Alicia Florrick

Grew Up… with her mother, Veronica Loy. She and her brother Owen Cavanaugh seem to know as little as we do about their father. Alicia graduated from Georgetown Law at the top of her class sometime in the mid-90’s and soon started work as an attorney. After marrying and having children with Peter Florrick, fellow attorney and aspiring politician, she gave up her career to dedicate herself to being a wife and mother.

Living… in Chicago with her two children, Zach and Grace. Her husband, Peter, Cook County State’s Attorney, has recently gone behind bars on a corruption charge, leaving a more-than-noticeable emptiness in the house. From jail Peter tells Alicia that when he returns everything “will all go back to normal.” Alicia lets him know flatly: “Nothing will ever go back to normal.”

Profession… first-year associate at the law firm Stern, Lockhart & Gardner. She works alongside Will Gardner, senior partner and old flame from law school, who pushed for Alicia to get the job. After being out of practice for years due to her time spent as a stay-at-home mom, Alicia quickly proves herself an asset to the firm and demonstrates a keen legal mind. She may have to compete with a fellow first-year, Cary Agos, for advancement within the firm. When a client asks if it ever gets any easier she answers, “No, but you do get better at it.”

Interests… not much. Work and family appear to be all Alicia has time for. But occasionally she likes to unwind over a drink with co-workers Diane Lockhart, senior partner, and Kalinda Sharma, the firm’s private investigator. Diane and Kalinda remain resolutely work friends for Alicia rather than “friend” friends, but in such a demanding industry those lines can be blurry.

Relationship Status… falling apart. Her marriage has recently been made extremely complicated by her husband’s very public sex scandal. Not surprisingly, the emergence of a sex tape embarrasses Alicia greatly, and Peter’s subsequent imprisonment on corruption charges further harms his chances at winning Husband of the Year. Spending time with Will in the office may prove that they still have some embers lit between them.

Challenge… balancing her career with her family and personal life. All of Alicia’s relationships seem to be individual battlegrounds for this central conflict. Whether it’s with Peter, her politician husband, or Will, the former romantic interest who helped her get her job, Alicia’s challenge is to distinguish between the demands of the workplace, her family, and her heart. Similarly, is Alicia a more skilful lawyer when her emotions and moral compass are involved, or do her feelings merely interfere?

Personality… capable and businesslike, yet compassionate and understanding. Her blend of professionalism and warmth is unlike most other lawyers she works with. Her empathetic nature wins the trust of clients, making Alicia a real asset to Stern, Lockhart, & Gardner.