Original subtitles

So this is what you do?

I break up with you and you commit..

I don't even know what this is you're committing.

I switched jobs.

Go get your real job back

before it's too late.

This is my real job.

I'm Tommy Jefferson, kid, I chew lawyers up

and spit 'em out.

He's gonna treat you like you don't exist.

Your best bet is just interrupt him at every turn.

He's got a temper and he's been known to completely blow.

- You little snot! - Don't call me little!

- You were rude to me. - You ridiculed me.

Nobody does that. You're nothing, little bug.

Will you represent me? I'm facing prison.

I got arrested on a drug charge.

Third offense, and, uh...I got a cocaine problem.

Your old life was that of a drug addict.

'You have to turn your back on that, all of it.'

If you need to talk to us, we're all here.

She's really working in that neighborhood?

Police don't really respond

to alarms in this neighborhood.

The merchants tend to be burglarized

and vandalized at an alarming rate.

You protect me and my place

my law firm will defend you for free.

I think I became terminal in my late 40s.

Nothing the doctors could find

you couldn't see it on an X-ray.

But I was dying.

Being put to death quietly, systemically, by routine.

I finally died last year.

You need to close up shop for a couple days.

What? Why?

Couple of local gangs are beefin' with each other

know what I'm saying? Might be some bullets flying..

'And it'd be better if y'all weren't around.'

- Shooting? Like, at us? - What gangs?

Linkwood Crew's one, and Boone Park's the other.

Well, what is this beef about?

What the hell is going on here?

Told you all I know, sugar.

Well, who told you?

See, it's like this, see, Dewayne

he runs with Linkwood crew.

Got this girl named Shonda, they broke up.

So Dewayne finds out that Shonda's hanging with C.K.

- C.K., he runs with my boys. - That's Boone Park?

Yeah, so Dewayne, he goes and get his boys

and they go and torch C.K.'s ride.

C.K. was, like, "Man, I'm gonna need 12 grand for that."

'Dewayne be, like, "No."'

So now Linkwood is beefing with us.

It's gonna get bad.

- Is Dewayne gonna hurt Shonda? - Naw.

He-he don't give a.. Naw, he got a new girl.

Ain't even about the girl no more.

It's about respect.

I gotta go. Thanks for the ice cream.

It's true, you really got him into college?

I did not. He got into college himself.

Uh-huh.

So two gangs have a ridiculous minor property dispute

like this one, they start shooting?

Not always. They got this thing here called street advocates.

They try to fix situations like this.

There was a street advocate assigned to this area

but...he dead now.

- Did they kill him? - Allergy. Man ate a bad peanut.

But dead is dead, you know what I'm sayin'?

So we, like, between mediators.

Alright. As of right now, they have a new mediator...me.

I don't think they gonna go for that.

Well, you don't know till you ask them.

Naw, see, some things you do know before you ask.

Well, put it to them like this

I'm gonna be sitting in front of my store window

with my .44 in my lap.

If someone starts shooting at anybody

I'll consider it directed at me.

I'm gonna shoot back.

So these beefing gangsters are gonna get

their asses shot up, or they're gonna murder an old white lady

with lots of friends in the criminal justice system

friends who will insist on the death penalty for the shooter

and his accomplices because I am one adorable mother--

Harry!

Wait. No. No!

No, no, no, no, no, no. No!

You wanted a number, I gave it to you.

$626,000.

That's my number.

Saw that. Unacceptable.

Do you mind telling me how you got to that figure?

I got it due to lost wages, loss of future earnings

pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium.

Many things go into a Tommy Jefferson number.

- Loss of consortium? - He's depressed.

- Affects his love life. - Look..

- No, you look. - I asked you to look first.

Your client wrongfully terminated mine.

That's a fact. That's a given. That's a reality.

One which you're not gonna change by bringing in rude boy.

Think I don't know why you recruited him?

I know why. You brought him in to push my button.

Nobody pushes my button.

I don't even have a button. $626,000. That's my number.

Your client made $81,000 a year. He's 72 years old.

There's no way that lost wages together with

loss of future earnings will ever, ever reach

present-day value of that number you're throwing out.

Your client fired an old man for being old.

The jury will hate that.

