Based on a true story, follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for a notorious murder despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. The film follows the case and subsequent labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and racism at its heart.