Elle Woods (REESE WITHERSPOON) has led the good life. Not only is she a natural blonde coming from a wealthy family, but she's also an honor student and the president of her sorority, Delta Nu, was homecoming queen at CULA, and has two great friends in sorority sisters Margot (JESSICA CAUFFIEL) and Serena (ALANNA UBACH).
Then there's her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III (MATTHEW DAVIS), over whom all of the other girls swoon and wish could be theirs. Elle and her friends believe he's about to propose to her over a fancy dinner, but to her shock he decides to dump her for being too blonde and not serious or smart enough for his political future that's to begin by him attending Harvard Law School.
Desperate to win him back, Elle decides to enroll there as well - despite her degree being in Fashion Merchandising - and manages to study hard enough and use her perkiness and sexuality to be granted admission. Arriving in Massachusetts from California, Elle sticks out like a sore thumb - not only because of her hair but also her bubbly personality and flamboyant attire as well - and tries to act surprised when she bumps into Warner.
She soon finds that her plan will not be as easy as first thought. Her first instructor, Professor Stromwell (HOLLAND TAYLOR), puts her in her place for not being prepared for class and it turns out that Warner is now seeing Vivian Kensington (SELMA BLAIR), another law student he previously dated in prep school who now seems determined to be a constant thorn in Elle's side.
All is not lost, however, as she finds a kindred spirit in local manicurist Paulette (JENNIFER COOLIDGE), and gets helpful advice from Emmett (LUKE WILSON), who's a legal assistant to Professor Callahan (VICTOR GARBER), an instructor who's also a practicing attorney looking for promising students to fill his internship program.
When Warner insults Elle's potential one more time, she decides to prove him wrong and sets out to nab one of those spots. As she and other law school students such as Enid (MERDITH SCOTT LYNN) and
David (OZ PERKINS) vie for the internships, Elle eventually finds herself assisting Callahan on a murder case where their client, Brooke Taylor Windham (ALI LARTER), a former Delta Nu, has been charged with shooting her wealthy and much older husband.
As the case begins and involves witnesses such as the deceased's adult daughter, Chutney (LINDA CARDELLINI), her mother, Mrs. Windham Vandermark (RAQUEL WELCH), the deceased's ex-wife, and Enrique (GREG SERANO), the pool boy, Elle sets out to help her sorority sister and prove that blondes can have fun and make something of themselves all at the same time.