They will punish him, you know it

I know it, so does the bug.

There's no wand to wave, no button to push

no card to play.

You have a dog case.

Your client's worst nightmare would be for a jury

to get its hands on this. Ask the bug.

- Tommy-- - Don't flirt with me.

You want to flirt with me, do it in a bar.

Do it in a hotel lounge. Do it on my boat.

But not in a settlement conference. $627,000.

Oh, it's 27 now.

Surcharge for bringing in a bug.

I tack on for bugs.

I saw that. Unacceptable.

$340,000. That's our final offer.

Hmm. Let the nightmare begin.

I think you're gonna have to eat this one, Adam.

I'd cut your losses now and get out. You done for the day?

No, trial starts this afternoon.

- You the Jew? - What did you just say?

Hey, "Jew" is a slang. It just means "lawyer."

Oh.

Yes, I would be the Jew.

I'm the Jew.

Alright, cool. 8 o'clock, here.

Fine.

By the way, no guns.

Everyone will be frisked at the door.

Hey, man, I think I sold that old lady some weed.

What?

See? They're getting along better already.

Harry, the people that'll be here tonight

a few of 'em, maybe all of 'em

have killed people.

Then I better do a good job.

8 o'clock. Bangers in the house.

I don't like that she brought in that bug.

It's not that he threatens me it's that she would think

I have a button that he would know how to push it.

I don't like that.

Tommy Jefferson has no Achilles' heel.

Tommy, you're personalizing.

You don't do well when you personalize, do you?

Look at me. What did we say on the ride over?

I would be Tommy Big-Boy today.

The facts of this case sit with us.

So just keep your focus.

Look, would you like me to try to rattle him?

I don't care about him, he's a bug.

Rattle her.

- Tommy.. - I'm attracted to you.

I just thought we should put that on the table.

It'll have no bearing on the case, but in the spirit

of full disclosure, certain types leave me damp, you're it.

My-my client's willing to come up to $410,000.

Wow. That's a little harder to say no to.

No.

Well, he was honest about it, I'll give him that.

What exactly did he say?

He said he was scaling down the operation

he needed to let some people go.

'He said, "Gerald, you've run your race.'

You need to let the younger employees run theirs."

Did he fault your job performance?

No. Just the opposite. He said I was exemplary.

That's what you said, Allan. Exemplary.

'So basically, he fired you for no good reason.'

Awful, must have been wrenching.

You're damn right it was wrenching.

'46 years I was there. It was my whole life.'

And I get kicked to the curb 'cause I'm too old.

- It's not right. - No, it isn't.

It's horribly wrong.

First of all, I am sorry.

I remember when my grandfather lost his job.

Perhaps you could write about it in your book.

I was..

You're living on a fixed income. What do you have?

- Social Security? - I get Social Security.

- Yes. - A pension?

That doesn't mean he can fire me for being too old.

'I understand that, sir, I'm just trying to get a'

a sense of the hardship. Do you have a pension?

Yes.

How much do you get from your Social Security

and your pension?

I get about $2200 a month.

Is that the extent of your income?

This is not just about income, young lady.

I understand.

Do you have other income?

I get some stock dividends.

Worth about how much?

Oh, it works out to about $8000 a year.

Okay, so that's about $35,000 all in.

And forgive my intrusion, but do you have a savings account?

This isn't about money.

You've sued for lost wages and future earnings

and yet you testify this isn't about the money--

Objection. Of course this is partly about money, but..

I'm talking to him now, I'd be happy

to get a drink with you later.

- Good, can I come? - Yes.

Let's all have a party after the trial

but for now let's just get through this.

May I be heard, Your Honor?

Sir, when you're sitting in that witness chair

it's all about you being heard.

I have suffered economic loss.

But more than the money, my life was about waking up

and going to work.

A man needs a purpose.

- And by purpose do you-- - I'm not finished.

I gave my life to this company. I worked hard for a fair wage.

This job, it...it's all I had.

I sit here now with nothing but time on my hands.

What am I supposed to do?

Where am I supposed to go?

Are we good? Everyone in here is clean? Good.

Harry.

You didn't have to bring a gun.

Come on, calm down.

Thank you. Any more outbursts, you'll hear more of that.

Alright, so...who's who?

