06x07 - Lose The Boss

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "L.A. Law"...

Didn't say we were perfect,

but we try to have respect.

Let me tell you about respect, baby.

I've had to sweat for it all my life.

My family was dirt poor.

I went to a puissant collage in West Virginia,

and about pounds ago,

I worked my way through law school as a stripper.

Is it hormonal?

Hormonal?

As in attraction you don't know what to do with.

Even the idea of sleeping with you

is so repulsive, so totally nauseating

that I would rather be celibate.

You know Steve Graham?

Yeah. Legal reporter, Channel .

Well, he's going on vacation,

and the station needs someone to cover for him for a couple weeks.

But I'm a divorce attorney.

Don't tell me that under that lawyerly suit,

you're really a romantic.

Well, if by that you mean

I believe every woman has one special light in her eye

that can only be seen by one special man,

then I'm guilty as charged.

Lock me up and throw away the key.

Do you want to be a lawyer?

I must. I can't seem to get away from them.

Then do it.

It's not that easy.

Law school at night

and a full
-time job?

Well, it'll be hell.

You might not make it.

But if you don't try, you'll never know.

Channel spotlights women this week,

and I'm here to focus on the working woman.

How does the law protect her?


-What are her problems?
-[door opens]

Damn it! Gwen, why do you always

have to make things so hard for me?

We'll talk about that and more when we come back.

Jack just called me on the car phone, and he raised holy hell!

What are you doing here?

You're never up to speed anymore.

I told you I taped my segment this morning.

I've got the meeting with Deardon.

Oh, they never received the third quarter stock valuation.


-I sent them.
-Oh, how? Pony Express?

Did it ever occur to you

that the screw
-up might be on their end?

Until recently, there were no screw
-ups.

And there aren't any now.

Really? Last week, you lost the Della Hunt file,

my expense reports are late,

and there's a giant stack of mail sitting over there

that you haven't even begun to answer yet.

That is your personal fan mail, Arnie.

I will get to it when I can or the station can handle it.

I want a personal touch.

You do ten a day, starting now.

I have a class tonight. I'm leaving at :.

You know, I've been really understanding, Gwen.

Yes, I have been understanding.

You are going to law school,

and I am trying to be supportive.

But in the end, I am the one who suffers.

There are a lot of other bosses in the world, Arnie.

Some are even human. Don't push me too far.

Don't you push me!

You don't go to class until you do ten letters!

And if things around here don't start to improve a lot,

you're gonna have to choose!

Either law school...

or this job.

First, I'd like to say that I am especially sensitive

to the concerns of the working woman.

And how they need to be treated with
-
-

[theme music playing]

Sorry. I had a : A.M. photo sh**t.

The station has me on a brutal PR schedule.


-Aw!
-Aw!

Next up Kendrick vs. MacArthur.

You're taking the trial.

I thought you lobbed it to Billy.

Don't worry, Douggie. Billy did the prep.

It's still a joint client.

This is the man who was nearly crushed to death

over the health food shake.

Gave the term "food fight" a whole new meaning.

It was a diet shake. This case is about weight.

I'm an expert, so I feel I can wipe out the opposition.

On a semi
-personal note,

Grace Van Owen's agreed to handle Veronica Berg's hearing

which is supposed to start today.

Veronica Berg?

Her son is developmentally disabled

She's fighting with the school board

for the money to educate him privately.

Oh, and I'd like to thank the partners

for agreeing to take this at a reduced fee.


-Don't be silly, Douglas.
-Glad to do it.

Who's Veronica Berg?

Okay. That's it. We're adjourned.

Who is Veronica Berg?

Douglas' ex
-sister
-in
-law.

Oh.

We probably should have taken your case in the first place.

You referred me to a good lawyer.

He won at the administrative hearing.

I don't think he counted on the school board appealing.

[knock on door]

Grace Van Owen, Veronica Berg.


-Hello.
-Hi.


-Very nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.

I've just read your hearing transcripts,

and you still got an uphill climb.

But I guess you know that.

I've been climbing this mountain for two years.

This appeal is just another step.

The thing is, is that even though the federal law

says the states have to pay for educating disabled children,

even if it means moving them to a private school,

in practice, it hardly ever happens.

