Frank Galvin is a down-on-his luck lawyer, reduced to drinking and ambulance chasing. His friend and former associate feeds him a case on a silver platter: a medical malpractice case where all parties are willing to settle out of court. Blundering his way through the preliminaries, he suddenly realizes that perhaps the case should go to court after all. That justice will not be served by a quick settlement. With his human and legal flaws exposed in the process, Galvin struggles against his rich and powerful counterpart (excellently played by James Mason) and against a judge more interested in getting the case off his books. At stake is justice for his client, his faith in the legal process, and his belief in himself.
One of the best legal movies ever made, the part of Frank Galvin is portrayed by Paul Newman in one of his strongest roles.
What to do
Get some popcorn, rent the video, and watch the movie. Consider the themes and questions presented below. Even if you have seen it before, watch it again from the viewpoint of a paralegal-to-be.
Major Themes
Medical malpractice; civil litigation; legal ethics
Relevant to this Segment
At the beginning of the movie Frank Galvin visits funerals and checks obituaries. Is his conduct ethical? Is such ambulance chasing common? Is it ethical?
After paying a visit to his comatose client in the hospital, and taking Polaroid pictures of her for the jury to consider, Galvin attends a settlement meeting where he rejects the offer of $210,000. Were his actions ethical?
The critical scene in the movie is when a former admittance nurse is called to testify. Watch carefully as Galvin asks questions. The scene is very accurate as to strategy and procedure for admitting evidence. In fact, you may be surprised at the question that Galvin does not ask. There is a reason for that. Why did he not ask the question that the opposing attorney does, for himself?
Finally, watch the back-and-forth between the attorneys and the judge following the nurse's testimony. It is full of procedure. Paralegals who know procedure can be of great assistance to their attorney. Was the judge correct in his ruling on the testimony? What grounds could Galvin have argued that might have affected the judge's ruling?
Alternate Film
The Pelican Brief (1993). A highly entertaining adaptation of John Grisham's most complex book plot. Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.