All language subtitles for L.A. Law S08E13 Age of Insolence

Previously on L .A. Law.

After a very brief deliberation, the
partners here would like to express

unanimously their feeling that you would
represent a significant asset to this

firm. We would like to extend to you an
invitation to join our firm. Should

there be any doubt, the offer is an
offer of partnership.

It just takes so much courage for you to
be this honest in front of a couple of

strangers like this.

I'm really not surprised to see how
brave you are.

Because that's what it took to give your
baby up for adoption, didn't it?

She loves us, Tammy.

She's just a little baby, but we feel
her love and her trust.

She knows we're her mommy and dad. No,
I'm her mama!

I hereby find the circumstances of Tammy
Harris' life too significantly changed,

making reasonable the withdrawal of her
consent.

I further grant her petition for habeas
corpus.

Bailiff, please deliver the baby to Miss
Harris.

We can't find a way to avoid this trial?

I don't see how, Your Honor. Ms.
Heberton adopted this little girl more

years ago.

Mr. Connolly's attempt to assert his
parental rights at this late date we

as both self -serving and wholly
inimical to the best interests of this

Your Honor, the fact that we're doing
this when we are isn't because of my

client. It took him a year and a half to
find this child, and having done that,

we've met with delay after delay
engineered by Ms. Heberton and her

The delays were not engineered, Mr.

Angeletti. We want to resolve this every
bit as much as you do. Is there any

possibility... For shared custody.

My client feels that that would only
confuse the child.

It's time for the little girl to come
home to her father. That's what we want.

Miss Kelsey? Your Honor, Emily is my
daughter.

I am not willing to share custody of
her.

Mr. Conley, I assume your lawyer is
speaking for you when he says the same

thing? Yes, Your Honor. I'm not willing
to share custody either.

Look, this woman might have named her,
but that doesn't mean that she has the

right to raise her.

She's my daughter.

I want to raise her.

All right.

We'll start at 2 o 'clock this
afternoon.

I would ask both sides to refrain from
making any inflammatory statements to

press. I don't want this to be any more
public than it absolutely has to be.

Your Honor? How much of an issue is
going to be made about the respective

characters of Miss Hebert and Mr.
Conley? We've been specifically

the judge in this case not to make any
statements that inflame the proceedings,

and I'm going to abide by that. I think
my adversary is being overly fastidious.

The truth is, before we get down here,
both these people's pants are going to

down around their ankles.

You yourself adopted a child, didn't
you, Miss Kelsey, a little girl?

Thank you. I don't have anything more to
say. Laura?

I'm just wondering, has that experience
led you to taking this case? I'm not

answering any questions.

I just wanted to share that with you.

I think we ought to show some fiscal
responsibility.

Haven't you heard, Douglas? Eat, drink,
be merry, for tomorrow you die.

Wow, what's this about?

That's the only skirmishing preliminary
to the partnership meeting.

Ah. Yeah, we're voting on how to split
up the profits this quarter. The

renovations took a big chunk out of our
first quarter earnings.

The renovations are finished, Douglas.
Why do we work like dogs if we can't

enjoy the fruits of our labor?

We can discuss this later.

Haberton versus Conley. Laura Haberton
is a single mother who adopted a baby

girl two and a half years ago, and now
the birth father is suing for custody.

Tough one to win, no? If the judge's
primary concern is the best interest of

child, I'm okay. If it's the rights of
the father, then we're dead.

What inspired the father to be doing
this?

Part of it is that he wants to have a
daughter, and part of it is that he's

the birth parents network behind him.
What is that? It's an organization

dedicated to asserting the rights of the
birth parents over the adoptive

parents. There you are. urging him on,
providing legal counsel, and covering

whatever other expenses are involved.

So this encompasses more than just the
parties of interest.

You might say that, yeah.

Churchill versus Bowles. Madeline
Churchill works for the main branch of

.A. City Library.

She's been repeatedly harassed by a
fellow librarian she's suing. How does a

librarian harass somebody?

Very quietly.

This is a rather unusual case. Madeline
faints any time she hears vulgarity or

sexual innuendo. Most of the other
employees have been quite considerate in

accommodating her situation, but the
defendant has chosen to make sport of

She faints?

She faints.

So this is a mental condition?

