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Anyone here?

My name is Erwin Griswold.

I am the dean of this place.

Welcome to Harvard Law School.

Take a moment to look around you.

In this room,

there are Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars,

Phi Beta Kappa members,

student body presidents,

and a Harvard football team captain.

Together...

you will become lawyers.

This is a privilege you share.

It is also a responsibility you accept.

Consider...

what does it mean to be a Harvard man?

A Harvard man is intelligent, of course,

but he is also tenacious.

He is a leader devoted to the rule of law.

He is mindful of his country, loyal to tradition,

and he is respectful and protective

of our institutions.

"The net operating loss deductions

"by the year shall be computed as of Subsection A

of this section, applied to such tax review..."

Which one makes me look more like a Harvard man?

I'm thrilled to report

that you look nothing like a Harvard man.

Seriously? It's the dean's dinner, Marty.

You know how I am at these things.

I-I need to make a good impression.

And you will, Kiki, but you've got it wrong.

It's not the dress. It's you.

You haven't touched your tuna casserole.

Come here, sweetie. Come.

There we go.

I put onions in. They help, right?

Definitely.

I don't like either of these.

Okay, where were we?

Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join us

in the dining room as dinner is served.

And, professors, please escort the ladies in.

After you. Please.

May I?

He remembers everything.

He said, "Professor,

have you corrected our papers?"

And I said, "Correcting them will take a lifetime.

I'm merely grading them."

Oh, wait a minute.

Esteemed colleagues, ladies.

This is only the sixth year women have had the privilege

to earn a Harvard law degree.

This little soiree is our way of saying welcome.

My wife Harriet and I

are very glad all nine of you have joined us.

Let us go around the table,

and each of you ladies report who you are, where you're from,

and why you're occupying a place at Harvard

that could have gone to a man.

Yeah.

Well...

why don't you get us started, dear?

I'm Hennie Callaghan.

Father's a lawyer back in Minneapolis.

He used to give me drafts of contracts

to use for drawing paper.

But at some point,

I got more interested in reading them

than drawing on them.

In a few years, it's gonna be Callaghan and Callaghan.

That was fine.

Next.

Emily Hicks.

Hello. Connecticut.

When I finished Mount Holyoke,

my mother wanted me to get married.

But I didn't want to do that,

and I didn't want to be a teacher

- or a nurse, so when I... - Ah.

That's not a very good reason.

Next.

- Oh. - Watch it.

Sorry.

Uh, I'm...

Ruth Ginsburg from Brooklyn.

And why are you here, Miss Ginsburg?

Uh, M-Mrs. Ginsburg, actually.

My husband Marty is in the second-year class.

I'm at Harvard to learn more about his work,

so I can be a more patient and understanding wife.

Come to dinner. The beans will be boiled,

the chicken will be stewed, and you will be grilled.

We came to Harvard to be lawyers. Why else?

It's truly an asinine question.

He's never gonna take me seriously.

No, that's not true.

You're the smartest person here,

and you're gonna be the most prepared.

So just stand up and say what you know.

At a place like this, that's all that matters.

In my experience, even small mistakes

are glaring when you stick out.

Well, then you're very lucky.

Because you...

are very... short.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah.

Well...

why don't you come down here

and say that to my face.

Mrs. Ginsburg.

I am Professor Brown.

This is Introduction to Contracts.

Hawkins versus McGee.

State the case, please...

Mr. Pruitt.

Uh, good morning. I'm Donald Pruitt.

I'm really honored to be here...

Hawkins v. McGee.

Uh, yeah, Hawkins versus McGee, it-it's a fascinating,

uh, breach of contract case where, um...

oh, uh, Charles Hawkins hurt his hand, and McGee had...

Can someone help him, please?

Mr. Fitzpatrick.

It was Charles's son who hurt his hand.

- Electrocution burn. - And at what point

does the case turn, Mr. Fitzpatrick?

McGee promised to fix the hand by performing a skin graft,

but McGee wasn't very familiar with the procedure,

and the results weren't quite what he planned.

Question already, Mrs....

- Ginsburg. - Correction, Professor Brown.

McGee did not simply promise to fix George Hawkins' hand.

He promised, quote, "a 100% good hand."

- That's the same thing. - Is it?

What say you, Mrs. Ginsburg?

It is not.

Words matter.

McGee grafted skin from Hawkins' chest.

Not only did this fail to fix the scarring,

he had chest hair growing on his palm.

Proving that a hand with a burn is worth two with a bush.

The court denied Hawkins' damages.

Hawkins did get damages... the court said

- he could have... - If I may finish.

