A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr - 528 Words

A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr A Civil Action is based upon a true story that Jonathan Harr, a former staff writer of New England Monthly describes a case that in the legal system that is fascinating and compelling. The story of a impracticable quest by an idealistic young personal-Injury lawyer, whose aim was to prove that two conglomerates, Beatrice Foods and W.R Grace, allegedly polluted the water in Woburn ,Mass. a Boston suburb, with carcinogens. Jan had hoped that a victory would send a message to the boardrooms to America and felt that the culture of Leukemia in Woburn guaranteed his success. He never realized that he would be comforted with problems in the justice system. First with the federal courts, which were not†¦show more content†¦On his fourth try the defense attorney failed to deliver all relevant documents to Schlichtmanns team. Jan Schlitmann was a lawyer in the upper bracket as far as money was concern. He lived in a luxury condo, worn only hand-tailored Dimitri suits and silk Hermes ties, Bally shoes and drove a Porsche. Schlitmann not only was a well to do lawyer, he also was a lawyer that believed in justice, whether he got paid or not, in regards to this case. He spent nine years of his life, lost all of his assets, gave up his personal possessions and personal life to see this case to the end, and justice would be served. The case against Beatrice was thrown out, and the plaintiffs accepted a sum of eight million from Grace. Personally bankrupted, Schlitmann considers himself a failure. Also the demands of the case coupled with self-delusion and sometimes poor professional judgement bankrupted the plaintiffs lead attorney emotionally and financially. The case took two years, Anne and Zonas hired an attorney to check the legal express 80 thousand more than necessary. Grace spent 7 million in legal defense plus millions that Beatrice spent. Jan got 2.2 million not his entitled 40 percent, and in the end Schlitmann had only 30 thousand dollars left. He was dept free, but there was no money left over for him to reclaim his Porsche. His ideas of the civil justice system was dead, and he resolved not to practice law again. It was his good friend HarrShow MoreRelatedA Civil Action By Jonathan Harr And On A True Story1791 Words   |  8 PagesThe odds of a plaintiff winning in civil court are two to one against. Most people do not even try, they settle. Out of the approximate 780,000 cases filed each year, only 12,000 or 1.5%, ever reach a verdict. These facts are some that are told in the movie A Civil Action. A Civil Action is based on the book by Jonathan Harr and on a true story. This movie, which was filmed in 1998, is about a water contamination case that happened in Massachusetts. The case is known as Anderson v. Cryovac. JohnRead MoreAnalysis of Jonathan Harr ´s A Civil Action Essay1157 Words   |  5 PagesJonath an Harr wrote a compelling novel, called A Civil Action, on the actual events of a thrilling court case involving two major corporations and the families who were affected greatly. In Woburn, Massachusetts there were twenty-eight children who contracted acute lymphocytic leukemia between the years of 1964 and 1986. The explanation for the contraction of the disease and even the death of some of the children was discovered in the water; two municipal wells near the town were found to be contaminatedRead MoreEssay on Civil Action1768 Words   |  8 PagesCivil Action   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The legal system is an essential element in the successful operation of this country. It is a system that is utilized every day, by every type of person, from the average blue-collar worker to the average Wall Street broker. There is a multitude of ways that the legal system is put to use. One such way is the class action lawsuit. A Civil Action, by Jonathan Harr, uses the account of a single case, Anne Anderson, et al., v. W.R. Grace Co., et al, to illustrate the power andRead MoreSocial Responsibility of Business Organizations Essays595 Words   |  3 Pagesthe duty to do good to the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the movie â€Å"A Civil Action†, Jonathan Harr and Steven Zaillian, starring John Travolta, you see how hard it is to distinguish who wins when it comes down to social responsibility. Many people, mainly children, suffered and died in the city of Woburn, Massachusetts due to the city drinking water, from the river, being polluted. They named two companies that are to be held responsible for these actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The companies who are responsible for the waterRead MoreEssay about A Civil Action795 Words   |  4 Pagescommunity time after time. To compound such tragedies, imagine being poisoned yourself and having to fight some of the largest local corporations to prove the truth and get it stopped. This is the community setting for Jonathan Harrs true-to-life legal thriller A Civil Action. The book was an award winner for Best Seller in 1995 and was named the 1995 National Book Critics Circle Award. The setting of the book is in the New England state of Woburn, Massachusetts. This is a sleepy littleRead MoreThe Criminal Court System1384 Words   |  6 Pagesperpetrator of the law and the client desire the unlawful action. It is mainly made up of victimless crimes, for instance the use of hard drugs, prostitution, and forbidden sexual acts between consenting adults. The adversarial model on the other hand argues that every case is made of two parts: the criminal part and the civil part. In the criminal side, the prosecution claims that the defendant is guilty whereas the defendant contends innocence. In the civil side, the plaintiff makes an assertion that theRead MoreSolution Manual, Test Bank and Instructor Manuals34836 Words   |  140 PagesReeve,Carl S. Warren,Jonathan Duchac(SM) Accounting Using Excel ® for Success, 2nd Edition_James Reeve,Carl S. Warren,Jonathan Duchac (SM+IM) Accounting What the Numbers Mean, 8e_David H. Marshall,Wayne W. McManus,Daniel F. Viele (SM+TB) Accounting, 22nd Edition_Carl S. Warren,James M. Reeve,Jonathan Duchac (SM) Accounting, 23rd Edition_Carl S. Warren,James M. Reeve,Jonathan Duchac (SM+TB+Other resources) Accounting, 24th Edition_Carl S. Warren, James M. Reeve, Jonathan Duchac (SM+TB) Accounting