All language subtitles for Roman.J.Israel.Esq.2017.720p.BluRay.x264-YTS.AG

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( ♪♪♪ )

( COMPUTER BEEPS )

( ROMAN READING ON-SCREEN TEXT )

( COMPUTER KEYBOARD CLICKING )

ROMAN :
"PC section...

...374.962.

Burglary...

...in the first degree.

PC section...

...A374962...

...provides, in relevant part...

A person commits...

...the building which regularly
or intermittently is used...

( EDDIE KENDRICKS' "KEEP ON
TRUCKIN"' PLAYING AS RINGTONE )

...in place...

♪.. Keep on truckin', baby ♪♪

...of...

...which... "Hello?

"One resides in a period of 48..."

Yeah.

Yeah, of course I remember you.
That's why I gave you my card.

Yeah. Yeah. Ankle monitors don't
just fall off. You cut them off.

It's a big difference.

Because it's a violation.

- How you doing?
VERNITA : I'm here.

Well, I can't advise you to do that.

I hear banging.

( TELEPHONE RINGS )

VERNITA : William Henry Jackson.
- Well, open it. Heh.

Right, open it before they kick it in.

- Hello?
VERNITA : No.

- No. Dear Jesus.
ROMAN : Hello?

VERNITA :
Oh, God. Where'd they take him?

Roman! William's had a heart attack
outside his building.

He's at MLK.

- Is it serious?
- Of course it's serious.

He's at the emergency room.

Call the hospital
and see what you can learn.

ROMAN : I'll tell you what to do.
I'll tell you what we're gonna do.

Get Kibby on the phone.
He can cover for him.

- Kibby retired.
- When?

Years ago. Now, listen, Roman,
William had a full day today.

- Okay.
- You have to cover for him.

- Okay.
- Tell the clients and the prosecutors...

- ...and the judges what's going on.
- Okay.

Get continuances.

- Okay.
- Just continuances.

Just continuances.

I typed up his day.
It's in there on my desk.

- All right.
- Dear Lord.

Okay.

Just continuances.

( ♪♪♪ )

MAN 1 :
All metal goes in the trays.

- Phones, change.
MAN 2 : Step forward, please.

MAN 1 :
If you have a belt, please remove it.

Keys.

Any loose change.

You must remove it
so it can be scanned.

MAN 2 :
Next person.

Put your arms out. Just hold right there.

Listen, my iPod, I got 8000 songs in here.

The last time I put that in there...

...I lost the bass range
on Gil Scott-Heron's "Winter in America."

Brian Jackson.

Everything gets scanned.

MAN 2 : Step up, please.
MAN 1 : Next.

WOMAN :
Thank you, sir.

( SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY )

BAILIFF :
All phones off.

Phones off.

All phones off.

Excuse me, sister. Where's the...?

The court for white folks?

Phones off.

Wack-ass.

( ALL CHATTERING )

BAILIFF :
Quiet in the court.

ROMAN :
Uh, excuse me.

What do you have on number 32?

Langston Bailey?

This says William Jackson's his lawyer.

Mr. Jackson had a heart attack
this morning.

- I'm Roman Israel, his partner.
- I didn't know Jackson had a partner.

Heh. Well, I don't have the,
uh, patience...

...for the butchery that occurs here.
Mr. Jackson does.

You want a continuance?

- What bail you offering?
- No bail.

And he pleads to count one.

I'll tell the judge and request
a minimum five years.

He's facing 15 at trial.

For a 17-year-old breaking and entering?

Hell, why don't we just get it over with
and, uh, heh, shoot him?

That's the offer.

- Do what you gotta do.
- Offer doesn't really...

He's not taking top plea.
I can tell you that.

You're already overcharging him.
Let's talk about mitigating circumstances.

He was caught wearing a T-shirt
with a gang symbol.

Like the flag pin on your lapel.

Five years.
That's as low as the People will go.

What people? There's no people.

There's you making a bullshit
career-climbing offer. Let's admit it.

Present it to your client.

His name is Langston.

He's a high school junior in good
standing. Plays on the soccer team.

All of this despite
that his father's in jail...

...his mother is in drug treatment...

...and due to a legion of forces
beyond his control...

...he joined a gang for acceptance,
family and protection.

( ♪♪♪ )

He has one prior minor offense.

Each one of us is greater
than the worst thing we've ever done.

Deep bows.

Please talk to your client.

- My conviction rate's 100 percent.
BAILIFF : All rise.

Court of District Nine is now in session.

The Honorable James Hurakami
is presiding.

( DOORS BUZZING )

Langston Bailey.

HURAKAMI :
Thank you, bailiff. You may be seated.

Wow, five to seven?

Thought I was going to juvie, though.

I want to speak to Mr. Jackson.

He's in the hospital.

- When's he coming back?
- Wish I knew.

I want a new lawyer.
I want to switch. I have rights.

Mr. Jackson is the one
who comes to court...

...but he comes to me
for legal guidance.

Now, you're being overcharged to accept
a plea and to keep things moving.

They want to punish you
for even asking for a day in court.

It's a volume business.

With guards getting overtime
and private companies owning the jails...

...and building them as well. It's a fact.

You want to fight, we'll fight.
I mean, to hell with the bill.

But if we take it to trial...

...and you lose...

...they hit you with 15 years.

And they rarely lose.

Keep your head up.

( LANGSTON SNIFFLING )

And do some push-ups.

This is a preliminary hearing
on the case...

...of The People of the State of California
v. William Carlos Ramirez.

Case number A64-9725.

Counsel will state your names.

People are represented
by Michael Wesley.

Roman J. Israel, Esquire,
on behalf of Mr. Ramirez.

Mr. Israel, I'll grant a continuance,
given lead counsel's medical emergency.

Um... I'd like to dive right in,
Your Honor.

Very good.

Proceed.

Uh, Your Honor, the People request the
defendant, Mr. William Carlos Ramirez...

...be held to answer
on three counts of violating...

...Health and Safety Code
Section 11351...

...possession of powder cocaine for sale.

Mr. Ramirez was observed
and filmed making three drug sales...

...to undercover officers.

Mr. Ramirez made a confession
to detectives...

...that he supported himself
selling drugs.

Objection. Motion to strike.
Mr. Ramirez was told...

...he was not under arrest
and was interrogated...

...without his Miranda warning,
yet he was refused use of the bathroom.

That's a violation of civil rights.

Um, it wasn't an interrogation.
It was an interview.

Overruled.

If a cop hauls you in
and says you can't use the bathroom...

- ...then you're being detained.
HILLIARD : We're moving on.

What was he supposed to do,
pee himself?

- You can address this at trial.
- I would like to address it now.

- I'm just saying we have a real...
- Mr. Israel.

Did you hear what I said?

If...

...armed guards
in this courtroom detained you...

...and would not allow you
to use the bathroom...

...you would be detained. What is good
for the goose is good for the gander.

I'm gonna hold you in contempt
if you pursue this.

With respect, you're asking me
to obey an erroneous court decision.

You tell me to wait.
In my experience...

( GAVEL BANGS )

Okay.

Find you in contempt.

Is there anything else
you'd like to add before I set fine?

VERNITA ( OVER PHONE ):
I told you to just get continuances.

ROMAN :
I'm filing an appeal.

Five thousand dollars?

Well...

"I wouldn't trust a lawyer
that didn't get complaints...

...from the prosecution or the court."
Who said that?

- I have no idea.
- William.

I can always count on you to say
the utterly inappropriate thing.

I'm with Lynn now.
She's very upset about it.

How is he?

It's not good. They're still running tests.

All right, I'll come over to the hospital.

Don't. He's not even in his room.
You understand?

- Yeah.
- What's that?

Well, Lynn says we'll talk about it
tomorrow, Roman. Good night.

( ♪♪♪ )

( CIRCULAR SAW WHIRRING )

( MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY )

( HAMMER POUNDING )

( MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY )

( LINE RINGING )

MAN ( ON RECORDING ): This is
the Los Angeles Police Department...

...Noise Enforcement Team.

Please leave your name,
contact telephone number...

...and a Noise Enforcement Team
officer will contact you...

...as soon as possible.
Thank you, and have a nice day.

Yes. My name is Roman J. Israel,
Esquire.

I'd like to report a construction-noise
violation, 570 Gladys Avenue.

That's G-L-A-D-Y-S Avenue,
Los Angeles.

City regulation 5612 prohibits
construction...

...and/or repair of any kind...

...between the hours of 7 p. m.
until 7 a. m. the following morning.

Thank you.

( MUTTERING INDISTINCTLY )

( JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING )

MAN ( ON RECORDING ) Please leave
your name, contact telephone number...

...and a Noise Enforcement Team officer
will contact you as soon as possible.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

ROMAN :
My name is Roman J. Israel, Esquire.

