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Summary: Linkage?
Review: Tom Kiley is the lawyer Jan Schlictmann eventually worked for and now represents former Senate President William Bulger.. Is there linkage between these events and the Bulger case? Many of the major players hail from the general area around Woburn and Boston....
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Summary: true story of a tort lawyer as an unlikely hero
Review: I read this because it was recommended by my civil procedure professor as an accurate and compelling demonstration of the role of procedure in civil litigation. While that may not sound like a blast, this account is more compelling than most fictional court dramas. It's easy to forget while reading "A Civil Action" that it's a true story seen from the perspective of a professional writer hanging around and observing the lawyers involved. What he observes is a cocky underdog lawyer, Jan Schlictmann, who starts his own firm and goes up against two of the most prestigious firms in Boston on behalf of a group of Woburn leukemia victims. Their claim is that the leukemia was caused by pollution in Woburn's water supply by two plants that happen to have been acquired by two very large, deep-pocketed corporations. The only trouble is, there's little if any proof that the pollution could have caused the leukemia.The coverage is very balanced - if anything, it could stand trimming to excise some coverage that becomes ponderous. The author gives the sense of sympathizing with Schlictmann and his unfortunate clients, but does not demonize the opposing counsel, or condemn as unfeeling the court's inability to perceive enough evidence to find the defendant corporations liable. If anyone comes off as a scumbag, it is only one obscure side character, the slacker lawyer who originally sloughed off the Woburn clients to Schlictmann and eventually sues the almost bankrupt Schlictmann for a six-digit referral fee. Along the way, the author gives a very detailed account of a human tragedy and the processes that might be able to stem others like it in the future, if not make a sorry attempt to compensate past wrongs. Even more, it is the story of Jan Schlictmann as hero, who goes from flashy underdog to sacrificing all his financial and emotional resources to advocate on behalf of marginalized victims. In his effort to pursue noble ends regardless of the lack of evidence, he comes off a little like Don Quixote. We are reassured at the end, when some form of justice comes from the E.P.A. using the documentation generated by Schlictmann for the trial. Although a massive effort is undertaken to clean up the pollution, there is little comfort for Schlictmann, who has nothing to show for a huge chunk of his life dedicated to the case except personal bankruptcy and emotional scars. What he has gained out of it though, is some kind of redemption: the case he first accepted with visions of dollar signs ends up catalyzing the environmental cleanup, and producing a transformed Schlictmann who has sacrificed everything out of compassion for the afflicted. This overall thesis, made powerful by slowly gaining strength through ongoing details rather than any explicit indication, makes "A Civil Action" a powerful and compelling story.
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Summary: A Civil Action
Review: This novel tells of a true story in which two of the nation's largest corporations are accused of contaminating water and causing the deaths of children in the small town of Woburn, Massachusetts and the surrounding areas. The book recalls events back to 1966 and covers the trial which ended in 1987. A determined,young lawyer by the name of Jan Schlichtmann takes on this case. Despite the fact that he almost loses his sanity Jan is persistent in his efforts to achieve justice for the families who have lost their children.
This legal-thriller is amazing and gives the reader a new outlook on our legal system today. Harr provides many details and background information that keeps the book interesting. He leads up to the final verdict very well and makes for an exciting finish.
In my opinion this is one of the most well-written and exciting stories I have ever read. Although I tend to dislike nonfiction I found myself becoming more and more interested in the book. Harr describes each event to the fullest extent, making the reader feel as though they are actually present. I absolutely loved this novel and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.
