Sydney J. Solomon, a Chicago family court judge, who can intimidate the toughest prosecuting attorney and the most hardened repeat offender. Maybe she does push too hard when it comes to trying to straighten out people's lives, but the one group capable of "benching" her honor is her own children. Sydney's biggest challenges often arise when she must lay down the law - or exercise a little leniency -- at home with her kids: Mike, a reluctant college student intent on taking a non-academic route to "finding himself"; sardonic 16-year-old Neal; computer-obsessed, 13-year-old Marshall who communicates with his dad on the Internet; and hyperactive, 11-year-old Ellis.