The protagonist of the series "Benched" is a young female lawyer named Nina Whitely, who works at a successful law firm. She considers her life to be successful and fulfilled, until everything falls apart overnight. Her ex-lover announces his engagement, and the long-awaited promotion goes to a colleague whom Nina considered a friend. Unable to handle the situation, she quits with a scandal, leaving her past life behind. She intends to become a public defender in order to help people who truly need it.