But I think that with a continuance
-
-

No continuance. If we don't do this today,

the judge says we have to wait another six months

for a trial date.

Your attorney dropped you three days ago, Mrs. Berg.

I just go this case this morning.

I don't see how I could possibly represent you
-
-

Miss Van Owen, my son can no longer put on his own clothes,

or respond to a simple question like,

"Do you want some ice cream?"

I will do whatever you need me to do to get ready.

Summarize the hearing testimony,

or research the judge's cases on education,

or iron your blouse for court.

But because my son has to stay in that school

until this is resolved,

the one thing I cannot do is wait another six months.

You've had your refreshment concession on Hollywood Boulevard

for how long, Mr. Kendrick?

years. I'm a Hollywood fixture, ask anybody.

And Mr. McArthur's been patronizing you for the past two?

He'd come over every day and he'd have a health shake,

sometimes a veggie burger.

We'd talk sports. All very cordial,

which is why it was such a shock.


-The as*ault?
-Yeah.

I mean, one minute I'm ringing up his sale,

the next minute, he's bearing down on me.

Floor was shaking whenever he stepped.

I thought I was in the middle of the buffalo stampede

from "Dances With Wolves."

Object to the buffalo characterization, Your Honor.

Sustained.

What did Mr. McArthur do next?

He started yelling at me, cursing,

called me a liar and a fraud.

He blamed me for his weight gain.

He was crazy. He was out of control.

Demanded his money back, demanded an apology.

Then I just walked away,

and he reached over and he grabbed me,

and he pushed me down.

Then he, uh, sat on me.

Excuse me?

He sat one me and he wouldn't get up.

All of a sudden, I heard a cr*ck.

I thought my spine snapped.

There was a ball
-point pen in my pocket,

and they had to surgically remove the ink cartridge from my thigh.

How long did Mr. McArthur keep you forcibly restrained?

About five minutes, until the police showed up.

And what injuries did you suffer

as a result of this unprovoked att*ck?

I had a herniated disc, which I may need an operation.

I can only stand for an hour. It's k*lling my business.

All because of him!

Thank you, Mr. Kendrick. No more questions.

Mr. Kendrick,

your ads say you offer "fast food that isn't fast fat,

low calorie, delicious snacks and shakes."

Yeah, and I've never had a dissatisfied customer

until Namoo over there.


-Move to strike, Namoo.
-So ordered.

So you claim your health shake is low calorie?

Absolutely. Water, soy paste, skim milk.

calories.

But what you don't advertise is the caloric content

of the flavorings that you put into this alleged health shake.

Pineapple, guava, and papaya juices: calories apiece.

Dried coconut: calories.

Banana puree: calories.

So instead of calories,

your basic health shake is actually calories,

isn't that right?

Hey, he didn't have to order the flavorings.

Oh, come on, sir. We both know

that the plain stuff tastes like coolant fluid.


-Objection!
-Sustained.

No one would drink your so
-called health shake

if it didn't have the flavorings, would they?

Absolutely false.

A lot of my customers drink the plain shakes.

I drink them myself.


-Oh, really?
-Really.

Your Honor, both parties stipulate

that these are Mr. Kendricks' basic
-calorie health shakes.

I'd like the jury to sample them.


- Your Honor, I renew my objection to this.

Each juror's palate is different.

This is highly subjective
-
-

Overruled. Get on with it, Mr. Dumphy.

Dumphy: Thank you.

[gaging, gasping]

Let the record show that none of the jurors

turned handsprings after tasting the evidence.

So, as we've just seen,

the basic drink is undrinkable.

So to get customers to buy it,

like Mr. McArthur,

you had to sell them on additives

that caused him to gain weight,

and Mr. McArthur did gain weight.

Nobody held a g*n to his head.

You had him drinking six or seven shakes a day!

Doesn't give him the right to att*ck me!

Didn't you call him a fat
-ass pig?

Yeah, after he called me a liar,

and he assaulted me with a deadly w*apon!

I don't think the State of California

classifies a derriere as a deadly w*apon.

Oh, yeah? Well, he sure as hell is.

It was your shakes that were deadly, sir,

and you kept pumping them into Corliss McArthur.

You just kept ringing up those sales

so you could make more money!


