Tort on stilts

摘要

Most Americans say they hate lawyers. In America, even some lawyers say they hate lawyers. But everybody prefers lawyers to evil blood-sucking corporations. Julia Roberts is a strong contender for an Academy Award this weekend for her portrayal of Erin Brockovich—a legal assistant with problems, yet brave enough, smart enough and just good-looking enough to call capitalism to account. This love-hate relationship is a national obsession. John Grisham, a former personal-injury lawyer, is among America's" most popular authors. Hardly an evening goes by without a legal drama on television. Sexy lawyers with interestingly complicated lives fight the ogres of big business; slimy ones defend them cynically before hurrying off to torture puppies.