I wouldn't call it a mental condition. I
prefer to think of it as a heightened

sensitivity. How heightened is it? What
do you mean?

How vulgar a vulgarity, how sexual a
sexual innuendo does it take?

I don't know, Arnold.

Hey, if anybody could make her faint,
you could.

However eccentric Madeline may seem, the
fact remains that someone has made her

workplace intolerable.

I think the basis for the lawsuit is
legitimate, and I expect to win.

Yeah, okay, I'll see you later.

Conference room's all booked up.

Where are we going to go? To the safe
room. Is it set up? Well, set up.

What is the safe room, please?

It's the place we're supposed to go when
we're under attack.

They've got a phone in here and they put
some lights in there.

Come.

Can I talk to you?

Sure. What's up?

It's about the partner meeting.

Ah.

The... First time you passed me over for
partnership, you said it was because of

finances.

Mm -hmm.

It was.

You asked me to be patient, and I was.

Since then, you've taken on two new
partners ahead of me.

Well, they both had been partners at
other firms.

I've been here seven years, Leland.

I've made more than my share of rain.
I've handled more than my share of high

-stakes cases, and I don't think I've
been found wanting.

You're right.

Far from it. I think I'm due.

Well, I can't make you any promises.

But I will bring the matter up.

Thanks.

So, Miss Halliday, since when does
Mackenzie Brackman get involved with

like this?

Harrisman isn't nonsense.

Did I ever lay a hand on you? You
repeatedly and deliberately made her

intolerable, Mr. Bowles. Miss Churchill
is completely within her rights to seek

damages. Let me be a pragmatist for half
a minute.

Let's say that you're right.

Let's say that this poor woman was
harassed. What do you think you're going

come away with?

My client has $73 in the bank.

You're aware of our demands. If he finds
another job, we'll drop the suit.

Forget it. These are fascist mind games,
and I'm not giving in to them. Ever

since you came to work at the library,
your every intention has been to debase

me. Untrue. And poison the atmosphere
I'd come to love.

Look, profanity is part of lingua
franca. You know what I mean? At this

history, that is the way people talk. It
isn't the way I talk, Mr. Bowles.

Well, that may be because you are
something of a tight ass.

Oh, dear.

Mr. Peters, due to the fact that my
client has somewhat of a delicate

would ask that your client control his
language.

She has a delicate nature. She wants to
rule the world. And if we're not careful

in the 21st century, she and women like
her will. Carver.

Please, let's try to return to the
business at hand. We are not androids,

Madeline, nor are we pure thought. We
are all of us raging, devouring sexual

carnivores. Mr. Peters, once again, I
would ask that you put a muzzle on your

client. Put a muzzle on me? She's suing
me, and you want to put a muzzle on me?

F*** you.

F*** the both of you.

Look at her.

Great.

Mr. Conley, would you please tell the
court who Maureen Booker is?

She's the mother of my little girl.

Objection. Ms. Booker has waived her
parental rights. Let the record reflect

that the witness's response is taken to
mean biological mother only.

Had you and Ms. Booker made arrangements
regarding the custody of this child?

After she got pregnant, we agreed to get
married.

Then she changed her mind.

So we agreed to split up and share
custody when the baby was born.

And then what happened?

Well, just before the baby was due,
Maureen disappeared.

I tried to find her, but nobody knew
where she was.

Then six months later, she showed up and
told me that the baby had died.

Did you believe her?

Yeah, I believed her. I couldn't imagine
that anyone would lie about something

like that.

What, if anything, happened to change
your belief?

One night, one of her friends called me
up and told me that the baby didn't die,

that Maureen had put it up for adoption.

And what did you do?

I hired a private investigator.

He looked for her for about six months,
but when I ran out of money, he stopped

looking.

Then I read about Birth Parents Network.

I made a phone call.

Went to a meeting, and suddenly I had
this whole organization that was willing

to help me. I mean, they paid for good
private investigators. They paid for

Mr. Angeletti.

They're the reason that I found my
daughter. What steps, if any, have you

in anticipation of being awarded the
custody of your daughter?

Well, I enrolled myself in a substance
abuse program and got myself straight.

That's the first thing.

Then I got a job, I got a decent place
to live, and I made arrangements with my

mother to take care of my daughter while
I'm at work.

Mr. Conley.

If two years ago you'd been asked to
waive your parental rights, would you

done so?

