Preview

Review on a Civil Action

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
403 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Review on a Civil Action
Hunter Adams
April 9, 2014
LEGL 3000
Movie Review – A Civil Action This movie is extremely informational, while also humorous and enjoyable. During many instances, I found myself laughing and getting emotionally attached to the plaintiffs. Throughout the course of this film, I whole-heartedly supported Mr. Schlictmann and his team’s actions. I found it intriguing at how much time, effort, and money they put into this case. Even with extreme opposition and many counter-arguments, they continued to push on and fight for what they believed to be right. No empirical evidence was available, but Mr. Schlictmann pursued this case with such tenacity and use of logic. I loved the transformation of character that overcame Mr. Schlictmann. At first, he was only interested in profitable cases. Even though 12 people passed away due to negligence, he opposed involvement in this case merely because it would be difficult to prove pollution levels. As the film goes on; however, we are notified that his firm willingly invests more than $1.4 million in this case. The firm eventually meets with representatives of Beatrice, and it seems as if this prosperous company would settle for $25-50 million. Mr. Shlictmann is not satisfied, as he blatantly asks for $350 million. Beatrice fails to even contemplate this desire, leading to a costly court case. With victory still questionable, Mr. Schlictmann and his team of lawyers continues to act on behalf of the families who lost their loved ones, even after spending this sizable amount of money. Recently, we have learned that where there is high risk, there is also the potential for high reward. This law firm nearly reached bankruptcy, but chose to designate all of their assets into supporting this single case. After they fail to win over Beatrice, the firm’s only hope is to meet with the executive vice president of Grace. When he offers them a $8 million settlement, Mr. Schlictmann and his colleagues are forced to accept, which

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Hibb’s Web

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Uvex Corporation was a small family-owned medical center on the southwest coast and as the business becomes flourished, the company restructured the organization for better service for its patients. Since after reorganization, Alex Fuhrman was worked as head the administration of the cancer research and treatment division. Christopher Hibbs, previously worked as a bookkeeper for the city of Sacramento, and currently hired to be an accounting manager for the West Coast division. Frederick Fontaine, the Manager of West Coast, has found a memo on Hibbs’ desk about doubt Alex was the person who cause fund missing since Alex was the director of accounting and finance. The unavailable communication between Alex Fuhrman and Christopher Hibbs caused Alex commence a libel suit against Hibbs and the Corporation. Frederick needed to find a solution before nine o’clock the next morning.…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Consequently, this means that the plaintiffs lost a 20 million dollar settlement deal for nothing. Ultimately, the plaintiff’s become desperate, they have no money and no way to pay of all of their debts. They end up settling on an 8 million dollar deal with Grace. “A settlement agreement has been reached between both parties. The exact conditions shall remain private between the parties involved” [1]. Accordingly, the plaintiff’s family would get 375 thousand each but with no apology and additionally, no clean up. Schlichtmann and his firm falls apart as they are all left with nothing but bankruptcy. Because of the plaintiff’s excessive settlement demands and gambling, they lose everything thanks to this case. Furthermore, Schlichtmann gives his files to the EPA, who end up ordering a 69.4 million dollar cleanup of the contaminated area. In which, Beatrice and Grace had to pay for. Ultimately, both the plaintiffs and defendants ended up paying more in the long run. Based on their principles in the beginning movie and if Jan did not have a change in heart it may have ended in the plaintiff's…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr is about a nonfiction civil law case that takes place in Woburn, Massachusetts. It is centered around numerous kids who were diagnosed with leukemia and no one knew why. When Anne Anderson’s child, Jimmy was diagnosed, in the summer of 1772, she wanted to figure out the cause. She finds a childhood leukemia cluster in Woburn, “Of the twelve cases, eight were located in east Woburn, and six of those were clustered in the Pine Street neighborhood, where perhaps two hundred families lived” (Harr 40). She thought the cause was their water source. Their water came from Wells G and H, two sources that have been shut down and examined by the health department due to the water’s foul taste, odor and different color.…

    • 698 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Court Case Summary

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In December, Republican North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed into law a bill that limits Gov. –elect Roy Cooper’s power in making appointments by combining the elections board with the State Ethics Commission. The State Ethics Commission oversees ethics laws governing lobbyists, elected officials, and government employees. Under this law, governor successors are only able to appoint 50% of the new board’s members under the requirement that two must be Republicans. Legislative leaders would appoint the other 50% of the new board. Previously, the Governor appointed 60% of the Board of Elections members.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    This case is important because it reminds us that we have the right to express yourself politically and that it is protected by the…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Established in its current incarnation in 1993 under the leadership of former New York City Mayor David N. Dinkins, the Civilian Complaint Review Board asserts to be the largest civilian oversight agency of its kind within the United States, and investigates thousands of civilian complaints each year. Even though it has only existed in its current form for a little over a decade, the conception of a board delegated power to investigate complaints about potential police misconduct predates the administration of Robert Wagner, who was responsible for investing the nascent Civilian Complaint Review Board-which was then comprised solely of three deputy police commissioners-with new powers in 1955. However, it remained a province of the NYPD, with…

