The American Law Program (ALP) is a program jointly sponsored by the Jagiellonian University Law School and the Columbus School of Law of The Catholic University of America. The Program, taught by Catholic University law professors, provides students a foundation in the law and legal system of the United States using American legal education methods.
In our series of performances within The Film Project it is time for a legal comedy (and this isn’t „Legally Blonde”). „My Cousin Vinny” is a story about two New Yorkers traveling through rural area of Alabama accused of murder they didn’t commit. The funny part presents attempts of a cousin, Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci), a young lawyer, to defend them. Marisa Tomei (acting as Vinny’s fiance) won an Oscar for The Best Supporting Actress for her role in this movie.
The performance will take place on Tuesday, 3rd of March just after the lecture of professors Klein and Barry (that means 6:05pm). The professors will be our guests on that event and after it we’ll discuss the movie and other topics in one of the cafeterias on Bracka Street. I recommend you to come. It will be fun and we’ll have opportunity to get to know our professors better.
On Tuesday, 1/20 another The Film Project performance will take place. This time we’re going to see an extraordinarily interesting documentary: „The Corporation”.
The movie was released in 2003 and created much rumour around. During the performances on movie festivals around the world it has won 26 international awards, 10 international audiance choice awards and was given Genie Award in the cathegory of documentary. In it’s cast we can see so colourful people as Milton Friedman, Michael Moore, Naomi Klein and Noam Chomsky. It has been released in Poland only on DVD, and it’s hard to buy or rent it in our country.
That’s how the producers advertise the movie:
„In law, a corporation is a “person”. But what kind of person is it?
„The Corporation” engages in a lively, critical exploration of the dominant institution of our time — its inner workings, curious history, controversial impacts, and possible futures.
Case studies, anecdotes, and true confessions expose influences in both the corporate and anticorporate worlds. With dark wit, footage from pop culture, advertising, TV news, and corporate propaganda, the film illuminates the corporation’s grip on our lives.
„The Corporation” asks: What are the consequences—for human beings, democracy, and the ecology—of granting immense power to a structurally amoral institution, whose overriding priority is to create wealth for its shareholders?
As worldwide concern about the growth of corporate power intensifies, „The Corporation”canvasses insiders, outsiders, radicals, and conservatives, in 40 interviews with CEOs, whistleblowers, brokers, gurus, and a corporate spy.”
I also remind you that prof. Wyrsch, who is an expert on the issue will be our guest in watching and discussing the movie after the performance and I strongly recommend you all to come and join us.
Congratulations to Piotr Brych for excellent choice of film for the Thursday Film Project!
Other movies on similar topics: The Rainmaker, and a more bitter and disillusioned A Civil Action (also Class Action which is not as good in my opinion). Should you have interest, we a have thick book at our Program containing the original briefs, transcripts and other documents from the Civil Action litigation.
In a cases like these, it might be important for the plaintiffs’ attorney to form a class. In Poland, the Ministry of Justice recently published a draft of the law on “group proceedings” (draft and justification).
Another lesson for me in this film is how unhelpful are the restrictions on lawyer advertising. Erin Brockovich handed out fliers and visited people at home to let them know about the suit. A door-step lawyer is a controversial thing. But without the possibility of spreading the information by lawyers on their services, justice would not be served in such cases.