I want to report construction noise
at 570 Gladys Avenue.

That's G-L-A-D-Y-S Avenue.

City regulation 5612 requires...

...that there is no construction
or repair of any kind...

...between the hours of 7 p. m.
and 7 a. m. the following morning.

Five-six-one-two...

...that's the city regulation.

That's the law.

I'm a lawyer.

Goodbye.

( KNOCK ON DOOR )

LYNN : Hello, Roman.
- Hi.

- This is George Pierce.
- Nice to meet you.

Pleasure.

The doctors have concluded that William
is in a permanent vegetative state.

Oh... Well, he'll surprise them.

Well, we'd like to believe that,
but not this time.

- You get a second opinion?
- He's had three.

Now, Roman, my uncle gave me
financial and medical power of attorney.

If the firm was stable,
we'd have time to mourn...

...but it's not, and we don't.

William's directive asks using George
in the event of incapacitation.

And George has generously offered
to take time from his busy practice...

...to sort through
the remaining cases...

...help close the office
and collect what's due.

Well, I probably haven't had...

...time to consider all the...

...you know,
various ramifications of this.

None of us have.

I can't live on my accolades.

Lynn was hoping to give you and...
What's the receptionist's name?

LYNN : Vernita.
- Vernita, severance.

But looking over the books,
it just doesn't seem possible.

I'll take over. Ahem.

No, you're not capable
of continuing the practice.

On your contempt fine, we can argue
extreme emotional distress...

- ...and hope for a reduction.
ROMAN : Right.

But I'll take over because in the
architecture of this firm, I am a pillar.

Yes, and, Roman,
I'd hoped to reward you for that.

Hope don't get the job done.

- What does that mean?
- That means hope don't get the job done.

LYNN :
Is it ego...

...or delusion?

Honestly, I...

I never paid enough attention to you.

This place runs more like
a charity service than a law firm.

It's run a deficit for years.

We...

...his family, can no longer afford it.

We're clearing the books.

We're handing this off to George.

Roman, I'm sorry.

( CELL PHONE RINGING )

God, help me.

Yeah, just tell him to wait.

No, just tell him to wait.
I'll be there in 30. Less.

- All right. One sec, one sec.
- So you have...?

- I'll talk to him.
- Uh-huh.

I'm sorry, man.

I feel for you.

This where the Bulldog did his work?

( ♪♪♪ )

What a mind.

He was great in the seat
and great on his feet.

Jesus, didn't he ever
throw anything away?

My secretary's gonna call.
She'll be point on this.

What do you use?

LegalPRO? Quicken?

What's that?

Status on every case,
depositions, investigations...

- ...conferences.
- What, on cards?

You're kidding.

I'm not helping you fast-plead
just so you can get a fee.

Well, I'm in court every day.
I fight hard for my clients.

You're a low-flying bee.

- Is that what William said about me?
- William never mentioned you.

- What's that about, then?
- Fact.

Recorded fact, every case.

Organized and available.

And you can fact-check that
if you'd like on your legal Quicken.

I don't have time for this.

My office will call
to coordinate going forward.

Let's watch him now.

Young George.

State of California
v. Jason Angelo Fisher.

One of his first cases.
Fisher's first offense.

Should have been reduced
to misdemeanor possession.

But you pled him out to felony,
conspiracy and possession.

That became your M. O.

Take a retainer,
waive your client's rights to a prelim...

...then dump them on the
public defenders when they complain.

What, you worked the Fisher case?
His appeal?

I recall reading the record.

- That was seven years ago.
- Eight.

So you're saying you know
all that from memory?

Seven years, eight months, 47 days.
I'm quite confident of my recollections.

Well, my win-loss record is
above 90 percent.

That's false and misleading.
That's only if you count...

...your three years as a prosecutor.

Well, William thought highly enough
to bring me in.

Believe me, I'm going to find out why.

GEORGE :
Roman. Hey, Roman.

Where you going?

- Where you going?
- MLK.

Come on, I'll give you a ride.

I'd rather walk.

Come on, Roman.

I just want to talk.

William taught a term at Loyola.
That's where we met.

I was, uh, top of my class.

Potential's a bitch.

Well, I'll tell you what's not, is having
four offices and 60 people working for you.

He picked me
because I tossed him work.

You know, loser cases I didn't want,
or I was too busy to handle.

This, closing his office, it's payback.
I'll collect a fee.

Look, it just so happens I could
use someone with your ability...

...and your power
of persuasive argument.

And I'll pay you twice what
William gave you. What do you say?

What makes you different from this car?

Whoa. Really? Okay.

I'm gonna tell you something I think
maybe will surprise and disappoint you.

I got a kickback from William
for every single case I gave him.

Bullshit.

I have the records.

You've been untouched
by the messy business...

...of running
a small criminal-defense firm.

Was it wrong?

On some level, sure.

Does it diminish what he did? Hell, no.

No, it allowed him to keep
the doors open. It kept you two going.

And to this day, I still remember
quotes from his class.

And that voice.

"What is tolerance?
It is the consequence of humanity.

We are all formed of frailty and error.

Let us pardon reciprocally
each other's follies.

That's the first law of nature."

What do you say we forget the past?
Move forward?

Pull over.

( CAR HORN HONKING )

I can't work for you.

What are you gonna do?

- I'll continue in criminal litigation.
- That's a bitch of a market.

- What if you can't find something?
- What?

For argument's sake,
if you can't find a firm, what's next?

There is no next.
There is no argument's sake.

There's underwear model
or activist attorney. There is no next.

( LINE RINGING )

SALINAS : Yeah, George.
- I want to bring someone in.

Are you asking me,
or are you telling me?

Jackson had a guy who drafted
all his memoranda.

He's a bit of a savant.

He paid him 500 a week. We can
bill him out for that much an hour.

( ♪♪♪ )

( WELDING TORCH CRACKLING )

( HAMMERS POUNDING )

( MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY )

- Maya. It's Roman Israel.
- Oh...

Sorry to keep you waiting.

I usually work off
scheduled appointments.

It's okay. I had some, uh, pretzels
and soda from down there.

That's fine.

So Jeff tells me you work
with William Henry Jackson.

Yes, for 36 years.

We are... We were partners.

He was the public face of the firm.

I was the man behind the curtain,
so to speak.

- How is he?
- Unconscious several weeks now.

I'm so sorry.

- Well, come on in.
- Oh...

Um...

I have no safeguard
against unemployment.

So William and Ronald...

...were old friends and associates,
going back to Berkeley.

Mm. Yeah, I'm aware.

Ronnie mentions William in his book.

Right. Yes, yes.
I'd like to speak with him.

Ron is at our headquarters
in Washington.

There something I could help you with?

Oh, uh, well, um...

...first, notwithstanding...

...I don't know if I could do this
much longer, progressive lawyering.

You see, I'm not accustomed
without William.

The criminal side of our practice funded
our policy and legal challenges...

...as in defendants' rights...

...prison conditions...

...and drafted attacks
on state and federal criminal codes.

If I was freed from criminal work,
I can get back to my roots.

The bigger battles,
organized mass action...

...supported
by sweeping legal challenges.

With my skill...

...and, uh, experience...

...I'm quite certain
I can get this organization...

...right back in line
with its core beliefs.

- This organization?
- Yes.

Yeah. I wasn't aware
that we, um, had strayed.

I'm not talking about nickel-and-dime
reformism. I'm talking about...

...igniting a sustained mass movement,
supported by rule change...

...and injunctive relief.

And I could get results
using class-action tactics.

I'm talking about a return
to using activist litigation...

...creatively, defensively,
counter-offensively.

I am very proud
of what we've done here.

I think we're making significant headway
in many, many areas.

Well, in my experience, that's...

...an excuse to feel good
and to slack off.

Oh? Who's slacking off?

I attended
Western State College of Law...

...at Argosy in Fullerton.
Started the first student union there.

Uh...

I chose cause over ambition.

I could've joined one of the big firms
like the rest of them and been seduced.

But I was inspired by Mr. Jackson.
I went to work for him. You can...

There's a detailed, uh, record
of all of our victories.

Civil-rights victories on there.

As for my personal life,
at a certain point...

...I had to decide whether to have
a family or career. I couldn't do both.

So I stayed on the front lines.
Now, I'm offering...

...at this time...

...to work...

...exclusively...

...as your, um...

...long-haul, three-dimensional...

...revolutionary...

...in-house, uh...

...full-time, paid advocate.

Mr. Israel, we're all volunteers here.

Our few salaried staff work out of D. C.

I'd go to interview,
but I'm precluded for pecuniary reasons.

Money of late's been
a motivating factor in my life.

Well...

...be that as it may...

...positions are filled.

Look, I'm well worth having in this thing.

