The Hollywood movie "Erin Brockovich" with Julia Roberts in the title role collected a record amount and entered the list of the most popular films. Not all fans of the tape know that the fun, adventurous and extraordinary heroine has a prototype - Erin Brockovich-Ellis. Her story is slightly different from the screen, but the main points and the main intrigue are similar.
The beginning of the biography
Maiden name Erin - Patty. She was born in the small town of Lawrence in Kansas. The family was the most ordinary, not too wealthy. Frank and Betty Joe Patty could not provide her daughter with a good education, and she herself was not too diligent in her studies.
The girl graduated from high school in Lawrence, then entered the University of Kansas, studied law at one of the Texas colleges. As a result, Erin received a diploma of the lowest degree, with which she could not count on a prestigious and well-paid job. But she managed to win one of the local beauty contests and get the title of "Miss Pacific Coast."
Personal life
Not succeeding in the sciences, Erin focused on the search for personal happiness. She was married twice. The first husband was Sean Brown, the second - Stephen Brockovich. Erin later said that family life was unsuccessful. Despite the birth of three children, there were often scandals and even fights at home. After the divorce, the woman was left almost without a livelihood, she had to seriously look for work.
Career takeoff
Erin had little experience with a law firm. Getting a job with such baggage was problematic, but luck smiled at her at the law office of Ed Masry. In 1997, a conflict broke out between the residents of the town of Hezley and the large corporation PG&E. The company leaked dangerous hexavalent chromium, the substance got into the water utility and poisoned the inhabitants of the town for several years.
At the initiative of the residents, Ed and Erin took up this business. The problem was solved by attracting high-class lawyers, a pre-trial agreement was drawn up with the company, residents were supposed to receive compensation of $ 333 million (the lawyers' fee was about 130 million).
The situation was resolved thanks to the perseverance and perseverance of Erin, but the logical point was set by all the same professionals. Brockovich became famous, for some time she was engaged in similar projects at the Masri firm, and then founded her own law firm. Erin became an honorary doctor of several universities, worked in a large New York law firm as a visiting consultant.