Boone Park is on that side. Li'l D will speak for them.

Linkwood's on that side. Keshawn will speak for them.

And the two guys who are having the dispute?

It's Dewayne from Linkwood. Dewayne.

- And C.K. with Boone Park. - 'Got it.'

And it's C.K.'s car that was damaged?

Damaged? You tripping. That ride was done.

- Yo, watch your mouth, man. - He lucky he wasn't in it.

- You feel me? - What you say, son?

Guys, guys, come on, we here to talk.

We didn't come here to fight. Calm down!

'It broke my heart to fire Gerald.'

He's been a valued, loyal employee.

My father hired him. He began mowing grass, landscaping.

Worked his way into accounting and sales.

- 'And he was good.' - But?

But I had to trim my workforce. I was hemorrhaging money.

And the trimming you did involved your older employees?

Yes, but what it really came down to was economic need.

'The young guys and women had families.'

Tuition to swing, mouths to feed.

They were scraping just to avoid getting foreclosed on.

'Gerald owns his home outright, he has a great pension'

stock dividends, bottom line, he was better able to absorb

being laid off, at least financially.

Did you ever consider the difficulty

for a 72-year-old to reenter the labor force?

I did consider that.

What about our State budget mess?

Think we should start brooming the older judges?

Oh, come on.

Did you consider the psychological damage

it might cause Mr. Essex to be put out of work?

- I know it had to be tough. - You know how?

You read about it? You consulted psychologists?

I don't have to consult with anybody to know

this was gonna be difficult.

'Gerald has financial security'

which most of my employees don't--

Not my question, what, if you don't like my question

you're gonna answer one of your own?

- Objection. - Mr. Jefferson.

You say you considered need in deciding who to fire.

Did you consider fairness? Basic fairness?

Like if a man gives 46 years of his life

if he's loyal, if he works hard every damn day

that doesn't count? That doesn't count?

Of course it counts.

You had 11 employees who had worked for you under a year.

You kept them, but this man you fired...because he's old.

You think I want to be losing money?

Do you think I want to be firing people? I had to.

We all have to make sacrifices, for God's sake.

And you decided to sacrifice the employee

who had given you the most?

Look, man, your boy's out of line, and you know it.

He wasn't out of nothing. You don't even care about that girl.

That don't matter if I was done with her or not.

- Hold on, nobody talks unless-- - What I'm saying is--

- Quiet. - I'm making a point!

I said shut your mouth.

- Harry, take it down a notch. - This is the only notch I know.

Let's continue, one person at a time.

My point be this...if anybody be out of order it's this punk

when he decided to torch C.K.'s car.

- My turn? - Go.

Here's what it is. It's about respect, you feel me?

He knew he should have stuck to Shonda

but he did it anyway. He hood rich. Peeling off stacks.

- Trying to front-- - Time out.

I know you all have your own jargon

but I don't talk legal-ese to you

so please don't speak gangster-ese to me.

Harry, all he said was--

What he said he can say in plain English.

That is plain English.

You don't understand what I'm saying..

That was plain enough. If you don't understand..

Hold up. You're going to bust an eardrum with that thing.

Put it down.

Give us a minute.

You need to lighten up a little.

No, I need to be able to understand

what they're saying.

Ask me and I'll tell you.

Check this out.

We come to an agreement on something.

- This here's not gonna work. - What?

At least not with you. You're out.

What do you mean I'm out?

You're a terrible mediator, lady.

You're out. He's in.

- What? - What?

Look, you just don't get it, lady.

We think maybe he does.

- I'm the mediator. - No, you're not.

We'll be back tomorrow 8:00 a.m.

Be ready.

Do not scream. You hear me?

I'm not going to hurt you. I just need you to listen to me.

Do not bite me. I don't like when people bite me either.

I ain't gonna rob you or nothing, I promise.

I just need to talk to you.

That is not the way to initiate a conversation.

Sorry. I heard you pack.

I want to get out of Boone Park.

I want to go to college like that Malcolm kid.

I told you, I didn't get him..

It's not about that.

I just need you to help me get out.

Well, what's the big deal? Just say you're out.

In which case, they'll kill me.

- Oh, come on. - You're the mediator.

I just need you to help me get out.