-Objection!
-Withdrawn. I'm done here.


-Hi.
-Hi.

Arnie told me what happened.

I didn't say that I believed him,

or that I'm taking sides.

I can read between the lines, Gwen.

Roxanne, I feel uncomfortable

talking to you about this.

Don't. I haven't forgotten what he's like to work for.

He can be a complete swine.

Well, it's not just that you're involved with him,

it's other things.

Listen, Gwen, what happened between you and Arnie

is ancient history.

I'm just here to help.

[exhales] I never should have taken this job.

He made it perfectly clear what he wanted.

Complete subordination.

That word isn't even in my vocabulary.

I'll talk to Arnie.

We'll redefine your job. McKenzie
-Brackman only.

He'll go through the roof.

Look, Gwen, they don't want to lose you.

I mean, you're the only person, besides me,

whose ever been able to stand Arnie for more than a day.

He knows that. He won't fire you.

No, he'll just work me to death.

Listen, I had a talk with Leland and Douglas.

You're due for a pay raise in March.

Well, we decided it was in the best interest of the firm

to offer that to you now.

Even if I might bolt and run?

Yes.

Working for Arnie isn't that great,

but this is a prestigious firm.

And they want you, as a secretary now,

but why not as a lawyer when you finish school?

Just don't cut off your options.

I hadn't thought of that.

Yeah, I'll talk to Arnie.

I think we can work something out.

When Ricky was two, he was diagnosed

as having mild cerebral palsy,

mild autism, and a severe auditory learning disorder.

And what did the doctors say this would mean

in terms of Ricky's ability to cope in the world?

They said he's never be able to do something

as simple as button his shirt,

or ride a tricycle.

But you didn't believe them, did you?

No. I sold my house and used the money

to put Ricky into a residential pre
-school

at the Logan Institute.

And what happened at the Logan Institute?

At the end of three years,

Ricky could answer questions in sentences.

He could recognize written words

and identify shapes and colors.

And he not only rode a tricycle,

he steered around seven traffic cones.

Why didn't you leave him at Logan?

I've run out of money.

And Woodrow Wilson,

my local public elementary school,

assured me that they had an appropriate program for Ricky.


-And did they?
-No.

My son was never violent.

After two weeks at Woodrow Wilson,

he started having outbursts of anger.

He hardly talks anymore.

He's lost ten pounds.

And he won't even go near a tricycle.

Mrs. Berg, would you please tell the court

how Ricky spends his time at Woodrow Wilson?

For minutes each day,

he's with the other children in a special education class.

The rest of the time, he's in a coat closet

in the back of the room with an aide.

Grace: What is that you want, Mrs. Berg,

from the school district?

The law states that if a child can't receive

an appropriate education at a public school,

then the state has a responsibility to pay for one at a private school.

I just want them to obey he law.

Grace: Thank you, Mrs. Berg.

Mrs. Berg,

didn't you agree that Ricky should be separated

from the rest of the class because he...

"couldn't handle the stimulation

of being around other children?"

The school kept calling me at work

two and three times a week to come and get Ricky

because he was out of control.

Is that a yes or a no, Mrs. Berg?

Yes, I agreed.

I didn't know what else to do.

How much was Ricky's annual tuition at Logan, Mrs. Berg?

$,.

And you couldn't afford that?

No.

But an overcrowded,

under
-budgeted school district can?

What about the alternatives

the school district offered you, Mrs. Berg,

such as the autistic classroom?

Ricky is only mildly autistic.

He needs an individualized program

to address all his disabilities.

A program that includes hypnotism, acupuncture,


-faith healing?
-Objection! Irrelevant!

Haven't you tried all of these things with your son, Mrs. Berg?

That's not what this is about.

That is exactly what this is about.

You are not looking for an appropriate education. Mrs. Berg.


-You're looking for a miracle.
-Objection!

My son doesn't need a miracle. Mr. LaPorte.

All he needs is the help he was promised.

My weight's gone up and down all my life.

It took me three years to get it down to ,

and I was determined to keep it off.

And you thought drinking Mr. Kendrick's health shakes

would help keep it off.

That's right. I mean, even after I started gaining weight,

I told him my troubles.

I mean, I thought the guy was my friend.

