Woody Lambert is having difficulties. He has a dysfunctional family, struggles academically, and his older brother, Tony, is currently on probation for a drug offence. One thing leads to another, and Garth robs a convenience store with a fake gun after Woody unintentionally follows Tony and one of his buddies, Garth, as they drive about Strattenburg in a battered Mustang and drink beer. Enter Theodore Boone; after all, Theo has already resolved to become the state's top litigator. Theo is still a long way from being an accomplished attorney at the age of thirteen, and Woody urgently needs assistance.