Erin Brockovich

Spotlight on the Profession: Erin Brockovich

At this point, you have a greater understanding about what Tort Law is and what you can do with it. Tort Law is a very broad area of law. It generally means that someone is suing to collect for damages that someone else has inflicted on them: a pretty common occurrence in the law.

One famous example of a tort would be the case that was made into the movie, Erin Brockovich. Go visit the following websites. The first will bring you to the official website for Erin Brockovich, where you will be able to review her bio and explore issues she is currently investigating. The second is a website that will remind you (if you saw the movie) or explain to you the case that made this paralegal famous.

Erin Brockovich – Official Website http://www.brockovich.com/index.html
Awesome Stories – Erin Brockovich, by Carole Bos http://www.awesomestories.com/flicks/erin-brockovich

Now that you have reviewed both the bio and the other websites, respond to the following Discussion Questions about Ms. Brockovich.

1. Because Ms. Brockovich did not have a paralegal education, what skills did she have to develop and hone on her own? Which jobs or what aspects of her education do you think assisted her in developing these skills?
2. The case didn’t start out as a tort case. What did the medical records have to do with the real estate transaction? How did it evolve into a tort case?

Respond to these questions on the Discussion Board.

Course Reflection

Describe one thing you would like to take away from this course. Think about how it may have influenced you in deciding upon a future career.

Next, think about how you learned it. Did you learn it through your discussion with classmates, your research, or an instructor dialogue? Be specific as to what it was that you wanted to learn and how you did so.

Share your thoughts with your classmates here.