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Can I get you

some coffee, water?

- No, thank you.

- Uh, Silk. Won't you stay?

[Tommy clears his throat]

So, Mrs. Batista.

Uhm, it's miss.

I'm sorry. Ms. Batista.

Let me just say

how truly sorry I am

for everything

that's happened to you.

[Alejandra]

What are you talking about?

[Tommy] I was informed

that you're suing

the Catholic Church,

so I assumed...

[Alejandra]

I'm suing the Catholic Church,

because I want to become

a Catholic priest.

I see.

Before we go any further down

that road, Ms. Batista,

I apologize, I have to ask.

Are you serious about this?

You have an Irish name.

Are you Catholic, Mr. Reilly?

I didn't have any choice

in the matter.

[Alejandra]

Are you a practicing Catholic?

I was an altar boy.

[Tommy] Ms. Batista,

my religious practice

is the least of your concern.

You are suing

the Catholic Church

to become a priest.

No, Mr. Reilly, I wanna sue

the Catholic Church to allow me

to enter the seminary

so that I can become a priest.

- [Tommy] Ms. Batista...

- Call me Ally.

- You can't become a priest.

- Because I'm a woman?

Last time I checked,

there were laws in this country

that prohibit discrimination

based on gender.

Yes, but...

[Ally] Is the Catholic Church

an institution

and governed

by the laws of this country?

[Tommy]

Uh, you're over simplifying.

Then how can the church

discriminate against me

based solely on my gender?

Are you sure you wouldn't rather

become a lawyer

instead of a priest?

Don't patronize me, Mr. Reilly.

Ms. Batista,

I don't think God himself

could help you become a priest.

The only thing I don't have

in way of qualifications,

is a penis.

[Alejandra] Why is that

a fundamental requirement

for the priesthood?

I have no idea.

All priests

take a vow of celibacy.

So, what difference does it make

what sex organ a priest has?

[uncomfortable sigh]

Could you help me

out here, Silk?

We're supposed to avoid

a lawsuit.

Well, maybe we'll get lucky

and the church will want to

settle to avoid the notoriety.

[Alejandra] Unless they decide

to let me study

to become a priest,

I have no intention of settling.

We don't like to go to court,

unless we have

a fighting chance to win.

[Tommy] So, why don't we take

the weekend,

we'll think about it,

you can think about it,

and we'll talk again on Monday.

My mind won't change.

If you won't represent me,

then Mr. Dunbar

will find someone who will.

[Tommy] Okay, I understand.

We'll be in touch.

We'll do a little research

and I'll contact you

within a week.

Thank you for your time.

[elevator pings]

I wanna know everything

about Ms. Batista.

Put together a memorandum

about the viability

of getting past motion

to dismiss.

You think

there's something here?

I dunno.

Just doing my due diligence.

Come on.

[suspenseful music]

[Mario Batista]

Yes, Father John.

Yes.

[Mario] Yes, thank you, sir.

Good bye.

Alejandra, we have raised you

to be a good Catholic.

All of your life,

you have made us proud.

But this time, you have brought

shame on the family

- with this silly priest thing.

- But I...

How can we go

to Mass on Sunday now?

Every time Father John sees us,

he'll be thinking,

"Oh, Mr. Batista,

he cannot control his family."

- You make me look weak.

- [Alejandra] I...

[Mario] No.

You don't speak.

You must respect tradition.

- Say something.

- You just said...

Urgh, this is too much.

- Please!

- No.

Oh, Tommy.

Happy birthday.

That dress makes you look

even more beautiful than ever.

Oh, Irish blarney

just like your father. Oh!

So, how's what's her name?

Who's what's her name?

Urgh, you're a bad boy.

[Louisa] Maybe you'd be able

to remember their names

if they stuck around

for more than two weeks.

You're just like your father

with that wandering eye.

So, what are you working on now?

Actually, Dunbar dropped

a pro bono case in my lap.

It's about a young woman

who wants to sue

the Catholic Church

to become a priest.

You know, your, uh,

your aunt Dotty's hip

is bothering her.

And, and Rose is well, Rose.

It's okay.

You don't wanna talk about it.

I probably know

your feelings anyway.

She doesn't have that right.

[Tommy] Mom, I don't want

this case to go to trial

any more than you do.

But if I blow this,

I won't make partner.

Well, then you'll have to make

partner as some other firm.

Because if you take on

this case and win...

you'll change the religion

I've practiced all my life.

- That your father practiced.

- He didn't practice.

Poor man never recovered

from Vatican II.

He never recovered

from Irish whiskey.

[Tommy] You wanna have

a real conversation?

- Let's have one.

- [Louisa] Okay.

What about the millions

of Catholics who do practice?

Do you really think you have

the right to do this?

We are a nation of laws

and no one,

including the Catholic Church,

gets to be above the law.

Yeah. What about

the laws of God? Tommy?

Mmm? Where do the play in this?

Can we please not do this?

I'm sorry.

It's your birthday.

Tommy, if you force

the Catholic Church

to make a woman a priest,

I don't know

if I'll be able to forgive you.

["Call The Devil By His Name"

performed by Nick Tremulis]

[Tommy] I actually may need

to make it an early night.

[Nicki] Oh, why?

[Tommy] I had

a pretty crazy day at work.

This woman wants to sue

the Catholic Church.

[Tommy] She wants to be

a priest.

I'm sorry.

Maybe I'm just naive.

But isn't the law pretty, uhm...

Definitive?

...definitive on the separation

of church and state?

[Tommy]

I may not see it that way.

And then there's always

the Tommy way.

Doesn't matter who's life

you may ruin.

Oh, come on.

[phone ringing]

- Why don't you answer it?

- For what?

Well, you don't have

anything to hide.

Don't have anything

to prove either.

[Nicki] It's just always

gonna be like this,

- isn't it?

- Like what?

Like you can't commit

to anyone.

Oh, Wh-wh-what?

You are so full of it.

[Nicki] Is that all

you ever think about?

Hmm? Am I just

some sex toy to you?

[Jane] Tommy Reilly.

The new Gloria Oren.

Champion of women's rights.

No gloating.

It's unseemly.

- Is she looking for a pay day?

- I wish.

I think the only way

to win this, is not to play.

Silk, what did you find out?

Yeah, if we file it'll be

a case of first impression.

At no time has this course

of action been raised

in a state or federal court.

- Do we have jurisdiction?

- Short answer's yes.

We've seen it in sex abuse cases

but never in

ecclesiastical rules.

[Tommy] Okay, do we have a case?

[Jane] We have

the Civil Right Act of 1964,

which prohibits

the discrimination of women

for employment

without good cause.

Is a priest an employee?

No, at best

he's an independent contractor.

- Well, that's a problem.

- Yes and no.

We're not only suing

for her to become a priest,

we're suing for her to have

the right to enter the seminary

to study for the priesthood.

I think that's what

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