Actually, I'm no longer.. They'd really kill you?

Lady, read my lips. They...will...kill...me.

- No, no, no, no, no! No! - Calm down.

Harry, you cannot do this.

Getting someone out of a gang? That is way, way over your head.

You cannot. First of all, they probably would kill him.

- It's definitely a possibility. - I cannot believe--

Believe it. My brother was in a gang.

He wanted to get out. He..

If you try to do this, then you can forget about us

mediating the other thing 'cause our trust, our credibility--

Helping kids leave gangs is something mediators do.

The ones with experience, maybe.

And most of them, ex-gang members themselves.

This is way beyond the expertise of a patent lawyer.

Just handle the dispute we got on the table, please?

Hello. Welcome, welcome.

I took the liberty of making little name tags

to make things a little easier.

Little D. That's for you.

You're not little. Funny.

C.K. That's for you.

Dewayne, here you.. No? Okay.

Keshawn.

Maybe we should bump up the offer.

The client refuses.

Rachel, we're getting a little thrashed here.

Not to criticize, but you didn't exactly rattle Tommy much.

- You're blaming me? - No. I just..

Look, it's not over. Our client is sympathetic.

- It's just the plaintiff is-- - Is way more so.

If we close well, we are still in it.

How's Chunhua doing?

Better. A lot better actually.

Thanks for loaning out Thomas.

Oh, it's the least I can do

after you've helped so much with this case.

I'm kidding.

Seriously, do you have any ideas?

Well, Tommy's done a good job of framing the question

why him just because he's old.

We need the question to be, why does he get tenure

just because he's old.

Okay, so I think I've got the basics of the situation.

Dewayne, how long you and Shonda going out?

I don't know, man...a few months, something like that.

- When'd you break up? - Little, bro.

I don't really know all these damn dates.

It was a while ago. Besides, bottom line, he don't get her.

No matter what, bro.

So you set fire to his car.

- Whatever. - Okay. C.K..

There's sort of an unwritten rule about dating ex-girlfriends

from another gang, right?

- Yeah. - $12,000 for your car?

- How you get that number? - It's what I paid.

That's because you were suckered.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

- Put it down. - Not now, bro.

- Harry, put yours down. - Not until--

Put it down now.

Now you. Give it to me.

Give it to me!

Give it to me.

- Come on, let's go! - What's up?

- 'Anybody else got a gun?' - Do something!

Has anybody else got a gun?

Ten seconds immunity.

'Cause if I find otherwise, you won't like my ruling.

Ten seconds.

Alright. A one hour cooldown, then we continue.

- We don't need an hour. - Maybe I do.

Kid, you better make this work.

'Cause if not, there's gonna be blood.

And it's gonna be on your hands. You understand?

I just came from the CIRV offices.

You know CIRV, right?

Yeah, yeah, Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce

whatever. I heard of it.

Well, they pretty much echoed what Malcolm told me

that this is way over my head.

Lewis, they can provide protection.

They have experienced people who can mentor..

I came to you.

Got a feeling about you.

Why does everybody get feelings about me?

Look, Lewis, they have a lot of reformed gang members

who can help the transition. They're good at this, I'm not.

- I'm not going to CIRV. - Well, I can't help you.

Do you want me to end up dead?

Lewis, I cannot help you.

C.K., how did you start going out with Shonda?

- Why that matter to you? - 'Cause it does.

From the beginning.

Look, man, I don't really remember, I just..

Refresh your recollection, then.

Well, I saw her one day coming out this store.

And I thought, you know, she'd be cool to hang out with.

So that's it, we started kicking it, no big deal.

I mean, I ain't want no drama, so I told her

how it is, you know.

I told her where I was coming from.

I told that girl exactly where she fit in, in my life.

She was cool with it.

That's it. I ain't mean no disrespect.

So there was no call to go and torch that man's ride.

Not your turn.

Is that it?

C.K.?

We all know the story.

Lifeboat starts to take on water.

Someone has the idea, "Hey, let's throw out

all the old people." That's exactly what happened here.

'Never mind the years of service, loyalty.'

"We want youth, you're out."

It's disgusting how we treat our elderly.

As far as the television networks go

if you're over 49 years of age, you're dead.