I have no doubt of that.

Because there's something
to be fired up about.

We are, believe me.

Ah. Well, I'll, um...

...go through William's Rolodex.
Thank you, uh...

...for your time.

You know, if you're interested
in volunteering...

...we're having a meeting next week.

Uh, we could use someone
with your legal expertise.

- Perhaps you could give a talk.
- I'd like that. Here's my card.

I crossed out the office address.

And I wrote my home address,
so you can reach me via mail.

I'll probably just text you.

I can do that, I think.

- Thank you.
- Yeah. Thank you.

Right on.

What a freak.

You stand on his shoulders.

( ♪♪♪ )

ROMAN : Good afternoon. Yeah,
my name is Roman J. Israel, Esquire.

Yeah, Israel. Yes.

Yes, like the... Like...
Yes, right, exactly.

I'm an attorney, civil-rights attorney.
I was inquiring about a possible job...

Uh, yes, ma'am.

Right, if I... If...

Right, if I had a job,
I wouldn't be calling you.

That's why I'm calling.
I don't have... Hello?

- -C-K-S-O-N. And I'd like to speak to
someone about any possible positions...

Yeah, I'll reach out again.

In case any jobs come up,
I'd appreciate a call back.

Yeah, good morning.
My name is Roman J. Israel, Esquire.

I can send you my résumé.

I was with William Henry Jackson.
I'm hoping to find out...

...if there's an employment opportunity...

No, not the number that's crossed out.

It's the number below the number that's
crossed out. Yes, ma'am. Thank you.

( PHONE RINGING )

( PHONE BEEPS )

WOMAN ( OVER PHONE ):
Um, Mr. Israel?

George Pierce would like you
in his office right away.

The best thing to do is engage with the
process. Otherwise, you feel powerless.

( KNOCKING ON DOOR )

Come on in.

I'd like you to meet Felicity Ellerbee.

- Felicity, this is Roman Israel.
- Hi.

He'll be working closely
with me on this. Sit down.

Roman's a terrific attorney.
We're lucky to have him.

Felicity's nephew Derrell was
arrested two days ago...

...in connection with an armed robbery
during which a clerk was killed.

Derrell's been charged with assault,
first-degree murder.

It was his friend that was there with him.
It wasn't Derrell.

Derrell didn't know
that he was going to do that.

GEORGE :
Of course. We completely understand.

Derrell was not the shooter.

It's our job to prove how uncomplicit
he was in the actual murder.

The way this will work is
Roman's gonna be the point person.

And you were very, very wise
to retain private counsel.

I'm not gonna lie to you,
Derrell's got a mountain to climb.

It's imperative he receives
the best defense.

I can promise you
that's what he'll get here.

- I had to mortgage my house.
- Oh, I'm sorry.

- I don't like lawyers.
- Ha. Me either.

I understand.

If I don't get answers to my questions...

...if I don't see results...

...if I see padded shit popping up
in my bill...

...I will fire your ass.

I'm putting up my house.

I understand.

You always dress like that?

Uh, well, uh...

...in lieu of wardrobe, I have a reputation
as a dedicated advocate.

Let me give you my card.
If there's any questions...

...concerns,
anything you want to talk about...

...free of charge, I'm here.
I'm available for you.

It's not the crossed-out number.

It's the number
above the crossed-out number.

- What's "Esquire" mean?
- Uh...

It's a designation, uh...

...in the legal arena.

It's like...

...a title of dignity.

Slightly above "gentleman,"
below "knight."

( ♪♪♪ )

( RINGING )

Yes.

( KNOCKING ON DOOR )

GEORGE :
Come in.

Roman, I'd like you to meet James Lee.
Jim, this is Roman Israel.

- He'll be working closely with me on this.
- Hi.

Please sit down, Roman.

Roman's a terrific attorney.
We're lucky to have him.

Jim's wife Mari was cited last night
for felony DUI hit and run...

...with added charges
for reckless driving and injury.

The way this will work is
Roman's gonna be the point person.

You were very wise
to retain private counsel.

Mari's... She's gonna need,
and deserves, the best defense possible.

We're gonna make sure
she gets exactly that.

( ♪♪♪ )

From George.

FRITZ : It's then, per the night manager,
that Derrell's friend, Carter Johnson...

- ...shoots the clerk twice in the head.
- Okay.

They empty the register, roughly $500,
and then run into the alleyway...

...where Derrell is caught
and Johnson escapes.

Johnson is a shot caller
with the Rollin 100.

He's got four outstanding warrants,
including two for prior shootings.

- Now, your boy Derrell is...
- Don't use "boy."

Your client is seen entering the store
on the outside camera...

...but the inside video wasn't working.

The Armenian Community Council
put up $100,000 for Johnson's arrest...

...for the clerk, who was Armenian.

Your client Derrell has two priors
going back four years.

One for drug possession, marijuana,
and the other for theft.

CONNOR :
I have a domestic-violence case.

This guy assaulted the same woman
six times, and she's swearing out...

...an affidavit for non-prosecution.

- Have you heard of Tempura House?
- No. What's that?

SALINAS : It's a shelter
for lightly battered women. Ha-ha-ha.

Ha. That's funny.

That's funny.

( ROMAN LAUGHING )

Turn on the light, they run like roaches.

You work here?

Yes, sir, I do.

Jessie Salinas.

Supervising attorney.

Roman J. Israel. I'm the new guy.

Did you just compare us to roaches?

- There's no tiptoeing into this.
CONNOR : We were blowing off steam.

You're tourists.

I'll see you around, Israel.

Roman.

Jesus.

I heard about you today in the kitchen.

Salinas is our number two.

Not only that, you were schooling
Sanchez in a crowded elevator?

Heh, that man doesn't
understand character evidence.

Then find a quiet corner.

I sent you an e-mail today
to come to my office.

I'm sorry, but when people send e-mails,
they think it goes straight to your brain.

You better take what I'm saying seriously,
because I'm being very sincere with you.

You knew what you were getting
when you brought me in.

Well, I thought you were functional.

You brought me in
to put your feet to the fire...

...because you're tired of treating
low-income clients like dollar signs...

...and maybe you remember
what it feels like to care.

- That's what I think, George.
- No, I hired you to make a buck.

- Which is why I thought you took the job.
- I need money. Heh. Badly, of course.

But what I really need, George, is an ally.

I've been waiting to meet someone
of your high caliber.

And, yes, I am selective. So, what I'm
offering to you right out here now...

...is a chance to partner with me
on a piece of groundbreaking litigation...

...I've been working on
for over seven years now.

Inside this case is arguably...

...the most important legal brief
in modern legal history.

A sweeping federal challenge
that could yield nothing less...

...than a grand new era of social reform.

And I say that with all due competence.

The Constitution guarantees us
a right to a fair trial...

...but there can't be fairness
if 95 percent of cases never get heard.

Criminal cases never get heard
by a jury or a judge.

I am building
a wholly original class-action lawsuit...

...with over 3500 names,
all former clients...

...aimed at the heart
of plea-bargain reform.

I'm talking about reforming
a system where prosecutors...

...are trying to pull sentences
out of their hat.

Where guilt or innocence is
being completely replaced...

...by fear of having your day in court.

Where people are being forced,
George, to plead guilty...

...under the threat of overly harsh
and coercive sentences.

It's a job for a legend,
or someone who wants to be one.

- Let me tell you about it.
- No. Jesus, just stop.

Roman, enough.

Not speaking out...

...is ordinary.

We're agents of change, George,
each one of us.

Now, I don't have the resources
to finish this on my own.

But with your assistance,
I'm more than certain...

...that we can finish this
and file it together.

Partners on
a landmark class-action suit...

...built on precedents and procedure...

...and actual proof, weight of proof.

I'm sure of it, George.

Look, do you want this job or not?
Yes or no.

- Yes.
- Well, then, you stop harassing people.

You stick to clients,
you stick to memoranda only. That's it.

Nothing else, under no conditions.

Now, you have
any more pressing opinions...

...you share them with me.

Don't come in tomorrow without a suit.

Okay.

( ROMAN HUMMING )

Driver's license,
California Bar card, visitor ID.

ROMAN :
Yes.

I'm here to see Derrell Ellerbee.

How they treating you?

- You need anything?
- I need to get out of here.

You understand the charges?

Yup. They want to bury me.

All right. From now on...

...everything we discuss
will be confidential.

I gotta be careful.

- Is somebody threatening you?
- Look, I didn't shoot that guy.

Okay? I just went in.

I didn't know what he was gonna do.

- You gave a statement to the police.
- Yeah, I asked for a lawyer.

And before that...

...after they read you your rights,
you continued to talk to the detective.

They said you said...

...that you saw Carter Johnson
with a gun.

I didn't know he was gonna use it.

