L.A. Law: The Computer Game casts the player as one of three characters from the American television show that aired from 1986 - 1994: attorneys Jonathan Rollins, Abbey Perkins, or Victor Sifuentes.

The player's goal is to show that his chosen character is worthy of a full partnership in the law firm. The player will point and click through a number of different choices, from collecting information and evidence to decisions about his opening statement. As the player collects useful information and advice it is added to a case file that can be referred to throughout the game.The game is separated into different cases, starting from "The Wrathful Race" case, where the player must prove his client's innocence in a car accident. There is limited time to prepare each case before taking it into court and every choice takes time in the game, so the player must be well prepared.

When the player feels he is ready to go to trial, he can take the case to court. During the courtroom sequence there are many different choices to be made such as which witnesses to question, when to make objections, requests for recess, etc., and the final judgement can change depending on how good the player's arguments or choices in pre-trial preparation were. Winning every case gains the player senior partnership in the L. A. Law firm.