You don't exist. It's unfair, it's...indecent.

And what's worse, ageism in this country is tolerated.

Giggled at, even. Make fun of the old.

Why not? Discriminate, go ahead. Who cares?

'Imagine if we did that with racism'

or sexism, or all the other "isms."

'But ageism, knock yourself out.'

Gerald Essex gave Meade Landscaping and Design

46 years of his life.

He deserved better than to be fired because of his age.

There was no suggestion here that he could no longer

do the job. Just the opposite. He was exemplary.

But old. And we don't like old, do we?

I asked the defendant, and he was stuck for an answer

where does that fall on the fairness graph?

I'll ask the same question of you.

Might also throw in the two questions Gerald asked.

What is he supposed to do?

Where is he supposed to go?

I actually like old.

I'd tell you about my grandfather, but I've been

instructed by the court to put that in my book.

That lifeboat analogy, if you remember the story

the elderly were tossed overboard

in order to save people.

Mr. Jefferson left that part out.

My client had a bunch of drowning employees

who would have lost their homes if they were put out of work.

Some wouldn't even be able to feed their families.

So he chose to spare those workers and let go of

the employees who were financially secure

employees like Mr. Essex who had savings

'who had Social Security, who had pensions'

employees who owned their homes outright.

Employees who, yes, happened to be older.

Mr. Essex deserved better, of course he did.

So do a lot of people in this economy.

Let's not get carried away with this ageism nonsense.

The over-50 demographic, they might be dead to the networks

but otherwise they're not doing so bad.

'They control over eight trillion in assets'

more than 70% of discretionary income.

They make up 82% of Congress, 100% of Supreme Court

80% of CEOs.

They basically control government, the economy.

In short, old people rule.

'If one group is getting especially slammed'

'it is the young.'

For kids coming out of college today

it is a labor market depression.

They have to go back to living with their parents

because there are simply no jobs.

So let's put Mr. Jefferson's outrage in perspective here.

As for this fairness graph

let's say you had to let go of one of two employees

one wouldn't face any real financial hardship

for the other, it would be catastrophic.

'What would you do?'

That was the choice facing Allan Meade.

He chose to inflict less hardship.

We should punish him for that? Really?

Any idea what you're gonna do?

I got an idea, but..

- My advice? - Nope.

I can't believe you got me into this.

You're gonna get me killed, I hope you're happy.

I'm never happy.

Was your brother killed trying to get out of a gang?

No. He was shot three times.

So he was meant to be killed.

No, if they wanted to kill him, they would've killed him.

Malcolm, look at me.

My father, it should be said he was drunk at the time

but still... he once said to me

"there comes a time in every man's life when he stops

letting life just happen to him, and he starts happening to it."

I have no idea what that means.

You just look them in the eye, every last single one of them

and you tell them what your ruling is.

Not everybody can be as brave as you, okay?

You think I'm brave?

Malcolm, I got thrown out on my ass by my law firm

at the age of 61.

I suddenly find myself old, fat

alone, unemployed

now practicing law in a shoe store.

That isn't brave, it's desperate.

Most people my age, they resign themselves

to just projecting their hopes and dreams onto their kids.

Well, I don't have any kids, so I can't even do that.

No grandchildren to bounce on.

I got a friggin' shoe store in a ghetto.

But I'll tell you this.

I do get to project a little hope and a few dreams.

I do it with you.

You'd be surprised at how much hope

I project your way, Malcolm.

You're an awesome kid.

Now, I'm not your mother.

But I'm nevertheless going to say something to you

that every parent says to his or her child at some point.

Don't let me down.

Or else.

'Cause they may kill me, too.

I was bad.

Tommy, you weren't bad.

Yes, I was. I was bad, bad, bad.

- You weren't. - But she was better.

I don't like it when people are better.

Nobody gets to be better than Tommy Jefferson.

You're not acting like Tommy Big-Boy now, are you?

- You're pouting. - Because she was better.

- You both were good. - That's not what I wanna hear.

Everything was going so well. I don't understand.

Look, she's a good lawyer. We knew that.

- She must be a lesbian. - Excuse me?

You bolstered her by flirting with her.

That's what you did. Made her much better.

I saw that.

I don't do well against lesbians.