    • 1203 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For each legal issue the film provided a case or story in order for the viewer to better understand the situations at hand. The first case provided was the case of Stella Liebeck v. McDonald’s, the case of the hot coffee. Mrs. Liebeck’s family thoroughly and genuinely explain the case, differing in facts and tone from the media and tort reform…

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    CRIME AFTHER CRIME

    • 926 Words
    • 4 Pages

    While watching this film, It gave me a new perspective on life and our justice system.…

    • 926 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Civil Action Analysis

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The story is told objectively rather than subjectively in which even the most minute technical and legal details are highlighted to paint readers a picture a chronicle of this case's long litigation. Every detail adds to the suspense that keeps the reader turning the book's pages to quench their thirst for more understanding.…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Civil Litigation

    • 2306 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Comes Plaintiff, Constance Wolf F/K/A Constance Wolfgram, by counsel, and for her complaint states as follows:…

    • 2306 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Court Review

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages

    As we all know that the world of the criminal is always changing and the Law enforcement community needs to change with it. The biggest one would be the courts. There are many things that face the courts today.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Civil Action Paper

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The American Legal system was established to create an ordered and free society by our founding fathers. Its goal was to ensure fairness among the people, and server justice to those who violate the civil liberties established. Many of people take it for granted, or even don’t bother trying to understand it, because of it complexities. Despite how elaborate the American Legal system can be there are some who strive to comprehend. By doing so they hope to help advise or represent those who do not understand the judicial process. Assuming those ideas are correct, then using the truth and having a legal professional would guarantee success for a case in court, and the guilty party would have justice served. Of courses that is not what happens to most cases. Proving what truth is can be tougher legally then just stating ‘the evidence is true.’ Nobody knows that better than Jan Schlichtmann in the novel A Civil Action. In the story Jan Schlichtmann, a young lawyer from Boston, and a few of his colleges are swayed into taking on Woburn’s orphan case of the Sick Children. Their case was that to show that J.J. Riley Tannery owned by Beatrice Foods and W.R. Grace Chemical Company were responsible for the contamination of two wells in East Woburn, Wells G and H, with dangerous amounts of suspected carcinogen. Yet, legal truth was problematic for Schlichtmann to prove with the lack of an impartial legal system. In this instance the Woburn case had be victim of out-maneuvering, systematically sabotage and a rapport bias in favor defendants which prevented the favorable outcome for the plaintiff of the Trial.…

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Facts: The evening of May 4, 1982, Charma and Hugh Riddle were in their living room watching television. Mrs. Riddle proceeded to leave the room to go to the bathroom, but was surprised to find “respondent Cartwright” in the hallway with a shotgun in his hands (1). Charma Riddle fought with Cartwright for the gun, but Cartwright was able to shoot Mrs. Riddle twice in the legs. Apparently Mrs. Riddle was familiar with Cartwright as he was a “disgruntled ex-employee” of the couple (1). Cartwright then went on to the living room where Hugh Riddle was and shot and killed him. While Cartwright was tending to Mr. Riddle, Mrs.…

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    U.s. vs prince

    • 2122 Words
    • 9 Pages

    While the public's perception of lawyers seems to reach new lows every day, parents -- we are told -- still encourage their children to enter this profession. 1 But the parent who happens to read this opinion may not be so quick to urge a loved child to become a lawyer after learning how the defendant in this case expressed his extreme personal dislike of his lawyer. Likewise, the would-be lawyer raised on the hit television series, L.A. Law, to [**2] believe a law degree is that golden ticket to a glamorous career of big money, fast cars and…

    • 2122 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    The “Miracle in Cell No. 7” is a story about a mentally challenged (with an intelligence of a child) father and his daughter. Her father gets wrongly accused because of the corrupt court and ends up getting in jail in cell no. 7 where he becomes friends with his cellmates. At first they didn’t like him but as soon they got to spend time with him they realize that he is actually innocent. What’s sad about this movie is that he was up against the commissioner because it was his daughter that died. But with his daughter’s determination she goes into the prison just to be with her father even though it is wrong. The movie is very heartwarming and teaches us about family values, especially the relationship of a father and a daughter. It also shows us that in reality our justice systems can be corrupt and biased, especially when you are up against someone who very powerful and rich you can’t do anything. I think it is because money talks right now. We can’t change people anymore.…

    • 875 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Better Essays