Sooner or later a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real.Guilty? Innocent? Those questions aren`t for high-powered Chicago attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) to decide. His job is to defend--especially if a case will put his name in the headlines and further his career.When Vail hears that a penniless altar boy (Edward Norton) is accused of murdering the local archbishop he snaps up the case eager for the media spotlight. Little does he know that it will uncover a viper`s nest of corruption pit him against a prosecutor who`s his ex-lover and test all his skills judgment and even his win-at-any-cost attitude.