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Summary: An incredibly compelling AND TRUE legal thriller
Review: Jonathan Harr's "A Civil Action" had every member of my family riveted on a cruise several years ago--the three lawyers were completely absorbed by the book, as were all the non-lawyers in the group. Harr's great achievement here is making an legal case into a readable, understandable-by-laypeople thriller that transcends the Grisham-like limitations of the word. It has elements of Greek tragedy--the loss of innocence (and innocents), the flawed hero, the presence of fate in everyday life. This is an utterly compelling story, all the more so for being true. Jan Schlichtmann, the main character, is a flamboyant Boston-area lawyer who has hit on the neat idea of subsidizing his nascent law firm by having the firm accept just a single case at a time. His feeling is that he and the other lawyers will work themselves to the bone on each case, concentrating on every possible angle they can think of, in order to win big damage awards which will subsequently a) keep the bill collectors at bay and b) enhance the firm's reputation as legal bulldogs out to win at nearly any cost. Schlichtmann's strategy works well for awhile, but when he takes on the chemical firm of W. R. Grace, he has not counted on the tenacity of their legal counsel nor the whims of the presiding judge. The result is an absorbing, un-put-downable story of clashing egos, simple town residents who mostly just want an explanation for the inexplicable rash of childhood leukemia that's swept through their town, and ever-rising legal, personal, and professional stakes. Schlichtmann becomes obsessed with the case: "Nowadays Schlichtmann saw daylight only from his office window or while walking to and from a deposition. His hair was turning gray at an alarming rate. Kathy Boyer attributed this to stress and overwork, although it was probably more a matter of heredity. But he had lost weight and grown pale. His taulored suits hung from his gaunt frame and no longer looked tailored. His hypochondria seemed to blossom under the fluorescent lights of the conference rooms. Sometimes he'd worry about his heart, other times he'd worry about cancer. A prolonged headache started him thinking about brain tumors. He felt as if he were suffocating under the weight of the case . . . 'It's like one of those kiddy cars,' he said to [a friend.] 'They give you a steering wheel but it's not connected to anything. You think you're in charge, but you're not.' " Unfortunately, in the book as in real life, the families who brought the suit against W. R. Grace fade somewhat into the background as Schlichtmann's stake in the case grows. Harr may not have known when he started out that Schlichtmann's outsized personality would overtake the book, but it does--and he's such an interesting and flawed character that that's not necessarily a negative thing. Highly recommended for anyone who's interested in environmental case law or just loves a good legal read that's sobering in its many lessons.
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Summary: Knock,Knock....
Review: There is much more to this case and at least one company involved... An individual i will refer to as 'Pat' worked for one of the 2 companies at the heart of this case. Pat was a low level employee who came from a broken family and bounced around in care of the state of Massachusetts.At the time this book came out, Pat worked in the environmental field for one of these companies. When Harr's book was released, Pat was suddenly fired purportedly by the highest echelons of corporate management.What followed was a long series of events that may or may not be related to this book and the fallout from it. Pat became a target for threatening phone calls, car tampering, intimiation and more with the objective being to discredit credibility. After Pat was fired Pat went to work for a company ('X') that Pat later learned had business ties to the company which had fired Pat. While working there Pat had a neighbor with Tennessee plates who claimed to work construction but was later seen in a phone company truck and moved out shortly after. It is speculated this man worked for the government and was monitoring Pat.While working at the new company after being fired, Pat began receiving regular phone calls to Pat's home while Pat worked from the very building Pat worked in while the mystery neighbor lived next door. While all this went on, Pat's medical records, many from hospitals mentioned in this book, began disappearing without explanation.As Pat's work for company 'X' came to a close, Pat was threatened to take a large pay cut and continue working with that company or "..go flip burgers at McDonald's".. Pat later learned coworkers with whom Pat thought there a close rapport and who had volunteered to give glowing references were, in fact, blackballing Pat with future employers ensuring Pat would be unable to find decent work. Pat had little knowledge of this case or book despite living in Woburn as a young child at the time of the earliest cases cropping up. Pat,long before this story became a book had always been an aggressive advocate for environmental responsibility.Pat had been born healthy and become sick requiring lengthy hospitalization in which the baby was dropped off at the hospital and no family history known.After release from the hospital it has been conjectured that Pat was given a false diagnosis to conceal the real cause of infirmity. As a child Pat was abused,neglected,abandoned,handicapped. As an adult later working in a field that is supposed to be protecting the public good, Pat was diligent and assertive.When all the fallout began descending on Pat, no one associated with this book even returned his phone calls while certified letters vanished in the postal system.