Knowing he had a gun
when you entered the store...

...that's aiding and abetting.

Criteria for first-degree murder.

CJ. CJ shot the clerk.

All right? I saw it.

- I'll testify if they let me out.
- They're not gonna release you.

Case is too strong, charges too severe.

Now, we can talk to the DA.
See what they'll offer for your testimony.

Probation.

Best you can hope for is a...

...possible reduction
to second-degree murder.

( DERRELL SIGHS )

GUARD :
Right over here.

Have a seat if you're so scared, man.

Look, I know where CJ's holed up.

Plus testifying.

What's that worth?

Worth a lot.

The two combined can carry significant
weight. But you understand the risks?

- What you're looking at?
- Yeah.

I gotta be transferred
to protective custody first.

This what you want to do?

I don't want to...

...but I will.

( ♪♪♪ )

( KNOCKS )

Hello?

( PHONE RINGING )

- No one's supposed to be in here.
- Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm... I'm...

I'm an attorney here, and I was looking...

...for Mr. Pierce.
I wanted to talk to him about this case.

He's in depositions all day. Mr. Salinas
is supervising attorney in his absence.

- You'll have to leave.
- I'm sorry.

SALINAS : I don't know why
they sent me this. I need more than this.

WOMAN : That's all we got.
SALINAS : I don't want the summary.

- I want the full deposition here.
- Okay.

And what about tomorrow?
What's my agenda?

WOMAN : You're downtown all day.
SALINAS : What is first?

WOMAN : Mr. Rutner at 9 a. m.
SALINAS : I don't want to meet with him.

( DIALING )

( LINE RINGING )

( EXHALES )

WOMAN : Hello?
- Uh, hello.

My name is Roman J. Israel, Esquire...

...from the law offices of George Pierce.

I represent Derrell Ellerbee.

I'd like to speak to ADA Kate Becker.

KATE :
Speaking.

Oh. Oh, okay. Uh, sorry.

- Uh, hi.
- Hi.

My client, Mr. Derrell Ellerbee...

...is interested in discussing a deal.

I have 40 open cases, so refresh me.

Right. Uh, uh, uh...

Convenience-store shooting. Um...

An Armenian man was killed,
and, uh, there's a reward offered?

Mm-hm. Okay, I have it.

The shooter...

...in this case, is a fugitive...

...Carter Johnson.

My client may know his whereabouts
and might be willing to testify.

- He'll deliver on that?
- Well, that depends.

If you waive all objections and appeal,
and he's willing to cooperate...

...we'll drop the assault and kidnapping.

And we'll reduce murder one
to manslaughter, voluntary, 10 years.

Involuntary, three to five.

No, a 21-year-old clerk was killed
in the commission of a robbery.

It won't happen.

Well, my client is giving you
the whole case at a great risk to himself.

- Let's discuss mitigating circumstances.
- Let's not.

Voluntary manslaughter, 10 years.
It's a good deal.

It's an enema of sunshine.

I don't have time for this.

Well, I'm sorry for taking a nanosecond...

...off of your assembly-line,
rubber-stamp existence.

The People withdraw their offer.

I don't care what the... Hello?

( DIAL TONE )

( ♪♪♪ )

Hi.

- Hi.
MAYA : Hey.

You didn't want to park closer?
There are spaces.

No, I don't have a car.

Wow, that's gotta be tough in L. A.

I've always imagined life with one.

- Thanks for doing this.
- Oh, you're welcome.

Public speaking is something
I'm usually encouraged to avoid.

MAYA :
So in anticipation of Tuesday's protest...

...I've invited attorney...

...Roman Israel...

...to talk about our rights
and what to expect if you are arrested.

Roman.

Thank you.

( CLEARS THROAT )

All right. Uh...

( CHUCKLES )

Back to my beginnings.

It, uh, feels good.

Hell, that was 40 years ago.
So here we go. We're gonna...

We're gonna rap...
I don't mean hip-hop.

( SCATTERED CHUCKLING )

...a little while about
some good old-fashioned...

...grassroots, in-your-face protesting.

The time has come
to put social revolution...

...squarely back on the agenda...

...where it belongs.

Look at you.

( ♪♪♪ )

Just like I was.

Just starting out your fight against the...

...dominant tendencies of our society.

Well...

...you better get ready
for the commitment it takes...

...to lead a resistant lifestyle.

You better start forging...

...the armor to withstand the temptation...

...and the financial and emotional toll.

Because when it comes
to social injustice...

...and judicial indifference...

...and institutional racism...

...and outright goddamn greed...

...the overwhelming majority of the people
in this countryjust don't give a damn.

MAN 1 : That's right.
MAN 2 : That's right.

Civil or uncivil disobedience.

The First Amendment to protect
your right to freedom of speech...

...as long as you don't incite violence
or law-breaking.

There will be people
that get caught up in the march.

They're gonna vandalize.
Sorry. Excuse me.

I see two sisters standing.

Why are the sisters standing
and the brothers sitting?

If we want to sit, we can ask.

You ladies gotta speak up for yourselves.

This ain't 40 years ago.

There's no statute of limitations
on chivalry.

- That's gendered and sexist.
- And polite.

- And patronizing.
- And polite.

What kind of law do you practice?

I'm a criminal-defense attorney.

Ever represent
domestic-violence defendants?

Many times.

- Knowing that they're guilty?
- Meaning what?

Meaning you have a choice.

Watch it. Someday you may need
the Sixth Amendment.

Oh, that's lawyer talk.

Oh, I see. So we got a Sarah Lawrence
soul sister in the band.

- Ha-ha. I'm not your sister, asshole.
- Oh, whoa, whoa.

- I'm not an asshole, sister.
- Hey, fuck you, brother.

( AUDIENCE CLAMORING )

Settle down, okay? Thank you, Roman.

- Okay.
- Did you bring something to help?

MAYA :
Roman.

Roman.

I feel like I need to apologize for that.

You don't. It's my fault. I say things.

- Are you okay?
- No, I... Yeah, it's okay.

It just got out of hand.

My meanings seem to obfuscate
more than clarify.

I mean, that's what the discourse is.

- It's changed over the years.
- Right.

- It's what we talked about.
- You did.

- That's a lot of what this is about.
- I just can't seem to remove myself...

...from what's happened in my life. I...

This is where we are,
the way the world is.

And I didn't even want to come out.
The nuns said I was a forceps baby.

- Me too.
- Yeah?

- No.
- No?

Heh-heh. No.

( ♪♪♪ )

MAYA :
Is he okay?

- I don't feel anything.
- Check his neck.

ROMAN :
No.

( POLICE SIREN CHIRPS )

What happened?

- We just found him. I think he's dead.
HUNT : All right, don't touch anything.

WALLACE :
Man down, black male, 60 years of age.

Not responding. Request RA.

- What did I just say?
- He doesn't have ID.

- What did you put in there?
- My card.

Take it out.

Well, without ID...

...he'll get cremated and mixed up
with 1000 other homeless people.

Take it out.

It's just my name and number
for the coroner to call me.

- Did you hear my partner?
MAYA : Okay.

- Do what they say.
- I want to pay for the burial.

- I'm not telling you again.
- I won't let him get swallowed up.

I won't let him disappear,
completely forgotten.

He most certainly was somebody.

( MAN COUGHING )

DISPATCHER ( OVER RADIO ): All units.
Possible 187. Suspect there now.

Western and Third
at Chinatown Express.

Suspects are two male Hispanics.
Number one, large build...

I'm sorry.

- What? That was unbelievable.
- I thought he had no pulse.

- No one does that.
- Yeah, for good reason.

( CELL PHONE RINGING )

Hey. Yeah, I stepped out.

I'll be right back.

- I have to get back.
- Yeah. Okay.

- I'm gonna call you.
- Yeah, thank you. Me too.

( ♪♪♪ )

We have a problem.

( KNOCKING ON DOOR )

Come in.

Close the door.

Where did you get the idea
you could try and negotiate a plea?

Who told you you could do that?

To just ignore
what I emphatically told you?

Derrell Ellerbee was stabbed and killed
this morning in general lockup.

His aunt told me that Derrell requested
protective custody last night...

...but was delayed
because the prosecutor said...

...you pissed on her deal, Roman.

That offer should, by law, have been
presented to the client, which it was not.

As of now, you've exposed us
to a malpractice suit...

...Roman, I would kill
to be on the other side of.

You've had difficulty comprehending
my meaning, so I'll be very, very clear.

As much as I wanna fire you, I can't,
as that could be construed...

...as acknowledgment of wrongdoing.
So I'm gonna retain you, Roman.

I'm gonna retain you,
and then I'm gonna fire you.

If you attempt to quit
or you stop coming in...

...I swear to God, I'll hit you
with a motion to recoup damages...

