From the judge to the defendants to the lead attorneys on both sides, the Dewey & LeBoeuf criminal trial has been dominated by an all-male cast of seasoned older lawyers.

But the trial has also plunged four young lawyers on the defense team, all women, into the thick of a once-in-a-lifetime case. Not only are they working seven days a week on a blockbuster jury trial, but the experience has helped open their eyes to the realities—and sometimes the ugly side—of the business of law.