No. No, I wouldn't have.

I wouldn't have waived them then, and I
don't waive them now.

I have nothing further.

Mr. Connolly, is it your desire to act
in what would be considered the best

interests of your daughter?

Of course it is.

You are of the belief, are you not, that
her best interests are served by being

given over to you?

That's correct.

But it's safe to assume that the
biological mother of this child felt

Objection. Speculation.

Sustained. Were you drinking while Miss
Booker was pregnant, sir?

I was then. I'm not now.

Were you using amphetamines?

I was then. I'm not now.

Did you ever become physically violent
with her while she was pregnant? It

happened once.

She might have even had something to do
with it. In other words, it was

justified.

No, it wasn't. You would agree, would
you not, that placing a child in the

custody of an individual who has a
drinking problem, who has a drug

is prone toward physical violence, in
all likelihood, would not be in the best

interest of that child?

Objection. Yes, I would agree.
Overruled. I do not like that anymore.

That's right, I'm not.

I'm also that child's father.

I have no further questions.

I'm her real father.

Mr. Conley. And I'm the one who should
be raising her, too. Mr. Conley, I'll

have to ask you to step down now.

Yes, Your Honor.

would you tell us about your
relationship with Brian Connolly?

We were together about six months.

It didn't work out.

Why not?

A lot of reasons.

He's got a temper. He drinks.

When I got pregnant, we were going to
get married.

But I thought about what my life would
be like and what my kids' life would be

like.

And I said, no way.

Why did you put your baby up for
adoption?

I was just out of high school.

I wasn't ready to be a mother.

I met Miss Heberden and decided to do
what was best for my kid.

Did you know that Mr. Connolly wanted
custody?

That's not what he said then.

He wanted me to raise it so he could
come and visit once in a while.

He didn't want the responsibility.

I couldn't even get him to chip in for
medical expenses.

Did you consider having an abortion?

I don't really believe in abortion.

On the other hand, if I thought the
alternative was to have Brian raise her,

probably would have considered it. Why?

He wasn't any more ready to raise a kid
than I was.

Thank you. I have nothing further.

Ms. Booker, the time of your breakup
with Mr. Conley, were you seeing other

I was seeing another man.

One man.

Did he have money?

Objection. Irrelevant.

Sustained. Laura Heberton has money,
doesn't she?

Objection. Sustained. How much did Laura
Heberton pay you, Ms. Booker?

She paid for my medical expenses. That's
it.

You say that Mr. Conley refused to pay
for your medical expenses.

That's right. You disappeared before the
baby was due.

And then you didn't get in touch with
him again for six months. And when you

did, you said that the baby was dead.

Did you really give him a chance to pay
for those medical expenses?

It wouldn't have mattered.

How do you know?

I know Brian.

Isn't what happened was that you wanted
to hurt Brian?

And you wanted to leave yourself
unencumbered? And what better way to

both those things than by denying him
the child that was his? I care about

child as much as anyone in this room.

I gave her up because I thought it was
best for her.

She could be loved.

She could have someone to take care of
her.

And as painful as it was, I don't regret
it for a second.

I did what was right.

Have you visited your child, Ms. Booker?

No. The truth is, you have no idea what
kind of a parent Laura Heberton is, do

you?

I think she's a good parent.

I'm sure it's comforting for you to
think that, isn't it?

Objection. Withdrawn. I have nothing
further.

Before we begin the deposition, I would
like to remind Mr. Bowles that certain

words and phrases are extremely
discomforting to my client, and I don't

to subject her to them.

In the interest of expediting the
matter, my client has agreed to refrain

vulgarity. When did you start working at
the library, Mr. Bowles?

Last November.

Would you describe your duties?

I put the books back on the shelf. I
worked the checkout desk.

Bounced the homeless people that got too
stinky.

General library duties.

Were you ever told about Miss
Churchill's sensitivity to language?

I was told she fainted. Having been told
that she fainted, did you ever act in

such a way as to cause her to faint?

Well, apparently I did.

Did you do so deliberately?

No, I did not.

Did you ever use profane language when
speaking to Miss Churchill?

I'm a human being. I speak in the
colloquial vernacular of the age.

is a pain in the ass. In other words,
you resented her.