And here he is, pushing me to drink more.

And all the while, he knows how many calories are in these things.

And how did you discover the truth?

I gave one to a nutritionist.

He told me it had over calories.

And you confronted Mr. Kendrick?

I am not a violent man, Mr. Dumphy,

but he provoked me.

I just...snapped.

I mean, it wasn't like he just ruined my diet.

He ruined my life!

After I started binging again, I got so fat that...

my wife found me...

sexually undesirable.

My marriage collapsed, all because of him.

His lies and his fraud.

I want him to pay for it.

Thank you, Mr. McArthur. That's all.

Let me get this straight.

You watched my client add juices, fruit,

puree and coconut to your shake

and you didn't think it might add a few calories?

His sign says "fewer than calories." That's fraud.

If you see a sale advertising clothes

as low as $,

do you assume that every item is $?

Now, isn't it possible that you started

putting on weight because your wife left you?

It is not true.

And you still insist that my client

is responsible for your weight gain?

He is, and he damn well knows it.

Your Honor, I would like to introduce

these photographs into evidence.

Is this you, sir, last Thursday night

eating a large pizza with everything at Peppi's Pastaria?

Objection!


-Introducing to impeach.
-Overruled.

Is this you, sir?

Well, I
-
-I
-
-I was under a lot of stress.

You know, the trial was starting. I didn't know
-
-

And here?

Three months ago?

Were you under a lot of stress

when you ordered two buckets of fried chicken,

half a dozen biscuits,

and a tub of coleslaw the size of Puget Sound?

It's called binging, Miss Bloom!

It's a vicious cycle!

You get fat, you get depressed.

you eat to feel better, but you feel worse,

so you eat some more!

I know what it's like, Mr. McArthur.

But no matter how it gets started,

don't we all have it in our power to stop?

Isn't your own lack of discipline and willpower
-
-

Look, I was like an alcoholic,

and he's shoving drinks into my hand!

Oh, come off it, Mr. Mc Arthur.

You can't face your weight problem,

so you need something or someone to blame it on!

And this time it's Lyle Kendricks, isn't it?

I've been Director of Admissions for Logan for years.

Ricky's combination of disabilities was unusual,

but his progress was one of the most remarkable I've seen.

And now, months after he's left Logan,

what is Ricky's condition?

It's almost as if he never went there.

So to make lasting progress,

Ricky would have to stay at Logan indefinitely?

No. Our goal is to give these children

a solid foundation and then return them

to the public school system as soon as possible,

provided there's an appropriate program

for the child to go back to.

What does a child get for $, a year?

No class has more than eight students,

along with the teacher and at least one aide,

there's a speech pathologist.

Children who receive occupational

and physical therapy on campus.

So in your opinion, Mrs. Raulerson,

what would become of Ricky if he doesn't get

this kind of one
-on
-one education?

Ricky could end up living out his adult life in an institution.

And what would that cost the state of California?

Up to $, a year.

Thank you. No further questions.

Miss Raulerson,

you said that if Ricky leaves your program,

he may have to be institutionalized as an adult.

Now, do you guarantee that if he stays in your program that won't happen?

Of course not, but his chances
-
-

Isn't it true that the earlier a disabled child

gets mainstreamed into the public school system,

the better chance he has at success?

Yes, assuming that
-
-

And yet of the students currently enrolled at Logan Institute,

ten have been there more than three years,

and four students have been there more than seven years, haven't they?

We're talking about individuals.

We're a school, not a sausage factory.

But the longer these children stay in your school,

the more state funds you get.


-Objection. Irrelevant to
-
-

The witness has a financial interest in

the outcome of this case, Your Honor.

I'll allow it.

Miss Raulerson, how many of your students

attending Logan Institute are on state funds?

.

out of .

The Education for all Handicapped Children Act

has been quite a goldmine for you.


-Objection!
-Withdrawn.

No further questions.

Why didn't you tell me this last night?

It would have ruined a lovely evening.

I complain about Gwen's competence or attitude or hours,

and you give her a raise?

Stuart never had anything but praise for Gwen.

Stuart Markowitz has a small, quiet, back
-office practice.

He's needs are completely different from mine.

For me, Gwen is a nightmare.

