I’m Not Erin Brockovich

There are plenty of famous movies about attorneys, but really only one about a paralegal. 

I recently re-watched the movie Erin Brockovich.  The first time I saw it in 2000 I was entertained by it; this time I was inspired by it.

 I also noticed some traits I share in common with Ms. Brockovich, as well as a few I don’t:

A strong sense of justice

One of my favorite quotes from the movie is Erin saying, “I don’t know s*** about s***, but I know the difference between right and wrong.” Paralegals believe in justice. We know that despite media frenzies, the system works most of the time.  I’m not just talking about litigation, every area of law was created to bring balance, fairness and justice to the way we conduct ourselves.  If we did not believe in the concept of justice, we would be working in another profession.

Passion

Erin Brockovich became passionate about the plaintiffs she was working for because she identified with them.  She put herself in their shoes.  Have you ever been truly passionate about a case?  I have wept while summarizing depositions in a wrongful death case.  I have closed my eyes and held my breath waiting for verdicts to be read as if my entire livelihood were on the line.  Those are my favorite cases. The ones I would have hypothetically worked on for free.  Not every case can evoke that kind of emotion, but the ones that do keep you coming back for more.  

Initiative

The best legal professionals I know don’t sit around waiting to be told what to do.  They figure out what to do and they do it.  I am a huge proponent of systemizing your legal practice, but each legal matter has its own quirks.  The legal world offers endless opportunities to learn, grow and refine your expertise; you just have to seize those opportunities.  Erin’s initiative got her fired at first, but became her most valuable asset in the end.

I may have these things in common with Ms. Brockovich, but here are two main reasons I am not Erin Brockovich:

1.  I have never used a push-up bra and a plunging neckline to access public records.  (I am not even sure that would work for me.)

2.  I have never received a 2 million dollar bonus!