A Civil Action: Jan Schlichtmann

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A Civil Action is a environmental based, yet thriller movie that was filmed based on a true story. The theme of the story can be interpreted as truth vs justice, as the main character Jan Schlichtmann is fighting for the safety of the city Woburn in Massachusetts. There are toxins in the city’s water supply, in result, causing many citizens of Woburn to die. Jan Schlichtmann is hired to take legal action against those who have caused the leak into the town’s water supply. At first, Jan rejects the case but after learning more about the situation he decides to take on the case, causing a downfall in his career and leaving him in a lifetime worth of debt. I’ve chosen to write about the bold, cocky Boston attorney Jan Schlichtmann as he is an important character in the movie, and he …show more content…

He’s won multiple cases based on personal injury with his small team of lawyers, in his small firm located in Boston. He’s portrayed as intelligent, cocky, and dashing as he was once voted Top Ten Eligible Bachelors. Mr. Schlichtmann had a strong reputation in his home town and he was known for being a “selfless lawyer” who wanted nothing but the best for his clients. Jan had many success under his belt as an personal injury lawyer, but after the Woburn case, his life changed for the worst. In the beginning of the movie, it’s obvious as to why someone like Mr. Schlichtmann was voted Top 10 Eligible Bachelors. He has broad shoulders, he’s very stern, tall, and possessed a large amount of confidence with everyone he talked to in the room. Furthermore, Mr. Schlichtmann was very wealthy, good looking, and successful in his field of work. Jan was very aggressive with the defendants in his cases, as he used the manipulation tool of fear to get things out of his clients. He made sure he could get the highest profit for his clients possible and we see an example of this in the first scene of the

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