Every day there was a new rule. One day
there was no jeans. The next day there

was no gum. The next day there was a
memo about the proper forms of

I was seeking a certain minimal level of
decorum. Is that why you told me I

couldn't handle any 19th century
additions?

I told you. I told you that because your
fingernails were ill -kept. More rules.

Rules? Rules of conduct, Mr. Bowles, are
in the end what define us as a

civilization. Let me tell you something.

Rules and repression start with the
genitalia and they work their way

until they imprison the mind.

Could we get back to the deposition,
please?

Read Fahrenheit 451 sometime.

Read Philip K. Dick. I thought that we
had agreed on something.

It's a name. That's his name. Philip K.
Dick. Did you not taught her on a daily

basis, Mr. Bowles? Did you not do
everything in your power to make

work utter...

I used words.

At first, I used them in the course of
ordinary conversation.

Then, when the philosophical
ramifications of her repressive attitude

language sunk in, I used them
deliberately.

I used words to describe the human
excretory function.

I used words to describe the human
sexual function. I used words to

define human existence.

It was intolerable for her to hear them.
Well, it was intolerable to me to be

prohibited from using them. Oh, yeah.

Every now and then I would come up to
her.

I'd lean in and I would whisper.

Madeline?

Well, she beat me too at that time.

Something has come up we have to discuss
before we can proceed.

What's that?

Jonathan Rollins approached me this
afternoon.

He thinks it's time we made him a
partner.

Partnership decisions are made in June.
This is February.

I realize that.

Jonathan would like a decision now.

That's a little cheeky, isn't it?
Douglas, we told him two years ago he

being passed over because the firm was
in financial straits.

Clearly, that's not the case anymore.

How do you define financial straits? Do
we have more money than we need? I don't

think so. He's also young. He hasn't
been an associate for a terribly long

He also took a year off. Jonathan is one
of the best litigators in the city, and

everybody in this room knows it. I don't
think anyone's arguing that.

The truth is, that's not an appropriate
criteria.

This would have a negative financial
impact on everyone in this room.

Well, that's true whenever you take on a
new partner, Douglas. Does that mean we

should never do it? It means we do it as
dispassionately as possible.

Let's put it to a vote.

Blind ballot.

Given that I don't feel comfortable
being part of this decision, I'm just

to listen.

I can't thank you enough for all the
trouble you've taken, Miss Halliday.

I'm truly sorry to be such a burden.

You're not a burden, Madeline. You're a
client.

Just the same.

All these scenes, all this fainting.

It's quite embarrassing.

I'm sorry that you're embarrassed. You
needn't be.

Okay, we have mints. Apple, Earl Grey.

Have you any valerian root?

No, I don't see any.

Um, chamomile.

Chamomile will be fine. Sugar?

Please. Madeline Churchill.

Yes. Arnold Becker. How do you do?

Very well, thank you. I've been
following your case. Have you? Yes, I

like to afford our clients the benefit
of various points of view here,

notwithstanding that Jane is as capable
as any attorney here. Yes.

Miss Halliday is doing a wonderful job,
and under rather difficult

circumstances.

As you may or may not know, our opponent
is something of a cat.

He keeps using those upsetting words,
doesn't he?

Yes, he does.

We should probably get back to work.

Just one second.

I find you to be a fascinating woman.

I'm sorry, was that too forward? No.

The relations between the sexes is my
bailiwick, so to speak, hence my

curiosity. So I find myself wondering,
is it the word or the...

implication of the word that gets you
upset.

Arnie, I really need to get Madeline
going here.

I'm not sure I know the difference, Mr.
Becker. Some words are exclusively

sexual. They either refer to genitalia
or various sexual acts, whereas other

words acquire their sexual meaning from
the context in which they're used.

Arnie. A restaurant chain is called
Hooters.

Now, if you infer that that name refers
to the waitress's breasts rather than to

Al's, would that cause you to faint?

Contrary to what you may think, Mr.
Becker, I am not a knave.

I know to what the name of these
restaurants refers.

And while I choose not to patronize such
an establishment, neither would the

name cause me to faint. If a man told
you that he was going to go home to

the bishop... Okay, Arnie, that's all we
have time for. One more, one more, one

more.

A woman walks into a room full of men
and asks, which one of you is Eric? Now,

if you were to hear this as which one of
you is erect, thereby conjuring up

images of orgiastic behavior, multiple
penetration and so forth, would that

cause you to faint?