...and I'll have you disbarred.

We're done here.

( DOOR CLOSES )

( MAN PANTING )

Yo, hey, man. Hey.

Yo, man, I'm sorry
to bother you, man, but...

Maybe you can help me out
with money or some...

I mean, anything.
Look, you see where I'm at, man.

All right.
Slow down, slow down, slow down.

Okay, man. I'm sorry.

Look, I appreciate it, man.
Look, I know it's late.

- I appreciate you helping me. Cool, man.
- Here's a couple tickets for the mission.

Give me the iPod, man!

( BOTH GRUNTING )

- Give it to me. Come on.
- Get off me.

- The iPod!
- I don't have any money!

- Come on!
- You got the wrong guy!

You got the wrong guy!

( ROMAN SCREAMS )

You got the wrong guy.

( HELICOPTER WHIRRING OVERHEAD )

( DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES )

( HAMMERS POUNDING )

( METAL CLANGS )

What?

What?

( FUNK MUSIC PLAYING ON IPOD )

♪.. Lord knows I meant no wrong ..♪

♪.. Lord knows I meant no wrong ..♪

♪.. Then the devil sang ..♪

♪.. "Would you like to dance with me?
We're doin' the cosmic slop ..♪

♪.. Would you like to dance with me?
We're doin' the cosmic slop ..♪

♪.. Would you like to dance with me?
We're doin' the cosmic slop" ♪♪

( TAPS ON GLASS )

Well, well.

Come over and sit.
He'll be glad you're here.

- He's awake?
- No, but I believe somewhere he knows.

He was so very fond of you.

He looks a lot worse.

It won't be long now.

Last ripple of a mighty wave
washed ashore here.

And left us high and dry.

No, he didn't leave us.
He'll never leave us.

I thought it was built on good ground...

- ...but there's nothing under it.
- Roman, what's wrong?

You're too near me to hear me.

Can't you see? It's clear as crystal.

- What?
- We filed the wrong brief...

- ...in the wrong court to the wrong judge.
- What are you talking about?

A world where everyone's feelings
are reciprocated.

The capacity for everyone
to contribute. Come on.

( ♪♪♪ )

Freedom is something
you can only give yourself.

That's nothing he agreed with.

I don't have any time anymore.
I don't have time to waste.

Trying to...

...tell people not to sleep so tight.

Telling people to turn around.
Toward what?

Roman, sit down.

There's no need anymore.

The incapacity ceases with...

...the cause that produces it.

Roman, he can hear you.

Well, that's what I came to say.

Anyway, he...

Anyway, he's gone, so...

What he fought for...

...what he takes with him,
that lasts forever.

Eroding as it was conceived.

What is wrong with you?

You know,
there's a shop by the ocean...

...that makes maple-glazed
turkey-bacon doughnuts.

People sit under palm trees
and eat them...

...while the breezes are blowing
and the dolphins are playing.

I'm gonna go there.

Roman, all right, sit down.

- No. I'm gonna get one.
- No, no, sit down.

Roman.

Roman.

( ♪♪♪ )

( INDISTINCT CHATTER )

( LINE RINGING )

MAN :
Hello?

Hello. I'm calling in... In reference
to the, uh, deceased store clerk.

I'm sorry?

The... Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm calling in reference...

...to the... The shooter
of the deceased store clerk.

Hold on a sec.

( MAN SPEAKS IN ARMENIAN )

Yes, can I help you?

Yes, the...

The man who did it,
I know where he is.

- I'm ready.
- Um...

Well, I'm calling about the reward,
the $100,000?

You know the name of the suspect?
We've had a lot of false leads.

Carter T. Johnson.

Where is he?

Well, the man who did it,
uh, I have an address.

The clerk was my nephew.

Listen, I'm not comfortable, uh...

...identifying myself.
I have a mechanism to collect...

...which, um, protects who I am.

You could just say where he is.

Civic duty.

Basic human dignity.

Look, this is an achievement for me,
okay?

Not an inherent state of my existence.

I want the money in cash
as soon as he's arrested, $100,000.

Can't do cash.

Too risky.

I'm the one taking the risk.

It's gotta be cash. That's the way it is.

Okay. Fine.

I don't care who you are.
I just want the bastards caught.

Okay. Okay.

The reward stands.

- Okay.
- Information leading to an arrest.

- Okay.
- You want cash, I'll do cash.

Give me the information.

( THUNDER RUMBLING )

( MARVIN GAYE'S "TROUBLE MAN"
PLAYING )

♪.. I come up hard, baby ..♪

♪.. But now I'm cool ..♪

♪.. I didn't make it, sugar ..♪

♪.. Playin' by the rules ..♪

♪.. I come up hard, baby ..♪

♪.. But now I'm fine ..♪

♪.. I'm checkin' trouble, sugar ..♪

♪.. Movin' down the line ..♪

♪.. I come up hard, baby ..♪

♪.. But that's okay ..♪

♪.. 'Cause Trouble Man
Don't get in my way ..♪

♪.. I know some places
And I've seen some faces ..♪

♪.. I've got good connections
They dig my directions ..♪

♪.. What people say, that's okay
They don't bother me ..♪

♪.. I'm ready to make it
Don't care 'bout the weather ..♪

♪.. Don't care 'bout no trouble
Got myself together ..♪

♪.. I feel a kind of protection
That's all around me ..♪

♪.. I come up hard, baby ..♪

♪.. I've been for real, baby ..♪

♪.. Gonna keep movin' ..♪

♪.. Gonna go to town ..♪

♪.. I come up hard
I come up, gettin' down ..♪

♪.. There's only three things ..♪

♪.. That's for sure ..♪

♪.. Taxes, death and trouble ..♪

♪.. This I know, baby ..♪

♪.. This I know, sugar ..♪

♪.. Girl, I ain't gonna
Let it sweat me, baby ..♪

( MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY )

♪.. It's got me singin'
Yeah, yeah ♪♪

( JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH'S
"IT'S JUST BEGUN" PLAYING )

♪.. Watch me now ..♪

♪.. Feel the groove ..♪

♪.. Into something
Gonna make you move ..♪

♪.. Here we come ..♪

♪.. On the run ..♪

♪.. Don't know what
We're runnin' from ..♪

♪.. Day or night ..♪

♪.. Black or white ..♪

♪.. Dance or sing
You gotta do your thing ..♪

♪.. You gotta do your thing ..♪

♪.. You gotta do your thing ..♪

- You guys have a good day.
- Have a good one.

- Good morning.
- Morning. Yes, it is. Good morning.

Get three of your turkey-bacon
maple-glazed doughnuts, please.

Three turkey-bacon maple.
Something to drink with that?

Yes, the hibiscus-pomegranate cooler.

Hibiscus-pomegranate cooler.

Twelve dollars on the nose.

Can you break 100?

Of course.

Eighty-eight back to you.

- Keep the change.
- Hey, thanks.

( ♪♪♪ )

- Those fit?
- Yeah. Yeah.

- You think so?
- Trust me.

Can I get you anything else today, sir?

A suit.

Suits.

Heh. Now we're talking.

MAN : Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.
Good afternoon. How may I help you?

Welcome, sir. Checking in?

Roman J. Israel, Esquire.

- Welcome to Loews.
- Thank you.

( CHILDISH GAMBINO'S
"BABY BOY" PLAYING )

♪.. Little hands ..♪

♪.. Little feet ..♪

♪.. Tiny heart ..♪

♪.. Tiny beat ..♪

♪.. Oh, thinkin' 'bout ..♪

♪.. The time we spent
Falling in love ..♪

♪.. In love ..♪

♪.. I don't wanna ..♪

♪.. Leave you ..♪

♪.. I don't want him to see you ..♪

♪.. But, oh, when Mama cries
From Daddy's lies ..♪

♪.. Oh, my ..♪

♪.. Please, don't take him away ..♪

♪.. Let me hold you ..♪

♪.. Let me hold you ♪♪

( HUMMING )

( FUNK MUSIC PLAYING
ON HEADPHONES )

( ELEVATOR DINGS )

GEORGE : It's a very nice suit.
ROMAN : Thank you.

Lynn went to your apartment
this weekend to speak with you...

...but you weren't there.

Oh, I must have been out.

You... You don't know
what I'm talking about.

- You're firing me?
- No.

No. People became concerned
after you went to the hospital...

...Friday morning, and it was decided
after some discussion...

...that it was best not to leave a message
on your phone.

William died.

Oh. When?

Friday night, actually.

- I'm sorry.
- You didn't kill him.

There's gonna be a small private funeral
on Wednesday...

...and then a full memorial
in several weeks.

Is that it?

I don't know what you're feeling...

...given how close you were.

I mean, I guess...
I guess I can kind of imagine.

Yeah. I put that behind me.