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Summary: This audio version of this true story is very moving.
Review: In "A Civil Action", which is a true story, it is up to one lonely lawyer to fight for the victims of leukemia, believed to be contracted by contaminated wells in Woburn, MA. But the story is really about our justice system, which is a sham at the best of times. How motion after motion gets denied, how the plaintiffs never get to tell their heartrending stories of trauma, illness and death. The narrative is by John Shea, and he is fabulous both in tone and verbage. His enthusiasm brings you closer to the case, and when you remember that it is a true story, you want to sit down and cry for these poor people overlooked by the corruption and red tape of our criminal justice system. It's truly shocking and an unforgettable story at the least. In the beginning our hero (Attorney Schlickman) fights with a vengeance, in the end, he, like the Woburn residents, have begun to lose their mental stamina. Emotionally exhausted, the trial goes on, even when it seems all is lost. You will find this reading experience enlightening and memorable.
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Summary: Reads Like Fiction!
Review: I am way behind the times in reviewing this book, as many of you probably read it when it was a bestseller. I bought it then and let it sit in my bookcase. Wish I had read it sooner! In "A Civil Action", the parents of several leukemia victims accused two major corporations of polluting wells in their Woburn, Mass. neighborhood with industrial chemical waste. Their lawyer then tries to prove that these companies are responsible for the cancer cluster that occurred. This book reads like fiction and I often had to remind myself that it wasn't! The author, Jonathan Harr, was given full access to the case and to the lives of lead attorney Jan Schlichtmann and his staff. This insider's look at the case allows the reader to witness the maneuvering involved in a suit of this magnitude. We also see how the legal details and infighting can occlude the quest for justice, and how a seemingly biased judge can make a fair trial almost impossible. The judge in this case set questions for the jurors to answer in order to determine liability - questions that were essentially impossible to answer, especially by a jury that was confused with all of the highly technical testimony. One ruling by the judge stated that the Plaintiffs could not present any evidence about the physical effects of the contaminated water UNTIL they proved that the companies had contaminated the water. Thus, the victims' stories and medical case histories could not be presented to show what the polluted water had done to them. I found that the tactics employed by the defense attorney to be a legal smoke screen that hid the true facts from the jury. The reader must question a judicial system that allows such rhetoric to prevail. Harr makes it clear how convoluted legalese can determine a jury's interpretation of evidence. Jan Schlictmann was an unlikely hero: young, flamboyant, Porsche-driving, with a gambler's instinct - hoping to win millions from the two corporations he was suing. Instead, he ended up going bankrupt and almost losing his sanity and his career. His expenses alone, to prepare this case, were $2.6 million. He admitted that he was motivated as much by greed as by a quest for justice; that he got into a black hole and could not get out. A lawsuit is probably the worst way to prove liability in such a case where scientific evidence is complex and where cause-and-effect is not clear. Jan Schlichtmann's latest environmental case is in Tom's River, New Jersey. It is interesting to note that he is taking an out-ot-court approach known as "alternate dispute resolution", rather than acting as an "attack dog"-his words.
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Summary: Great book
Review: If you are interested in litigation, environmental justice, toxic tort, or just a good David vs. Goliath story, then you will probably enjoy this book. As an aspiring law student with an interest in environmental, water, and natural resource issues, I found it enthralling. I haven't seen the movie, and don't plan on it -- the huge picture of Travolta on the front cover is bad enough.
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Summary: Wonderful
Review: This was a great book, i couldnt put it down. it was wonderful that Jonathan harr put together such a compelling true story.
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Summary: Collateral damage
Review: Jan Schlictmann has paid a personal and professional price in this case as has Ken Grant, a former safety/environmental man for Grace Co. Since this book came out, Grant has been blackballed from employment in Massachusetts and eventually forced into bankruptcy and homelessness. Grant was orphaned and raised in state care and later became active in many volunteer organizations in Massachusetts. When this book came out he was fired and later driven from Massachusetts through circumstance and hostile forces.Perhaps Grant and Schlictmann should meet.
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