A Civil Action

1

On September 22 Skinner approves the settlement and releases the jurors. A few days after the ensuing press conference, Schlichtmann meets with the families to discuss how the money will be divided. They will each receive $375,000 in cash, and $80,00 five years later. This comes to $2.6 million, total, for the families. Schlichtmann’s firm receives $2.2 million in fees. Anne feels this is unfair. She has come to resent Schlichtmann in recent months and sees him as being patronizing to the families. By the end she feels that he never cared about them, but only his own career. Anne and another family hire a lawyer to dispute the amount of legal expenses Schlichtmann has claimed. Without complaint, he pays them the $80,000 that an accountant determines he owes them, as he knows he has been lavish with the expenses.

Trial Lawyers for Public Justice is also looking for money from the firm. They feel they are owed $648,000 from Anthony Roisman’s early participation and work in the case. Schlichtmann does not argue when they claim that he has mismanaged the case, but they manage to pay only $300,000 after a lengthy negotiation.