You made her better.

Okay.

C.K. claims Dewayne owes him $12,000 for destroying his car.

Dewayne says his actions were justified

because C.K. broke the code by dating

his ex-girlfriend Shonda.

C.K., Blue Book value puts your car at 8000.

- I tricked it out. - 'It don't matter.'

The mediator finds in favor of Dewayne.

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

I ain't done, the mediator also finds

that Dewayne has no claim whatsoever on Shonda.

Dewayne, you and Shonda are done.

She want to be with C.K., she gonna be with C.K., that's it.

No, that's not it. Some codes don't get broken.

Not by him and not by you, you understand?

I think you need to understand, that's my ruling.

It's either this or no ruling, and I'm done.

There's any blood, it's on your hands.

You got that? All you want is not to pay the money.

You don't care about the girl, he does. This works.

The mediator has made his ruling.

We all cool?

We cool.

- Whatever, man. - Yeah. Cool.

Then we're adjourned.

One second.

As you all made it so clear, I'm just

the little old white lady who doesn't get it.

Harry..

And I don't. I'll admit that.

Why you choose the life of gangs.

Perhaps it chooses you.

Maybe there's no choice involved at all

it's just a reality that..

But here's another reality.

Five, ten years down the road, you people

every single one of you, will either be dead or in prison.

Dead or in prison.

You all cool with that? You can't be that stupid.

I know getting out of a gang is difficult.

'But if any of you should choose to do so'

'I would hope the rest of you, as betrayed as you may feel'

'would respect that decision.'

'And if any of you want out, my door is open to help you.'

That's a promise I'll make right now.

And here's another one.

If I hear that anybody tries to get out and ends up dead..

I will hunt the responsible person or persons down

like a mad dog.

Now we're adjourned.

You made an offer, I'm accepting. What's the big deal?

- You rejected that offer. - I'm talking to her, bug.

You never took it off the table. Bug.

I'm officially accepting now.

It's officially off the table.

Now, if you want a hundred..

What? Bug. That's insulting, a hundred.

Mr. Jefferson, you want to take your seat now?

No, Your Honor. 300, as low as I'll go.

Let me rephrase. Take your seat.

- Final chance. - Pass.

Mr. Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?

- We have, Your Honor. - What say you?

"In the matter of Essex vs. Meade Landscaping and Design

"on the question of liability

we find in favor of the plaintiff."

Of course you do. Tommy Jay, Tommy Jay. Nobody like me.

And on the question of damages, we order the defendant

to pay the plaintiff $75.

What?

- Did he say $75? - Tommy Big-Boy.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, thank..

- 75 bucks? That's it? - It's a victory.

You're still undefeated. Big-Boy. Big-Big-Boy now.

75 bucks?

Essentially, the jury said it was wrong of you

to fire him because of his age

but they understood why you did it.

Shall I pay him now? 'Cause I have $75 on me.

- I'd wait on that. - Okay.

- Listen, hey, thank you. - Mm-hmm.

- Thank you both. - Our pleasure.

- Thanks. - Oh, you won it, Rachel.

Oh, I know, but still, you wanted to be useful

it's the thought that counts.

I called, you came. Thanks.

- Not happy. - No.

Seventy-five dollars?

According to Adam, Tommy is furious.

Adam is back to being a rude little bug.

Of course he is.

This one was a paying client though, Harry.

We actually get money for this.

- Harry. - What?

What?

Lewis?

Who is it?

It's me.

Harry Korn.

Oh, thank you.

I-I don't know how to... thank you.

Are you being sarcastic?

No.

They just beat me.

I got off light. They just beat me out, that's all.

I'll be fine.

Had to be 'cause of what you said.

Lewis..

Because of me opening my mouth they..

...they must have figured out.

Yeah, I know.

But they also heard you.

'I'm alive, right?'

I'm..

I'm gonna go to college, just like Malcolm.

I don't know what else to say.

Neither do I.

Lewis, I am so very sorry.

You really don't get it, do you?

I probably owe you my life.

No.

I don't get it at all.

The thing about routine

when it kills you, it doesn't have to be forever.

If you can just get rid of it

and the hazy blur that goes with it

life can come back.

With all its glory, its pain.

Oh, how it can come back.