A senior partner at her law firm Stern, Lockhart & Gardner, Diane is a liberal champion of women's causes.

Although she is initially skeptical of Alicia Florrick's abilities as a lawyer when she joins the firm, Diane serves as a mentor to her.

In the first episode of The Good Fight, Diane loses all of her money in a Ponzi scheme and is forced out of her longtime firm.

The series revolves around Diane's young goddaughter and legal colleague, who is the daughter of her wealthy college roommate, and who has a troubled family life.

[4] Diane runs into trouble of her own in the spinoff series, as she is portrayed talking with her husband about divorce, and has lost much of her fortune in a Ponzi scheme connected with her goddaughter's family.