My God, it works.

Your Honor, once again, I would argue
this witness is not qualified to testify

as an expert.

She's a psychologist, Your Honor, board
certified.

She's been associated with the American
Birth Parents Network since its

inception, Your Honor. She's here as an
advocate. And I'm sure you'll cross

-examine her accordingly. The witness
may testify.

Dr. Spahr, would you please state for
the court your field of specialization?

I deal with families who have suffered
through the trauma of adoption,

Parents who have lost their children or
children who have lost their parents.

Characterize for us, if you will, the
effect of such loss.

Objection. Counsel is dealing in
meaningless generalities. The issue of

per se should be considered here.

The objection is overruled.

Witness can answer.

Most children who have been adopted
spend their lives trying to puzzle out

identity in a way that other people
can't understand.

No matter how much their adoptive
parents love them, these children grow

feeling like a part of themselves is
missing.

Adopted children live with a sense of
having been abandoned by their parents.

It's a tremendous burden to carry. And
how do these children respond?

Objection. Excessively broad.
Excessively vague.

Overruled.

Adopted children can respond in any
number of ways. Some are more effective

others. But the range of response
includes behavior that is quite

whether it be eating disorders or drug
abuse or criminality.

The healthiest solution for an adopted
child is to seek out his or her birth

parent and establish a relationship with
them.

In your opinion, Doctor, At what age is
it better to let things be? At what age

is it better for a child not to be taken
from its adoptive parents?

If a birth parent stands ready, willing,
and able to make a home for that child,

I believe that child is better off with
their birth parent at whatever

age. Thank you, Doctor.

Would you concede, Ms. Farr, that at the
present time, Brian Connolly is in fact

a stranger to this child?

First off, Ms. Kelsey, I would ask that
you refer to me as doctor, as I have in

fact earned that credential.

And as to your question, no, I would not
concede that Mr. Connolly is a

stranger. He is anything but a stranger.

And yes, I think a two -year -old child
would sense that.

And how would she sense that, Dr. Farr?

I have seen pictures of little Emily.

She has her father's eyes and her
father's chin.

If I can recognize that, so can she.
Have you ever met little Emily, Doctor?

No, I haven't.

Have you ever interviewed Laura
Heberton?

No, I haven't done that either.

And yet you're up here as an expert
witness, testifying as to what's in the

interest of this child.

Don't you find that a little odd,
Doctor?

No, Miss Kelsey, I don't find it in the
least bit odd. You see, I myself was

adopted.

I was rejected by my birth parents, not
once, but twice. The first time, when I

was born.

The second time, 28 years later, when I
finally located them.

Is it ever harmful to the child when the
birth parents make contact?

I'm 38 years old, Miss Kelsey.

Every year, on my birthday, I wait for a
card from my birth parents.

Is your expertise based on being a
psychologist or on the fact that you

adopted child?

It's based on both.

I have no further questions.

Come in.

I'm afraid the vote did not go as I had
expected.

I may have made a mistake by insisting
that the vote be taken at this time.

There were some who thought we should
wait until June when partnership

are usually made.

You think the results will be different
in three months?

I think so, yes.

Who voted against me?

It was a secret ballot.

I don't know.

Then how do you know they'll vote
differently in June?

Hey, Jonathan, how you doing?

Okay.

I spoke to Barry Glassman this morning.

Oh, yeah? Yeah, he and Faith said hi.

You know, we should all get together
sometime.

Sure. Have dinner?

Stuart

Markowitz.

What?

You voted against him.

Can we not talk about this here? How
could you vote against him?

Because I think occasionally we have to
exercise a little fiscal conservatism

around here.

Fiscal conservatism? Yeah.

Partnership decisions are made in June.
There's a reason for that, Ann. We have

rules around here for a reason. I can't
believe I'm hearing this. What are you

all of a sudden, Douglas MacArthur?

Ann, the fact is it's better for
Jonathan this way. It's better for his

situation. It's better for his buy -in
situation. I see. So you're just looking

out for his best interests. Yeah, your
sarcasm notwithstanding. I feel totally

justified. He saved your best friend's
life, and you feel totally justified.

Let me tell you what you did yesterday.