Well, I'm sorry for my outburst
the other day. I was...

I was overly harsh.

Lynn's been telling me
how vital you were to William's work.

Always in the shadows,
never flagging...

...and I pulled you out of the back room and
forced you out onto the floor. It was...

It was a lot to ask.

I've gotten Felicity Ellerbee
to sign a document...

...absolving us of any wrongdoing
in her nephew's death.

It's a good thing that she...

She believes that you were just acting
in Derrell's best interests.

So that's in the rearview.

I've also learned today
that we picked up...

...three new clients, all of whom came
as referrals from your cases.

It seems like your personal attention,
giving out your cell phone...

...is quite the calling card.

I wanna institute the practice
for all our attorneys.

Good.

( ♪♪♪ )

Look, you can still leave, of course.

I fully understand. I think maybe there's...
Maybe there's a place for you here if you...

- I wanna stay.
- You would?

Yes.

I mean, I'm tired of doing
the impossible for the ungrateful.

I now have, uh, more...

...practical concerns.

The suit's a big change.

Thank you.

I prefer double-breasted, but, uh...

- You broke open the piggy bank, huh?
- Yeah. Yes, I did.

My lack of success is self-imposed.

So, Israel, there's a rumor
that you know the CPC by heart.

Yeah. Guilty as charged.

- Pleadings.
- Nine forty-eight, 973.

- Demurrer for irregularity.
- Twelve forty-eight.

Money laundering.

186.9, 186.10.
However, all pleadings in those cases...

...are subject to the laws
of joinder and severance. That's 954.

SALINAS : Wow, impressive.
BETH : Nice.

Heh. You gotta be kidding me.

I gotta go.

BETH :
See you, Jessie.

Listen, um, I got a Prop 36
I could really use help with.

Okay.

We handled a lot of DTC motions
at my old firm.

Awesome. I have some free time
this afternoon, if you do.

I don't know what your caseload is like,
but I'll stop by?

- Yeah.
- Great.

( ♪♪♪ )

So where do you currently live?

ROMAN :
Further away.

Well, if you lived here,
you'd be home by now.

Well, what do you think?

I think that whatever we're chasing...

...you got it all here.

- I'm sorry?
- When can I move in?

- Immediately.
- I'll take it.

( CIRCULAR SAW WHIRRING )

( HAMMERS POUNDING )

( EDDIE KENDRICKS' "KEEP ON
TRUCKIN"' PLAYING AS RINGTONE )

♪.. Keep on truckin', baby ..♪

♪.. I got to keep on truckin' ..♪

- Hello?
MAYA : Oh, hey. It's, uh... It's Maya.

Hi.

- How are you doing?
- Wonderful.

Good. I, uh...

I meant what I said last week
about staying in touch.

How's the new job?

I'm writing lengthy interrogatories...

...and amending complaints.

It's no social-redeeming quality
or context.

You know, it's...

It's awesome.

( LAUGHING )

Okay.

Well, I was calling to see
if you wanted to go for dinner.

With me?

With you?

I'm confused.

I... I'd like that.

I'd like that.

- I'd like that, yeah. Um...
- Great.

Tonight? I mean...

Tomorrow?

- Works for me.
- It works for me.

Tonight works for me, but, I mean...

All right. I'll... I...

( STAMMERING )

Tomorrow. I'll do tomorrow.
We'll do tomorrow.

Okay. I'll see you then.

Bye.

( INDISTINCT CHATTER )

Everybody in?

All right, let's get started.

Under the new fee structure,
our advance on felony cases...

...rises from 2000 to 2500.

Our felony daily rate rises
to 1500 from 1000.

Now, of course, some people are
gonna gag at the new numbers...

...but what we're selling is
our impressive win-loss record...

...our depth of talent,
all you fine people...

...and, ultimately, our lower all-in costs.

Take time to explain it.

If you see a potential client heading
for the door...

...you emphasize
our new personalized approach.

All right, I've also decided to devote...

...a share of our time to pro bono.

Now, that's not an area
we have much experience with...

...but someone here does.

It's the first he's heard about it...

...but Roman will be heading up
our new pro bono program.

Roman, you want to say a few words?

Will this cut into my salary?

( ALL LAUGHING )

I mean, in terms of billable hours?

( LAUGHING CONTINUES )

( LAUGHING )

- Okay.
- All right. Heh.

Connor, you'll be assisting Roman.
I want to get moving on it right away.

Folks, take a look.
It's already in the new brochure.

All right, questions?

Nothing? Good.

- Roman, I didn't dress for this place.
- Oh, there's no code.

It's a bit uncomfortable for me.

You don't like it?

This will cost a fortune.

Well...

Yeah. We deserve it.

You know,
I really heard what you said...

...the first time you came in.

About progressive lawyering being
the cornerstone of modern activism.

Particularly given the tunnel
that we're descending into.

You, the few lawyers like you...

Thank you.

You really took up the mantle
of leadership with your own advocacy.

You're out there...

...and alone for so many years.

I feel like...

I don't know.
I feel like I was meant to meet you.

Ah.

- Thank you.
- I've been going through...

...my own struggles.

You know, trying to balance what I do...

...and the sacrifices.

I've asked myself many times,
"Why do I see things...

...so differently from other people?"

You know, why...?

Why do I care so much that our humanity
is connected to each other?

I have moments...

I have extended periods of real doubt.

I'm just holding on by a thread.

So, uh...

...hearing you...

...and, um, understanding
what you've been through...

...and... Thank you.

Just knowing you.

I mean, honestly,
Roman, you're inspiring.

I've never had it before...

...but I imagined Duck à l'Orange
to be different somehow.

Jesus, I'm being serious.

Perhaps you need to look
at things differently. You all right?

- How?
- Well...

...the world is for wonderful things,
isn't it?

Define "wonderful."

Okay. As an example...

...who says...

...you can't steal a car in self-defense?

In reference to what?

If one required a means of escape,
so to speak.

Escape from what?

Possibility to actuality.

I mean, it follows. The logic is valid,
thus the premise is true.

Every weapon is a tool
if you hold it the right way.

You're saying to justify something?

I'm saying...

...purity...

...can't survive in this world.

Living conditions have bearing.

I'm talking about the burden of activism.

Exactly.

( VOICE ECHOES )
What are you talking about?

( HIGH-PITCHED RINGING )

My ears are ringing.

It's somebody's phone.

Roman.

( PHONE RINGING )

It's very difficult to be truthful.

Not just with principles...

...but with yourself.

To admit that you want something else
and to try and act on it.

But I don't want something else.

I feel blessed to believe in something.

The way you do.

Thanks for dinner.
That was very generous.

The portions were small.

I'm moving into a new place
in a few days, after 35 years.

- You're going through a lot of changes.
- Yeah. Yeah.

- Kind of worried I'll miss my old place.
- Maybe you should wait until you're sure.

Nah, signed the contract.
I can't go back.

- I called a car.
- Already got you one.

See, I can Uber and text. It's right here.

( ROMAN CHUCKLING )

- Thanks again.
- You're welcome.

I just want you to know
how much you've helped me...

...by, uh, meeting you.

For what you do.

( ROMAN CHUCKLES )

- Your hair looks great.
- Thank you.

( ♪♪♪ )

PASTOR :
William lived on grand notions...

...influenced by impractical ideas...

...in a house trembling with promise
and shouts of triumphs yet to come.

Imploring and inspiring.

A believer that the moral arc
of the universe is long...

...but bends towards justice.

He ignited a spark
in each and every one of us...

...and that light can never die.

( VERNITA SOBS )

We have over 1000 attending
the memorial.

Yeah, and not one of them returned
his calls when he was alive.

I think it would be great if you spoke.

Heh. And tell them what?

- You two talk the same language.
- Yeah, no, thank you.

- If it's nerves...
- It's not.

- There's no one more deserving.
- They wouldn't wanna hear it.

Hear what?

The real enemies aren't on
the outside. They're within.

VERNITA :
We'll talk soon.

I'll call you.

VERNITA :
You take care of yourself.

I am.

I disbelieve that.

I'll be in touch.

Roman, I'll see you at the office.

I have something for you.

No, you're right.
That 2500 is higher than average.

But let me direct you
to our firm's win-loss record...

...our lower all-in costs,
personalized service.

- It's all there in the brochure.
- I don't know.

You're wise to price shop.
Very, very wise.

When it comes to defending
your loved ones...

...there's a lot of people in prison
that would attest that that's a bad idea.

( SPEAKING IN SPANISH )

We're going to do it.

Okay.

( INDISTINCT CHATTERING )

( FANFARE PLAYING )

ANNOUNCER ( OVER PA ):
Tickets for this week's game...

...available now on the main concourse,
right behind Aisle 14.

GEORGE : Man, you've had
some crash course, huh?