I never had these problems with you.

Like hell!

years I had to fight tooth and nail

for every raise I got!

Did you ever think about promoting me?

No! It took Douglas Brackman to do that.

And let's not forget, you fired me!

When did this turn into a conversation about you and me?

What is it you really want, Arnie?

For Gwen to quit law school

so she can spend more time sending out your X glossies?

I am a partner in this firm. Gwen is our employee.

As long as this firm benefits from my exposure,

she will answer my fan mail! Period!

This is your ego talking, Arnie.

You're a legal segment on a local news show,

not Tom Brokaw!

And you identify too closely with the secretarial staff!

You're an office manager, Roxanne!

You ought to be a little more objective!

If I were more objective,

I probably wouldn't be with you.

Overeating is a disease, much like alcoholism.

If Mr. McArthur were fighting to stay sober,

and Mr. Kendrick had spiked his drink with liquor,

I doubt anyone would blame Mr. McArthur for losing control.

And, Doctor, what frame of mind

would a person have to be in

to do what Mr. McArthur did?

An obese person's weight is tied to their self
-image,

self
-confidence, sexual assurance.

When someone promises to help you get slimmer and healthier

but instead they make you heavier,

that's traumatic enough.

But when it's compounded by that same person

calling you a "fat pig" or a "Namoo,"

you're looking at psychological damage.

And you trace this all back to what

To Mr. Kendrick's misrepresentations.

If not for him, Corliss McArthur might still be on a diet

and a happily married man.

Objection! Move to strike. Speculative.

Sustained.

Thank you, Doctor. Nothing further.

If not for my client,

Mr. McArthur might still be on his diet,

or he might not, right, Doctor?

Yes, but
-
-

And if my client had never been bon,

Mr. McArthur might have been so overwhelmed

by the sight of a king burrito,

he could have fallen off the wagon by himself,

isn't that correct?

Maybe, but Mr. Kendrick's actions virtually assured it.

The obese are especially vulnerable

to this kind of exploitation.

Really

All of us?

This is based on demographic studies, profiles.

Profiles.

Or stereotypes.

Are you saying, Doctor, that all fat people

are so psychologically unstable

that they are moved to physical as*ault

more easily than thin people?

No, I'm not. I was talking about Mr. McArthur.

Oh. So he's unstable?

He was provoked.

Psychological damaged?

Emotionally devestated?

He sure sounds unstable to me.


-Objection!
-Sustained.

I have nothing further.

I'm leaving, I'll be out of your way in a minute.

Relax. All I need is one book.

I'll get out of your way.

How's it going?

Great. Just great.

Don't fall behind in the reading, you'll never catch up,

And you've got to join a study group

or you'll never survive.

I guess by now, you've been called on.

No! No, I haven't been called on to recite!

I haven't found a study group,

and I am way behind in my reading!

I'm getting four hours of sleep a night.

I'm carrying a full course load

I'm not even sure I can pay for.

And it's a very real question as to whether

I've even got what it takes to be a lawyer.

Satisfied?

Oh! Palsgraf vs. Long Island Railroad.

That brings back memories.

Two porters stop a man from falling

as he tries to catch a train.

What was it he dropped again?

[sighs] A package which turned out to contain fireworks.

Right. The fireworks explode on impact with the tracks

causing a set of scales to topple and fall

on dear old Mrs. Palsgraf who happened to be passing.

I agree with the trial court, not the appellate.

She should have recovered from the railroad company.

How can you say that?

Cardozo's absolutely right when he limits duty to foreseeability.

Those porters had no way of knowing what was in that package.

And they're not the proximate cause of Mrs. Palsgraf's injuries.

Proximate cause is a convenience

used by the law to refuse arbitrarily

to follow a chain of events

back beyond a particular point.

Oh, so if I leave a pair of scissors on this table,

and someone uses them to m*rder someone,

I'm liable even though I couldn't foresee the intended use?

I think that's off the point.

It's on point.

The law requires reasonable behavior,

not being able to predict the weird chain of events...

that you're talking about.

I'd say you have what it takes.

Okay, here's our offer.

You pay , compensation for the shakes,

, damages.

You're nuts. What abut my damages?

I agree. You're in a hole, Joe.

