when she tells Eric the truth about her feelings, his response is ambiguous and he assures her they can remain friends.

Chapter Sixteen:
Melody enjoys attending a bar association carnival with Maggie.

Chapter Seventeen:
The day before Dr. Maerow’s deposition, his office calls to inform Melody the doctor left town. When Melody looks at L, M and B for his medical record, it is missing. She goes to Dr. Maerow’s office to get another copy but learns before he skipped town, Dr. Maerow burned the chart. She realizes the Midland Marquee Theater building and her career are doomed.

Chapter Eighteen:
Melody keeps the news about the missing record to herself. She becomes ill when Dan mentions the record in a trial preparation meeting.

Chapter Nineteen:
Melody finally tells Dan about the missing record late on Friday afternoon before the trial. Dan tells Melody she could be fired but gives her the weekend to come up with a way to save the case.

Chapter Twenty:
Melody works all day Saturday but her research ends nowhere. She confides in Jewel and Jewel agrees to help Melody look for the missing document the following day. When Melody finds Jewel missing after getting a drink while Jewel takes one last look at the documents, she finds Jewel in Maggie’s office rifling through her desk. Jewel finds the missing record hidden in Maggie’s desk drawer.

Chapter Twenty-One:
Melody cannot reach Dan on the telephone and rushes to the courthouse to try to find him and stop him from dismissing the case and allowing the demolition. She arrives just in time. Dan calls the office, Maggie is fired on the spot and Melody, now confident by learning she did not make the mistake she thought she had, delivers the opening statement at trial.