From William Henry Jackson
to George Pierce?

What a ride.

You seem to be settling in okay.

From all appearances.

I got a lot of plans, Roman.

I mean, nothing we have to get
too deep into here, understand...

...but down the line,
there is a lot I'd like to discuss.

I'm gonna want your thoughts.
You know, closer community contact...

...taking on more family
and housing cases...

...setting up alternative
work arrangements.

All while actually increasing
productivity and retention...

...which is not to suggest
it's about drumming up business.

I mean, something's gotta get you up
in the morning, right?

( CROWD CHEERING )

And going back to William Henry...

...I told you I remember quotes
from his class.

"I believe because of my beliefs."

Cards-on-the-table time:
I was gonna leave law...

...before I took his class.
After him, I doubled down.

You know, all his talk of what could be
and the difference...

...one man could make.
But then you gotta make a living.

Four offices, this market?

It's... It's no small thing.

Of course, he didn't see it that way.
He told me I was, uh...

I was drowning in the shallow end.

( CROWD CHEERING )

Worse was, I knew it.

And then you come along, you...

You shake things up a bit,
and here we are sitting...

...talking new possibilities,
where we can go.

Hell, I don't have to explain. You get it.

Christ, you're gonna be
right in the middle of it.

( FANFARE PLAYS
THEN CROWD CHEERS )

( ♪♪♪ )

MAN 1 : Come on, man.
MAN 2 : That's bullshit.

GEORGE : Whoo. L. A. traffic, man,
there's no getting around it.

Glad I caught you before we came in.
We just landed this.

It's a capital case.
You have experience with those?

We handled quite a few.

I'll make the introduction,
then I'll bow out and you'll stay.

Okay.

I looked at that prison-overcrowding case
you and William worked on.

- Which one?
- This one was against Men's Central.

- You prevailed.
- Oh, that was overturned.

Yeah?

- How's your big plea-reform brief going?
- Uh...

Put it aside.

Well, tell me more about it.
I'm interested.

Carried it as far as I can take it.

Well, how about some help?
I mean, I've been thinking about it.

I've become less skeptical
about the possibilities...

...and scope of what you said.
I could devote office resources...

...help you complete the brief. We could
file it at the federal court together.

That's the first step. It'll take years
of commitment to see it through.

Commitment doesn't seem
to be a problem for you.

I hear you're moving
to a new apartment.

- How'd you hear that?
- Payroll check comes across my desk.

- I know that building. It's not cheap.
- I had money saved.

I mean, it's great. It's a nice building.

No, I mean,
I had money saved for a long time.

- Well, what else is it good for?
- Heh.

- You got your ID?
- Yeah, yeah.

George Pierce and Roman Israel
to see our client, Carter Johnson.

- Carter Johnson?
- I meant to tell you.

They picked him up on Friday
from the Ellerbee case.

We've been retained.

( DOOR BUZZES )

( ♪♪♪ )

( DOOR BUZZES )

Hello, Carter.

I'm George Pierce, and this is
my associate Roman Israel.

Roman is a devoted advocate
and a fabulous attorney.

And he's gonna be
the point person on your team.

- You're good, huh?
GEORGE : Well, he's better than good.

Have you had a chance
to review the fee structure?

- The stuff you sent over? Yeah.
GEORGE : Yeah.

You understand this is
a capital murder case?

- Yeah.
- All right, first off...

...you wanna be fully up to speed
on your file.

You will make better decisions
if you're completely informed...

...about every aspect of your case
and you know all your options.

I know all my options.

Well, unfortunately, we, uh,
can't change what's been done.

That means facing this head-on.

I think you understand the penalties
you're facing are very severe.

In overview,
we're gonna study the discovery...

...of the evidence
the prosecution gives us.

And we're gonna force the prosecution...

...to give us anything
and everything we want.

- Roman, you wanna step in?
- Yeah, we're gonna...

We're gonna perform
a private investigation...

...and devise a defense.

That's not all we'll do.
We'll outwork the prosecution.

All right? We're gonna outwork them,
we're gonna outperform them.

And we're gonna get you
the best result possible.

- Life in a cage.
- Well, that's the outcome we're fighting.

It'll be a long process,
and it's gonna cost quite a bit.

So with that in mind, I...

I'd like to suggest there's no need
for two billable attorneys...

...at this early phase. If it's okay with
you, I'll bow out. I'll let Roman continue.

It's okay with me.

All right, Carter.

I'll be in touch.

- Roman, I'll speak with you later.
- Okay.

GEORGE :
Guard.

ROMAN :
The, um...

( DOOR BUZZES )

Um...

The prosecutors are gonna favor
a grand jury...

...over a preliminary hearing,
which will allow them to wait...

- ...and reveal the evidence at the trial.
- You represented Derrell.

Briefly.

I asked for you
after talking to his cellie.

We have a number
of legal maneuvers we can employ...

...to try and force a prelim.

- I don't care about the prelim.
- I'd advise that we pursue it.

You knew where I was.

When was that?

Before they picked me up.

I'm sure Derrell shared that info
with a number of people.

No.

You're the only person he told.

That's what he told the guy.

You called it in,
collected the reward money.

- You fucked me.
- I presented myself...

...on your request for an attorney.

You're talking,
but it don't mean nothing.

I ain't never getting out of here.

They got me cold.

But I'll tell you this.

I got you.

Anytime I want.

- Guard... Guard.
- Any place.

- Guard!
- Could've already done it.

- Guard.
- But I want you to be where I am.

- Guard!
- Thinking about it.

- Guard.
- Go on and tell somebody what you did.

- I want out.
- Broke your own law.

- Privileged information.
- Guard!

Tell them about the law you broke.
They'll throw you in here with me.

What, you gonna run? Try it.

( ♪♪♪ )

( SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY )

( RINGING )

Hello?

( MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY )

( DOOR BUZZES )

Hello?

( LINE DISCONNECTS )

( PHONE BEEPING )

( LINE RINGING )

WOMAN : Front desk.
- Yes, I just received a call, uh...

- There was no one there.
- Well, they asked for you, Mr. Israel.

Did they give a name?

I'm sorry. No, they didn't.

( ♪♪♪ )

( PHONE RINGING )

Hello?

( ♪♪♪ )

( TIRES SCREECH AND HORN HONKS )

( ROCK MUSIC PLAYING )

♪.. They say we don't listen anyway ..♪

♪.. Time has come today ..♪

♪.. Hey! ..♪

- ♪ The rules have changed today ♪
- ♪ Hey ..♪

- ♪ I have no place to stay ♪
- ♪ Hey ..♪

- ♪ I'm thinkin' about the subway ♪
- ♪ Hey ..♪

- ♪ My love has flown away ♪
- ♪ Hey ..♪

- ♪ My tears have come and gone ♪
- ♪ Hey ..♪

- ♪ Oh, my Lord, I have to roam ♪
- ♪ Hey ..♪

- ♪ I have no home ♪
- ♪ Hey ..♪

( TIRES SCREECHING )

( HORNS HONKING )

- ♪ Now the time has come ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ There's no place to run ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ I might get burned up by the sun ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ But I had my fun ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ I've been loved and put aside ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

♪.. I've been crushed ..♪

- ♪ By a tumbling tide ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

♪.. And my soul ..♪

- ♪ Has been psychedelicized ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

- ♪ Now the time has come ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ There are things to realize ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ Time has come today ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ Time has come today ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

♪.. Time ..♪

( ENGINE REVVING )

- ♪ Now the time has come ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ There's no place to run ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ I might get burned up by the sun ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ But I've had my fun ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

- ♪ I've been loved and put aside ♪
- ♪ Time ..♪

♪.. I've been crushed ..♪

- ♪ By a tumbling tide ♪
- ♪ Time ♪♪

H ey!

Hey, you okay?

You all right, mister?

I was running.

You need any help?

It was a bad decision.

- It wasn't my first.
KYLE : Dude's crazy.

Come on.

( EDDIE KENDRICKS' "KEEP ON
TRUCKIN"' PLAYING AS RINGTONE )

♪.. Keep on truckin', baby ♪♪

- Hello?
MAYA : Hey. It's Maya.

- Hi, Maya.
- What are you doing?

Uh...

- Nothing much.
- You'd tell me if I was bugging you.

- No.
- Heh-heh.

Well, that's honest.

You know I only call you
when I'm down. That's horrible, right?

One of my friends...

One of my best staffers
quit on me yesterday.

Told me that working here
was just for his résumé.

Oh. The ability to have...

...conflicting ideas
in one's head takes effort.

Huh. I like that.

How's your day going?

Oh, you know...

- ...life smiles, I smile back.
- Heh.

- You don't sound like you're smiling.
- I'm a little...

- Kind of anxious, actually.
- Well, just tell yourself...