I'd rather take our chances with the jury.

All right. , total.

Stop bargaining!

I never wanted to settle! I let you talk me into this,

but I won't stand here and beg.

You should reconsider.

Joe will tell you, I carved up your expert.

I don't need an expert. I'm in the right here.

Guess again.

What the jury sees is a guy

who's got a lot of emotional problems

who wants the world to pay for what
-
-

And what about what you're carrying around, Miss Bloom?

What about your weight?

That's not the issue here, Mr. McArthur.

The hell it's not! You're in denial!

you can't even admit you've got a problem!

And instead of dealing with it,

instead of losing your weight, you b*at me up!


-That's garbage!
-Is it?

You know how I feel.

But you make jokes about me.

Well, whether you like it or not, Miss Bloom,

you're one of us!

You're just sleeping with the enemy!

Dr. Leeson,

as the district's Special Education Administrator,

do you believe you were providing Ricky Berg

with the legally mandated appropriate education?

Yes. Ricky has regular sessions

with speech and physical therapists.

We've also started a home tutoring program.

We've seen improvement in his concentration

and his ability to respond to direct questions.

The home tutoring seems to be helping his, uh, interaction.

Do you care what happens to Ricky Berg, Dr. Leeson?

Of course I do. We all do.

I just wish Mrs. Berg believed that.

I have no further questions.

Dr. Leeson,

if you're giving Ricky Berg appropriate education,

why are so many of his skills measurably lower today

than they were when he came to Woodrow Wilson a year and a half ago?

Part of the challenge of working with kids like Ricky

is that no one knows what's going to get through to them

from one day to the next.

Doctor, if Ricky Berg were your son,

would it be okay if he spent most of his school day in a closet?


-Objection.
-I'll allow it.

It's not a closet.

There are no hangers, no coats, no coat racks.

Was it a closet before you needed a place to stick Ricky Berg?

Objection.

Was Ricky Berg's private classroom ever a closet?

Yes. But he's not there alone.

When Ricky's calm enough, he and an aide

work towards specific goals,

using puzzles and picture books.

But he's not with a qualified teacher.

He's not with other children, is he?

No.

So, if you were Ricky Berg's parent,

would you be satisfied if he spent

most of his school day inside a former closet with a babysitter?

Knowing what I know about Ricky

and about Woodrow Wilson...

yes, I would be satisfied.

No further questions.

If that's your last witness, Mr. LaPorte,

I'll hear closing arguments.

Your Honor, our request is delayed to produce a rebuttal witness.

Your Honor, either she has the witness or she doesn't.

He is reluctant to testify,

but I think he will.

You have hours, Miss Van Owen.

Thank you.

Lyle Kendrick wasn't just selling health food,

he was selling hope.

People like him prey on more

than their victim wallets.

They prey on their dreams.

If Mr. Kendrick ripped off old people

by promising them relief from pain or aging,

if he swindled the handicapped or minorities,

there'd be no question as to his liability.

But fat people? They're a joke.

How can you hurt them?

Well, you can.

And he did.

Corliss McArthur has a serious illness.

Lyle Kendrick pretended to be his friend.

He held out health and hope

and the promise of a better life.

He betrayed Mr. McArthur's trust

That betrayal should have a price.

Lyle Kendrick is not responsible

for Corliss McArthur's problem.

He is not a therapist, nor a nutritionist.

He's a businessman trying to sell his product.

And Mr. McArthur chose to buy that product

of his own free will.

How dare they!

How dare they suggest that an entire class of people

are more gullible, more suggestable,

and less able to look out for their own best interests,

simply because they are fat.

[chuckles]

They want you to believe

that all fat people are alike.

Why?

Because then they don't have to deal with us as individuals.

They can claim that we're all driven by the same demons.

That we're so fragile in our self
-image,

so unstable that physical as*ault,

like the att*ck on my client,

is somehow justified.

There are good fat people and bad fat people.

There are sloppy fat people and neat fat people.

There are well
-balanced fat people

and there are unstable fat people.

Corliss McArthur is an unstable man

who battered my client.

It has nothing to do with his being fat.

And if you decide that it does,

then you diminish us all.

Tell everybody that we are people,

not profiles.

And that each one of us is different.