You caused a perfectly innocent, rather
fragile woman a tremendous amount of

embarrassment. After your little
performance yesterday, Madeline spent 20

minutes in the ladies' room weeping.

That woman is a client of this firm.
That entitles her to your protection as

well as mine.

You're right.

I'm sorry. Whatever sexual games you
might play with me, Arnie, does not give

you the right to involve an innocent
bystander.

Do it again and I'll gouge your eyes
out.

Miss Churchill, how long have you worked

at the public library?

Four years at the Wilshire branch and
ten years now at the main branch

Fourteen years.

And in that time, have you ever had any
trouble getting along with other

employees? Not at all.

You're right.

Well, there are occasional
misunderstandings, but for the most

librarians are diligent and considerate
workmates. Isn't it true, Miss

Churchill, that you've had three other
employees fired for nothing more than

offending your sensibilities?

Absolutely not.

Oh, well, I've got a letter here.

from Miss Melody Weagle. A terrible
laggard. She was routinely late for

Right. She said only happened a couple
of times.

Punctuality, Mr. Peters, is not an
occasional virtue.

What about Mr.

Kirk Dauphinese?

That man was a drunk.

He'd have a beer at his lunch.

He stank of liquor.

Kathy Twill. Miss Twill engaged in...

illicit activity in the library stack.

She was kissing her boyfriend.

They were doing more than kissing, Mr.
Bowles. Isn't it true that you cost

people their jobs, Miss Churchill? And I
think you're trying to do the same

thing to my client.

Your client is not a gentleman, sir.

Well, that happens not to be a crime,
Miss Churchill. You see, this is not

century England. It's 20th century Los
Angeles.

And you may not like it, but this is
where you live. I beg to differ with

Mr. Peters.

Time and culture are not a place, but a
state of mind.

In fact, I do not live in the 20th
century, nor do I have any intention of

doing so.

Fine.

Uh, I have no other questions.

Let's go to trial.

With all due respect, Miss Halliday,
your client's a lunatic.

We'll see you in court.

Why am I a lunatic, Mr. Peters?

Madeline, we're finished now. You don't
have to talk to him anymore. No, Jane,

I'm curious.

I go to work every day. I perform my
duties valiantly and well.

I treat my fellow man with kindness. My
standards of behavior are rigorous, I

admit, but I'm never mean -spirited
about the failure of my employees to

those standards.

What is it about my behavior which
suggests mental instability?

Well, look at you. Look at the way you
dress.

Excuse me, Jane.

Uh, Jane, they need the room.

Tell them that we're running a little
bit late.

Okay.

Mr. Bowles, I hardly think we are
sufficiently familiar with one another

to engage in a conversation about the
way in which I dress.

Miss Churchill, you can't force other
people to live like you.

You don't have that right.

Do you have the right to force me to
live like you?

In a world where violence is as common
as the common cold and common decency is

all but obsolete?

In this world, your world, Mr. Peters,
the sins of the flesh have nearly

annihilated the life of the mind.

Even the discussion of spirituality has
become an embarrassment.

People's very souls have shrunk.

Am I the lunatic because I will not
embrace this world?

Perhaps the Victorians were fragile
creatures whose mistakes were as grand

their achievements, but they...

bowed before beauty. They yearned for
grace.

They struggled for intellectual
integrity.

And they had manners.

I beg your pardon if I am reluctant to
exchange their values for yours.

Miss Heberton, could you tell the court
how you met Miss Booker?

I had placed advertisements with several
adoption agencies.

I paid an attorney who specializes in
adoptions.

Maureen contacted me when she was seven
months pregnant. I flew to Ohio to meet

with her.

When did you first learn about Mr.
Connolly? About two weeks before Emily's

first birthday.

Maureen called me to tell me that she
had heard through friends that he was

actively looking for the baby.

Did you try to contact Mr. Connolly at
that time?

No. Why didn't you? I was in a complete
panic, that's why.

I couldn't imagine what I would say to
him.

As soon as he contacted me, I hired you.

In contesting Mr.

Connolly's suit, do you believe that
you're doing what's best for your child?

the core of my being.

I was there when Emmy started to crawl.

I was there when she learned to walk.

I make her breakfast every morning. I
color with her. I pat her back at night

until she goes to sleep.

I am her whole world.

I'm sorry if Brian Connolly feels that
his rights have been violated.

