Erin Brockovich gained fame and notoriety for her role in battling the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in California.  Brockovich did not gain this fame as a high powered lawyer, however.  At the time of her work fighting for the rights of more than 600 residents in Hinkley, California, she was a divorced mother of three trying to make ends meet while raising three children.  She found work with Masry & Vititoe, a legal firm that represented her in a traffic accident case that had left her seriously injured.  Brockovich began work for the firm as a file clerk, and discovered medical records that uncovered a massive case of deception and poisoning in the town of Hinkley.  Through Brockovich's committed investigation it was confirmed that Pacific Gas and Electric had been leaking chromium 6 into the ground water of the town.  This led to the largest toxic tort settlement in US history. 

Brockovich's real heroism, perhaps, was shown with what she did with her notoriety after this major success.  In 2001 she aired “Challenge America with Erin Brockovich,” a televised effort to rebuild a downtrodden town in Manhattan.  She then aired three seasons of  “Final Justice with Erin Brockovich,” a program devoted to celebrating women who have overcome adversity.  She continues to consult and represent communities worldwide in environmental safety cases, championing the fight for clean, healthy facilities and communities. 

Brockovich's overarching philosophy, that which governs the cases she takes on and the battles she fights, is that people have a right to know what is affecting them.  She fights deceit, hoping to reveal truth and champion awareness, particularly regarding matters of health.  She says, “If you follow your heart, if you listen to your gut, and if you extend your hand to help another, not for any agenda, but for the sake of humanity, you are going to find the truth.”

Submitted by: Karen Langdon