-Hi.
-Hi.


-Come on in.
-Thank you.

Ricky's a winner! You won!

Hey! All right!

You are a winner!

Ricky, this is Miss Van Owen.

Hi, Ricky. Look, there's an elf in here.

Wanna see it?

That's neat!

Uh, Grace, this is Dan Bardwell, Ricky's favorite teacher.

This is Grace Van Owen, my new attorney.


-Hi.
-Hi.

Are you sure you don't want me to stick around,

help get Ricky to bed?

No, it's okay. I can take care of it.

But, um, Grace, would like to talk to you.

Ronnie, we've been over this.

Dan, I know, and I wasn't gonna ask you again, but...

Can put away...now.

Sweetie, come on.

Come on, let go brush your teeth, okay?

You like that, huh? Come on.

Good boy.

Good night. Okay. Bye.

Veronica tells me you think that

Ricky should move back to Logan.

I need you to tell that to a judge.

Did she also tell you that if I testify

against the school district, I'll lose my job?

They can't fire you if you testify.

They can't do that.

So they'll come up with some other reason.

Then we'll take them to court.

I'll represent you. No fee.

Will you feed my kids when I'm on unemployment?

And the students I leave behind,

will you finish teaching them for the rest of the year?

I could subpoena you.

I won't be cooperative.

I won't lie, but I won't say anything that'll help you either.

I don't need your help.

Ricky needs your help.

Do you think I come here three nights a week

if I didn't want to help Ricky?

I want to.

I want what's best for him.

Then tell that to the court.

I care for them all, Miss Van Owen.

For Ricky, yes,

but also for John and Kara

and Billy and Rachel and a dozen more.

And some of them are far more disabled than Ricky.

I owe them something, too.

I'm sorry.

Your Honor, counsel is supposed to produce a witness,

not a media show.

I will produce a witness,

but this tape is relevant to his testimony.

Objection overruled,

but let's get on with it, Miss Van Owen.

Your Honor, about two months after this home movie was made,

the little boy, Eli King,

was diagnosed with cerebral palsy,

autism and an auditory learning disability

very much like Ricky Berg.

Now that was years ago.

Your Honor, I would like you to meet Eli King.

Where did you go to school, Eli?

I graduated from Grover Cleveland High School.

And what about when you were a little boy?

I went to the Logan Institute.

And today, do you have a job at the public library?

Yes!

I put away books and c
-c
-c
-c...

Do you need some help, Eli?

Uh, yes, I do.

Catalog.

Yes! I
-I c
-c
-c
-catalog new
-new
-new books.

Grace: Do you get paid for your work?

Yes, and I just got a raise, too.

Grace: Congratulations.

Thank you.

Do you support yourself?

My
-my parents...help.

But I do most of it.

Thank you, Eli.

No more questions.

Hi, Eli.

Who brought you here today?

Grace and Miss Raulerson.

How long were you at Logan?

Until ninth grade.

Oh. Eight years.

And then you went to a public high school.

Yes.

Did you learn as much at the public high school

as you did at Logan?

Yes!

I did!

Thank you, Eli.

Judge: Has the jury reached a decision?

We have, Your Honor.

"On the claim of as*ault and battery,

"we find for Mr. Kendrick,

"and order damages in the amount of $,.

"And on the cross claim of fraud and false advertising,

"we find for Mr. McArthur,

and order damages in the amount of $,."

Well, I'll be damned.

Well, it would seem the scales of justice

have balanced out.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, thank you.


-We are adjourned.
-Sorry.

I know you called me unstable,

but I'd still like to thank you for what you said.

Your Honor, have you ever had one of those dreams

where someone is talking to you,

but you don't understand them?

No matter how hard you concentrate,

you cannot figure out what the words mean?

Now imagine experiencing the whole world like that.

Everything you see or touch or smell

makes no sense to you.

It's all chaotic and
-and frightening.

Now imagine that you only have partial control

of your own body,

and the world is this constant, clamoring jumble

that you're supposed to navigate somehow.

Well, that's what Ricky Berg experiences every day.

But somehow, the Logan Institute

made contact with Ricky,

and they helped him to communicate.

They helped him to recognize shapes and colors.

They helped him take a tricycle

and make it do what he wanted it to do.

