Erin Brockovich
4-07-2024
The Bull Run Speaker Series Presents: Erin Brockovich
Say the name Erin Brockovich and you think strong, tough and stubborn.
It’s been over 15 years since Julia Roberts starred in the Oscar-winning tour de force, Erin Brockovich. The film turned an unknown legal researcher into a 20th century icon by showcasing how her dogged persistence was the impelling force behind the largest medical settlement lawsuit in history. Since then, Erin hasn’t been resting on her laurels…she continues to fight hard and win big. This gutsy broad doesn’t apologize for who she is.
Erin's latest book release, Superman's Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can Do About It, has drawn wide media attention as she continues to fight head-to-head with the big boys.
From her roots growing up in Lawrence, Kansas, Erin first landed a job as a management trainee for K-Mart. When that didn’t make her swagger, she decided to study electrical engineering. But that wasn’t enough for the Kansas beauty; she entered the Miss Pacific Coast beauty pageant on a fluke, and, not surprisingly, won the title. When she realized that beauty pageants weren’t her thing, Erin, her husband, and her two children settled in Reno, Nevada. After divorcing, the single mother became a secretary at a brokerage firm where she met and married her second husband. But that marriage was short lived, and the now mother of three was solo again. Up until this point, Erin was the average divorced single mother trying to make a living, until she crossed paths with lawyer Ed Masry, and this meeting changed the course of both of their lives.
After being seriously injured in a traffic accident in Reno, Erin hired Masry & Vititoe to represent her. They won a small settlement, but she still needed work, so she got a job at the law firm as a file clerk. It was while organizing papers on a pro bono real estate case that Erin first found medical records that would explode into the largest direct action lawsuit in US history. Erin’s exhaustive investigation uncovered that Pacific Gas & Electric had been poisoning the small town of Hinkley’s Water for over 30 years. It was because of Erin’s unwavering tenacity that PG&E had now been exposed for leaking toxic Chromium 6 into the groundwater. This poison affected the health of the population of Hinkley. In 1996, as a result of the largest direct action lawsuit of its kind, spearheaded by Erin and Ed Masry, the utility giant was forced to pay out the largest toxic tort injury settlement in US history:
$333 million in damages to more than 600 Hinkley residents. The story and eventual film made “Erin Brockovich” a household name. Over time, Erin realized that she could use her notoriety to spread positive messages of personal empowerment and to encourage others to stand up and make a difference.
Erin hosted the Lifetime series, Final Justice With Erin Brockovich, and published her New York Times Business Bestseller, Take It From Me: Life’s A Struggle, But You Can Win. She has written two fiction novels, Rock Bottom and Hot Water. As President of Brockovich Research & Consulting, she is currently involved in numerous environmental projects worldwide. She has requests for her help in groundwater contamination complaints in every state of the US, Australia, and other international hotspots. She is currently working on cases in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri.
Proceeds from this event will benefit:
The Environmental Preservation and Animal Welfare fund at the Community Foundation of North Central MA.
Special Guest of Honor: MARION STODDART
The Bull Run Speaker Series Presents: Erin Brockovich
Say the name Erin Brockovich and you think strong, tough and stubborn.
It’s been over 15 years since Julia Roberts starred in the Oscar-winning tour de force, Erin Brockovich. The film turned an unknown legal researcher into a 20th century icon by showcasing how her dogged persistence was the impelling force behind the largest medical settlement lawsuit in history. Since then, Erin hasn’t been resting on her laurels…she continues to fight hard and win big. This gutsy broad doesn’t apologize for who she is.
Erin's latest book release, Superman's Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can Do About It, has drawn wide media attention as she continues to fight head-to-head with the big boys.
From her roots growing up in Lawrence, Kansas, Erin first landed a job as a management trainee for K-Mart. When that didn’t make her swagger, she decided to study electrical engineering. But that wasn’t enough for the Kansas beauty; she entered the Miss Pacific Coast beauty pageant on a fluke, and, not surprisingly, won the title. When she realized that beauty pageants weren’t her thing, Erin, her husband, and her two children settled in Reno, Nevada. After divorcing, the single mother became a secretary at a brokerage firm where she met and married her second husband. But that marriage was short lived, and the now mother of three was solo again. Up until this point, Erin was the average divorced single mother trying to make a living, until she crossed paths with lawyer Ed Masry, and this meeting changed the course of both of their lives.
After being seriously injured in a traffic accident in Reno, Erin hired Masry & Vititoe to represent her. They won a small settlement, but she still needed work, so she got a job at the law firm as a file clerk. It was while organizing papers on a pro bono real estate case that Erin first found medical records that would explode into the largest direct action lawsuit in US history. Erin’s exhaustive investigation uncovered that Pacific Gas & Electric had been poisoning the small town of Hinkley’s Water for over 30 years. It was because of Erin’s unwavering tenacity that PG&E had now been exposed for leaking toxic Chromium 6 into the groundwater. This poison affected the health of the population of Hinkley. In 1996, as a result of the largest direct action lawsuit of its kind, spearheaded by Erin and Ed Masry, the utility giant was forced to pay out the largest toxic tort injury settlement in US history:
$333 million in damages to more than 600 Hinkley residents. The story and eventual film made “Erin Brockovich” a household name. Over time, Erin realized that she could use her notoriety to spread positive messages of personal empowerment and to encourage others to stand up and make a difference.
Erin hosted the Lifetime series, Final Justice With Erin Brockovich, and published her New York Times Business Bestseller, Take It From Me: Life’s A Struggle, But You Can Win. She has written two fiction novels, Rock Bottom and Hot Water. As President of Brockovich Research & Consulting, she is currently involved in numerous environmental projects worldwide. She has requests for her help in groundwater contamination complaints in every state of the US, Australia, and other international hotspots. She is currently working on cases in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri.
Proceeds from this event will benefit:
The Environmental Preservation and Animal Welfare fund at the Community Foundation of North Central MA.
Special Guest of Honor: MARION STODDART
- Doors open & Brunch is available from 10AM.
- There will be no Brunch Service once the program begins @ 12noon.
- Ticket price does not include Brunch.