Quite frankly, he is not my concern.

Emily is.

Thank you. I have no further questions.

How much did you pay the lawyer who
arranged this adoption?

Objection. Irrelevant. Sustained. How
much did you wind up paying Maureen

Booker? Objection. Irrelevant.
Sustained.

Are you able to have a child of your
own?

Objection. Irrelevant.

I'll allow it.

I have a child of my own, Mr. Angeletti.

I have a daughter.

Are you able to have children by giving
birth to them?

No.

Is it fair to say ma 'am that this is a
source of great frustration to you?

Yes.

And thanks to your financial resources
you've been able to overcome this

frustration haven't you? I assure you
sir that regardless of my financial

resources I would have found the money
to try and stop you people from taking

Emily away from me.

Does Emily have a nanny?

Yes she does. How many hours a week does
she spend with her?

I don't keep track week to week.

60? 70? I try to keep my work week to 40
hours.

Occasionally, I can't. Does Emily call
the nanny mommy?

Not that I know of, no.

Emily's seeing a child psychiatrist
right now, isn't she?

Yes. Why would a two -year -old need to
do that? This trial has taken a toll on

her. I'm upset, and she senses that.

You're upset, so your child sees a
psychiatrist.

Emily was taken to the emergency room at
Cedars -Sinai nine weeks ago. Was she

not?

Her arm was burned. She reached up to
the stove while I was making dinner and

spilled hot water on herself.

Do you think you're a good mother, Miss
Everton? Yes, I do. Would you

acknowledge it if you weren't?

Would you acknowledge that it might not
be in the best interests of this child

to remain with you rather than be
returned to her real parent? Objection!

her real parent.

I'm real because of what I do.

I'm real because I am the only mother
that Emily has ever known. That, Mr.

Angeletti, is real. I wonder if Emily
will agree with you when she finds out

she's adopted.

Objection! Sustained. You do intend to
tell her, don't you?

Yes.

When she's older.

I intend to tell her everything.

I have nothing further.

Laura, I think we should discuss this. I
don't want to discuss it, Hans. If we

discuss it, you're going to talk to me.

What is it you want to do, Miss
Heberden?

I want to make an offer, Laura.

Until now.

I've been unwilling to agree to any kind
of visitation.

I was concerned that Emily was too
young, that it would be upsetting for

I'm still concerned.

Okay, that said, I'm willing to try it.

I'm willing to see how some sort of
structured visitation goes.

Is that it?

If it's not upsetting to her, we can
increase it. Forget it, Miss Hebert, and

what you're offering is nothing.

Do you think it's nothing, Brian? Don't
talk to my client, Miss Kelsey. Talk to

me. I was hoping to get custody.

Do you know what that would do to her,
Brian?

You would be taking her away from the
only home that she's ever known.

Yes, we would, Miss Hepperton.

I'm sure the transition period would be
somewhat difficult, but we believe that

Emily, assuming that Brian decides to
continue calling her that, would get to

know a new home. We think that in time,
she'd come to barely remember either you

or your home.

Let's go, Brian.

Leland. Yes.

I want to talk to you about that
partnership issue.

You know, of course, if it was up to me,
you'd be a partner by now.

What I'd like more than anything is just
to do it by executive fiat and be done

with it. But this firm doesn't work that
way. I realize that. There are limits

to what I can do unilaterally. With all
due respect, Leland, I don't care.

I don't care about your limitations.

I don't care about your good intentions
anymore, Leland.

This is about business now.

I have to take care of business.

I would like to stay here at McKenzie
Brackman, but I won't if you're not

to make me a partner.

You have until 5 o 'clock today to make
a decision.

Jonathan, ultimatums are really not
appropriate here.

I expect to hear from you one way or
another, Leland.

I like you here.

How do you get it to do that, Pins?

Yes.

It's a great look. It kind of reminds me
of, um, what's her name? Kathy from

Wuthering Heights.

Kathy Earnshaw.

I think of her often.

You've read Wuthering Heights?

Oh, it's a book?

Yes.

I was surprised to receive your call,
Mr. Peters. I didn't think we had

more to talk about.

Did I?

However, my client seems to have had a
change of heart.

I was impressed by what you said
yesterday, Miss Churchill.