And what did Woodrow Wilson Elementary School do?

They put him in a closet.

And because they cannot provide Ricky

with an appropriate education,

they want you to believe that no one can.

They want you to think

that this is unnecessary spending,

when the truth is,

the more we, the taxpayers, spend on Ricky now,

the more we save in the long run.

Ricky Berg can be as independent as Eli King.

But until the public schools can fulfill their obligations

to a child like Ricky,

sending him back to Logan is not just the right thing to do,

not just the legally correct thing to do,

it is the responsible thing to do.

Thank you.

Your Honor,

in an ideal world,

every child would have his own teacher,

his own computer,

the best textbooks.

And for a disabled child,

a whole battery of therapists.

In the real word,

the state of California

gets about $, per child per year.

Now, if they're going to have to pay

private tuition out of that,

they're going to have to cut a lot of services.

And I'm not talking about intramural sports and art supplies.

They lost those tow or three budgets ago.

I'm talking about science equipment

and desks and books...

and teachers.

The law says that the state must provide

every disabled child with an appropriate education,

not the best that money can buy.

The school district can give Ricky Berg

an appropriate, beneficial education

in a mainstream environment.

Let them do it.

Let Ricky Berg get on with the business of learning.

On my desk, tomorrow, A.M.

Arnie, these depositions have to be filed by : today!

So I'm not tracking. Is there a problem?

Yes. Another late night.

Excuse me, Gwen!

I have to be on the air in minutes.

The last thing I have time for are your problems.

[scoffs]

There is no question that public school funding

in this state is disgraceful.

And that cost is an appropriate and necessary consideration

in these situations.

But the bottom line is a beneficial education.

While it may be cost
-effective

to put this child in a closet with an aide,

I find it neither educationally beneficial

nor the least restrictive environment.

I am upholding the finding of the administrative hearing officer

and order that Ricky Berg

be reenrolled in the Logan Institute

until a truly appropriate public school program

can be found or designed for him.

This hearing is adjourned.

Thank you!

Oh, my pleasure.

Nicely done.

Grace, Mrs. Berg?

The School Board will file an appeal, of course.

Wish I could afford you for the next round.

Well...you can.

Sure.

Thank you.

seconds to floor.

Thank you.


-How do I look?
-Fabulous.

You've come a long way in five weeks.


-You think so?
-Definitely.

You have mastered the art of video foreplay.

In three, two, one...

[music]

We're back withe legal eagle Arnold Becker.

Arnie, what do you say we go back to the phones?

We have time for one more call.

Agnes from the City of Industry is on the line.

She's got a problem at work.

Hi. Tis is Arnie Becker. How can I help you?

Woman, Southern accent: Mr. Becker,

I have a problem at work.

I feel like a sl*ve.

I'm sorry to say that's not unusual.

My boss keeps giving me more and more work to do.

Sometimes he threatens to fire me unless I stay late.

That's really unfair.

Oh, I think so, too.

Isn't there anything I can do?

What do you think, Arnie?

It doesn't sound like she has enough for harassment.

Now, if he had propositioned her
-
-

Oh, oh, he's done that, several times.

Well, once, he even seduced me

right in his office.

You're kidding.

I certainly hope she can sue this slime.

Absolutely. In fact, you've got yourself

one hell of a lawsuit.

Agnes, at the very least,

I'd say you're looking at the high six figures.

Wow!

This is assuming that he's got the money.

What does the creep do for a living?

Well, that's just it. You'd think he'd know better.

He's a lawyer.

A lawyer?

Right. Someone who should be able to sympathize

with someone going to law school.

Law school?

[regular voice] That's what I said, Arnie.

I think maybe you should try talking to him again.

Forget talk. Sue the miserable pig.

[accent] Can I include pain and suffering?

Agnes, let's not be too hasty.

People can change.

Now, you sound like an exceptionally fair
-minded person.

Why not avoid litigation? Give him one last chance.

Negotiate. Maybe you'll get everything that you want.

Why, do you really think so?

I've got a very good feeling about this.

Give it a sh*t.

And if that doesn't work, then sue him.

Well, thank you for the advice, Arnie.

And thank you all for watching.

That's the news for now.

♪♪ [theme]