Played by Marisa Coughlan

Alan Shore hired Melissa Hughes to be his personal assistant in 2x07 [Truly, Madly, Deeply], replacing Catherine Piper, who had been fired by Shirley Schmidt in 2x05 [Men to Boys]. Initially wary of Alan's intentions, Melissa kept him at arm's length, even when she agreed to sleep in his bed to help him with his night terrors in 2x08 [Ass Fat Jungle]. Her opinion of Alan changed when he helped her escape her credit card debts in 2x10 [Legal Deficits].

In 2x12 [Helping Hands], Shirley transferred Melissa temporarily to a position in Human Resources, in an effort to deny Alan the resources to defend Jerry Espenson
after Jerry and Shirley's cake-knife encounter in 2x11 [The Cancer Man Can].

In 2x19 [Stick It], Melissa was back working for Alan and again turned to him for help, this time to defend her against charges of tax evasion. Though she was found guilty, she received a suspended sentence and got no jail time. After the trial, Melissa thanked Alan with the gift of an orchid, an offer of further celebrations over dinner and, over his uncharacteristic objection, a kiss.

Although their physical relationship did not progress any further, Melissa continued to feel possessive of Alan, as reflected in this conversation between the two in 2x23 [Race Ipsa], when Alan was working with Chelina Hall:
Melissa Hughes: I’m not terribly comfortable with you working closely with this woman.
Alan Shore: What?!
Melissa Hughes: I’m tapped into office gossip. I happen to know you kissed her during the Death Penalty thingy case. You’re kissing me now, remember?
Alan Shore: Melissa, you and I kissed once. I barely participated, we certainly didn’t agree to any kind of exclusivity. No hickies, or pins, or letterman jackets.
Melissa Hughes: You and I are in a relationship, Alan. The fact that you don’t realize it doesn’t give you the license to be unfaithful.
Alan Shore: You’re mad as a hatter.
Melissa Hughes: When two people sleep together?
Alan Shore: That was a night terror thing.
Melissa Hughes: I’m talking about the sex.
Alan Shore: What sex?
Melissa Hughes: The sex you and I both know is coming. Don’t fall for her, Alan. She’s just a guest star.

In 2x25 [Squid Pro Quo], Melissa's jealousy again flared up when Marlene Stanger joined the firm. Melissa knew Marlene from their time together at the firm Howard and Brock, and she worried aloud to Denise Bauer that Marlene would "get my Alan". Sadly for Melissa, Alan and Marlene did enter into a relationship, and by 3x01 [Can't We All Get A Lung?], Melissa was subjected to the humility of having to interrupt Alan and Marlene's office encounters to summon him. Even after Marlene moved to the New York office, Melissa was subjected to more of the same when Alan resumed his old relationship with Sally Heep in 3x05 [Whose God Is It Anyway?].

By 3x07 [Trick or Treat], Melissa had finally "had enough" of Alan's constant sexual antics and left him to become Jeffrey Coho's assistant, explaining that the she and Jeffrey had "clicked".

Marisa Coughlan
Minnesota native Marisa Coughlan first appeared on film in 1995 and has been pegged as a rising star since winning the Movieline Young Hollywood "One to Watch" award in 2001. Besides her appearances on Boston Legal, she appeared on a 2005 episode of Jake in Progress and featured in the 2006 indie film Farewell Bender. In 2006 as well, she had a lead role in the unaired sitcom pilot Separated At Worth. Coughlan also has a role in the series premier of Showtime's Masters of Horror, will start a Lifetime drama pilot Side Order of Life, and also features in the upcoming feature film Bill.

Coughlan's early film career is sprinkled with two-degree connections to Boston Legal. Her first film, Fist of the North Star (1995), featured the late Chris Penn, who was in The Music of Chance (1993) with James Spader and appeared on the David E. Kelley shows Chicago Hope (with Adam Arkin) and on The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (with Larry Miller). Another of Coughlan's early films, Teaching Miss Tingle (1999), featured two former James Spader co-stars - Molly Ringwald from Pretty in Pink (1986) and Helen Mirren from Critical Care (1997).

Marisa Coughlan at the Internet Movie Database.

Episode appearances:
2x07 [Truly Madly Deeply]
2x08 [Ass Fat Jungle]
2x10 [Legal Deficits]
2x11 [The Cancer Man Can]
2x12 [Helping Hands]
2x19 [Stick It]
2x23 [Race Ipsa]
2x24 [Deep End of the Poole]
2x25 [Squid Pro Quo]
3x01 [Can't We All Get A Lung?]
3x02 [New Kids On The Block]
3x07 [Trick Or Treat]