For the first time, I glimpsed the mind
and the soul that lay behind your

visage. I want to apologize for whatever
pain I may have caused you by the

grossest of my behavior.

If this is some kind of ploy, Mr.
Bowles... It's not. I realized that what

Churchill said was true, that I have not
been a gentleman, and to my surprise...

This realization was extraordinarily
painful to me.

I'm willing to accede to your demands.

Anything you want.

I'll quit. I'll give you money. You
don't have any money, Carter. Miss

has suffered grave distress in my hands.
I've been a brute.

You want some kind of medication?

Miss Churchill, last night I went home
and I read Bleak House.

Mr. Bowles.

I couldn't put it down.

Joe's death destroyed me. Oh, yes.

Yes, of course it did.

I had no idea.

I'll draw up the papers. I realize that
I have given you great pain. If you

could see into your heart and forgive
me, forgive a wretched, foolhardy man

me, perhaps we could have tea?

This is quite sudden, Mr. Bowles.

Are we ready to proceed with summations,
Counsel?

Ready, Your Honor.

We start from the premise that children
are best served when they're raised by

the people who brought them into being.

We have here two people, both claiming
the right to be awarded custody of a two

-year -old child. Her father and the
woman who adopted her. Your Honor, I'd

to stop this. Mr. Conley, your
attorney's in the middle of his

Your Honor, I want to withdraw my claim
for custody.

Your Honor, I would like a minute to
talk to my client.

I want to see both sides in chambers.

Your Honor, before anything gets said
here, I would like an opportunity to

consult with my client alone.

Do you want to talk to your attorney,
Mr. Conley?

No, I do not, Your Honor.

He doesn't want to talk to you, Mr.
Angeletti.

Are you formally withdrawing your
petition for custody, Mr. Conley? No, he

not. Mr.

Conley?

Yes, Your Honor.

If Miss Heberton is still willing to let
me see her once in a while, I'd

appreciate that.

I'm willing, yes.

All right, now, in the name of God, can
you be doing this?

My daughter is not a cause, Mr.

Angeletti. She's a two -year -old little
girl.

And I think the best thing for her right
now is for her to stay where she is.

I think that.

I know that you and the birth parents
network don't, but I do, and I'm her

father. Do you understand, Mr. Connolly,
that if you withdraw this action, you

will, in all likelihood, be precluded
from reinstituting it? Yes, I do.

Your daughter will never forgive you for
this.

Maybe she will, maybe she won't.

Why are we meeting in here? Space
shortage. Business is booming.

is booked till June. We need to build a
second conference room. We could knock

out a wall in one of the old offices.

No more renovation.

I also think it's appropriate we divvy
up the spoils in a room that was

to withstand attack from those outside.

Arnold.

Thank you.

Stuart. Thank you very much.

And this is Fran.

She thanks you very much.

We have some business to take care of
before we distribute checks.

What kind of business?

Jonathan Rollins has said that if we
don't make him a partner, he'll leave

firm. He wants a decision by 5 o 'clock
today.

Seriously? If the answer is no, he'll be
gone by tomorrow morning. He's

bluffing. We must also assume that if he
leaves, a considerable number of his

cases will go with him.

Basically, he's blackmailing us. He's
not doing anything of the kind, Douglas.

He's just forcing us to make up our
minds.

Yeah, but we did make up our minds. We
said no. And now he's telling us the

consequences that we don't change our
minds. I can't believe he'd stoop to

Why not? You would.

Does he want to stay? He says he does.
Then it seems to me we have no choice.

Frankly, I don't like the fact that
we're being forced into it. Neither do

This is not the way to take on a
partner. I would very much have

decision based on mutual respect and
affection among colleagues.

Since that option has passed us by, I
suggest we take this one.

You should know that if the day ever
comes when Brian Conley decides to seek

custody again, our organization will be
there in support of him. Dr. Farr,

neither my client nor I have anything to
say to you. We will be there in support

of him if he attempts to make contact
with his child.

We will be there in support of him if he
decides to go back into court. I don't

want to stand here, Anne. We will be
there in support of the birth mother if

ever attempts to make contact with her
child. Let's take the stairs.

Do you understand that the little girl
that you call your daughter is not your

daughter? That she has a place in this
world with people whose daughter she is?

Dr. Farr, I think you should stop this.
Do you understand that I am this little

girl?

No, you are not.