...that most of the things you worry about
will never, ever happen.

- I'll try that.
- Alcohol works even better. Heh.

( STATIC CRACKLING )

- Roman?
- Yeah.

It's a really bad connection.
Where are you?

In a desert.

Yeah, it feels like that sometimes.

Just gotta keep moving.

Well, which way?

Head on. Just straight through. Heh.

( STATIC CRACKLING )

- Hello?
- Roman?

- Hey, can you hear...?
- Hello?

Maya?

( ♪♪♪ )

ROMAN : As social action
affects the course of law...

...let's call to account
the original complaint.

We're agents of change,
united by virtue...

Wrongs will be righted. A loophole
of ambiguity in the system...

Legal challenge
based on improvement...

Revised draft of a new community
unevenly applied...

For a verdict of history,
formally empowered with authority.

- -levers of the law. There needs
to be a bottom-up legal change.

Who'll see us?
What the world could be, not what it is.

Society is something to be invented,
not endured.

...must stand, or go down together.

( KNOCKING ON DOOR )

Hey, Roman.

What are you doing?

( ♪♪♪ )

ROMAN :
Case 00-001.

( ROMAN READING ON-SCREEN TEXT )

ROMAN :
- -versus himself, defendant.

( ROMAN READING ON-SCREEN TEXT )

( DOOR OPENS )

Hey.

I just heard something disturbing
about you from a solid source.

About the Ellerbee case.
Carter Johnson?

You collected the reward?

- Is that true?
ROMAN :... in the city of Los Angeles.

- During that time...
- Roman.

( ROMAN'S THOUGHTS
ECHOING INDISTINCTLY )

ROMAN :
- -for the above-mentioned request...

...for immediate and summaryjudgment.

CONNOR :
I thought we were working tonight.

- Uh... I plan to leave.
- Monday, then? Tomorrow?

I believe I'll be unavailable
for the foreseeable future.

You know the facts.

- Just jump in.
- You mean, on my own?

You got it.

( ♪♪♪ )

( HORNS HONKING )

- Did you check his office?
FRITZ : That's what I'm saying, he left.

- When?
- A few minutes ago.

Goddamn it,
he's not answering his cell.

Just keep trying him
and let me know, all right?

Roman. Roman!

( TIRES SCREECHING )

( ELEGANT PIANO MUSIC PLAYING )

( CHATTERING )

( CHUCKLING )

MAYA : Okay.
- Yeah, I'm back. Heh-heh.

- What is that?
- That's for you.

- It's a bulldog.
- Amongst other things.

- It's so real.
- It actually is alive.

Why are you giving it to me?

To take care of.

- Heh. You're a trip.
- Well...

...you're worth having in this thing.

Here. Put it up here.

- Is it yours?
- For a while.

- Well, then you should keep it, Roman.
- Well, I don't have room.

- In your apartment.
- I gave it up.

Why?

- I'm going away.
- Where?

Wherever they send me. See,
something has occurred. Something...

I've just taken a career
which was certainly sincere and...

And well-intentioned
and launched it right into...

...the realm
of the truly transformational.

I promise you that the attorney
that triumphs in this instance...

...won't be the one with the most
formal education or legal skill.

Roman, what are you talking about?

Well, it's quite interesting, actually.

- There you are.
- Hey, George.

- This is Maya. Maya, this is George.
- Hey.

- Hello.
ROMAN : Maya...

...doesn't...

...overlook the vital things...

...like other people.

And speaking for myself,
I'm thankful for that.

Roman tells me
that he really enjoys working for you.

Yeah. George is a protector of rights.
That's truth...

- ...in advertising.
- I...

I need to, uh... I need to have a word
with you. Can we...?

- I was leaving anyway.
- You just got here.

GEORGE :
Sorry, Maya, it's, uh...

It's important.

This is funny. Just to think...

Three Mondays ago,
I didn't know either one of you.

- Roman, I'm concerned about you.
ROMAN : It's okay.

George and I just need to...

- ...talk business matters.
- Yeah.

I believe...

...the two of you are gonna...

...get along very well.

Roman...

Roman.

Roman, wait.

Roman...

...what the hell is going on?

From my point of view?

I get a call from Fritz.
Says he has reliable information...

...that you turned in Carter Johnson
and collected the reward.

- Here's what the prosecutor won't tell you.
- Jesus Christ, it's true.

I've been given a gift, George.

No, you acted utterly improperly.
I mean, you broke the law.

- It so wasn't a gift, Roman.
- I'm not talking about the money.

I don't care about the money,
fruit of the poisonous tree.

If you wanna understand
what's happening...

...you're gonna have to get past
all the smoke of legal disputation.

Legal disputation?
Roman, these are dangerous people.

- You don't just walk away from this.
- Not walking away.

I'm turning myself in.
The station's on Sixth.

Roman.

I'll... I'll walk with you.

You know,
all those years of practicing...

...scouring law books...

...achieving technical triumphs
through loopholes and ambiguities...

...none of which were adequate
to save me...

...from the reality of my present situation.
Then today, in the middle of nowhere...

...lost, had a revelation.

An insight so sweeping, so clear.

It's me, George.

See, I didn't see it before because
I never experienced the other side.

I'm the defendant...

...and the plaintiff simultaneously.
I file against myself...

...I represent myself, I convict myself,
hereby expanding...

...the full scope of the legal desert,
because the judgment's built in.

The only thing left is forgiveness,
and I grant that to myself.

An act doesn't make the person guilty
unless the mind is guilty as well.

Of course... Of course I expect
there'll be challenges...

...as there's no precedent...

...or derivative interpretations...

...but the argument is sound.

The premise true. I have no doubt it'll
be upheld by any and all courts of law.

You're insane.

- Never been more clear.
- That's what we'll argue.

Now, watch what you say.

You don't represent me, so the rules
of confidentiality don't apply.

My entire defense will be based on
the unequivocal recitation of the truth.

I know you get it, George.

You have such a tremendous future.
It's so bright, I...

I swear, it's...

Heh. It's blinding.

( TIRES SCREECH
THEN HORN HONKING )

Jesus.

( ♪♪♪ )

( TIRES SCREECHING )

( ♪♪♪ )

( HORNS HONKING )

( EDDIE KENDRICKS' "KEEP ON
TRUCKIN"' PLAYING AS RINGTONE )

♪.. Keep on truckin', baby ♪♪

Hello?

Of course I remember you,
that's why I gave you my card.

( GUNSHOT )

( PANTING )

( ♪♪♪ )

I... I like the idea
of starting the conversation...

...with how protest is
still relevant or not...

...because, you know, we approach these
things with, um, a certain tradition...

...a certain, you know, uh,
repetition of behavior...

...and sometimes thinking through it,
we have to find new approaches.

ROMAN :
To whom it may concern...

...I'm returning the reward money.

Taking it was wrong, and I'm compelled
to remedy my mistake.

I did spend $5,547.27,
which I will repay.

I bought three suits, size 50 regular.

And I did buy two pairs
of Italian loafers, size 11.

One black, one brown.

We are all formed of frailty...

...and error.

Let us pardon, reciprocally...

...each other's folly.

That is the first law...

...of nature.

( ♪♪♪ )

( SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY )

I'm filing a federal
brief in District Nine.

( THE SPINNERS'
"I'LL BE AROUND" PLAYING )

( INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE )

♪.. This ..♪

♪.. Is our fork in the road ..♪

♪.. Love's last episode ..♪

♪.. There's nowhere to go
Oh, no ..♪

♪.. You made your choice ..♪

♪.. Now it's up to me ..♪

♪.. To bow out gracefully ..♪

♪.. Though you hold the key
But, baby ..♪

♪.. Whenever you call me
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. Whenever you want me
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. Whenever you need me
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. I'll be around ..♪

♪.. I knewjust what to say ..♪

♪.. Now I found out today ..♪

♪.. That all the words
Had slipped away ..♪

♪.. But I know there's always a chance ..♪

♪.. A tiny spark will remain, yeah ..♪

♪.. And sparks turn into flames ..♪

♪.. And love can burn once again ..♪

♪.. But I know you know ..♪

♪.. Whenever you call me
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. Whenever you want me
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. Whenever you need me
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. I'll be around ..♪

♪.. Yeah ..♪

♪.. Whenever you call me
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. Whenever you want me
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. Even if I have to crawl
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. I'll be around ..♪

♪.. Just call me on the phone
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. I'll never leave you alone
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. Just call out my name
I know, I know you know ..♪

♪.. I'll be around ..♪

♪.. I'll be skippin' and a-jumpin'
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. I'll be a-rippin' and a-runnin'
I'll be there ..♪

♪.. I'll be callin' out your name
To let you know ..♪

♪.. I'll be around ..♪

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