Hawkins was denied damages for pain and suffering.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court

ruled he was entitled to damages

only based on the contract being fulfilled.

So if Dr. McGee had set realistic expectations

instead of making grand promises,

Hawkins' award likely would have been less.

Was that an answer, Mrs. Ginsburg, or a filibuster?

Mm.

Mm.

- Movie. - Movie.

- Four words. - Four words.

- Second word. - Second word.

- Seven? - Seven.

- Uh-oh. - Fourth word. - Fourth word.

- - Oh! Monkey! - Oh! Gorilla! Monkey business.

- Uh, ape! - Monkey. Monkey.

Ape. Uh...

- Ooh. - Monkey on my back.

Second word, seven. Seven...

Seven... Seven Brides for Seven Brothers?

What does that have to do with monkeys?

- And... - Seven... - Oh, oh, The Seven Year Itch!

- Time! - Yes!

Ruthless Ruthy strikes again.

Okay, next round's riding on you.

- Don't worry, he's very good. - All right.

Thank God, because she actually

broke up with someone for being bad at charades.

- You didn't, really? - Well, it was a manifestation

of his being an idiot.

- See? - Don't worry, I'm comfortable

- being smarter than you. - Oh, thank you.

- All right, everybody ready? - Oh.

- Uh, song. - A song. - Um...

- Uh, Buddy Holly? Uh... - Uh, Bill Haley?

By Elvis.

Uh, three words.

- First word. - Uh, first word.

Uh...

- Uh, table. Um... - A glass?

- Um... - A book!

- Um, uh... - Reading!

Uh, blue!

- Ah! "Blueberry Hill"? - No, that's Fats Domino.

Uh, third word, third word. Floor.

- Carpet. - Dancing?

- Nice moves. - Oh. Ow. Ow. Hold on.

- Oh, no sound effects. - Oh. Oh, "Bl-Blue Suede Shoes."

- Come on, Marty, you're a lightweight. - Marty?

Marty.

- Help! Help! - Is he all right? - Someone get some help!

The doctor's ready to see you now.

Excuse me.

Just a moment, please.

- Excuse me, I just need... - Just a moment.

I need to make a call.

Yes. Uh, can we have the results today?

E-Excuse me.

Doctor, um, you examined my husband.

I'm wondering when you think he'll be able to leave.

I need to call the sitter. I...

What's the patient's name?

- Martin Ginsburg. - Right.

Ginsburg.

Yeah, he's not going home today.

- Excuse me? - We have more tests to run.

Wha... What kind of tests?

- Various kinds. He's gonna be with us a while. - What tests?

- I need to see him. - Just go home, get some rest.

We'll know more in a few days.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

How is he?

Fine.

Call anytime, okay?

Bye.

- Hi. - Hi.

At least you got a break from my cooking.

Afternoon.

- Hey, Doc. - Dr. Leadbetter.

It's as we feared.

Marty, you're young, and we caught it early.

We've pioneered a new treatment here.

It entails numerous surgeries,

each followed by a course of radiation.

There's a chance you can go on to a healthy, happy life,

as if none of this had happened.

Wha... What kind of a chance?

Dr. Leadbetter, we'd rather know what we're facing.

The survival rate for testicular cancer

has been about five percent.

Thanks for the honesty.

I think.

I'll let you two talk.

We're never giving up.

You keep working.

Keep studying.

Jane will have her father.

You will be a lawyer.

I am spending my life with you, Martin Ginsburg.

Judicial consistency.

The doctrine of stare decisis comes from English common law,

which also provides

the first examples

of circumstances where precedents

- may be overturned. - Excuse me.

- Judges are bound... - Thank you.

Excuse me. May I help you?

Um, I'm, uh, Martin Ginsburg's wife.

I'll be a... attending his classes for him.

In addition to your own?

Yes...

Professor Freund.

Judges are bound by precedence,

but they cannot ignore cultural change.

A court ought not be affected by the weather of the day,

but will be by the climate of the era.

Wait, wait, wait.

Say that last part again.

"A court ought not be affected by the weather of the day,

but will be by the climate of the era."

And you're sure he said that?

Of course.

Of course.

The law is never finished.

It is a work in progress...

and ever will be.

Brown v. the Board of Education...

parentheses, 1954,

was the most revolutionary...

Supreme Court case...

in the last century.

Representing Oliver Brown,

et al....

Thurgood Marshall...

- I'm not listening. - ...educated the court...

Come on, Jane.

That's it. Come on, sweetie.

Okay.

One, two, three,

whoo!

One, two, three,

whoo!

Should we give Daddy a rest?

One day, this little angel's gonna slam the door in our face

and tell us we're ruining her life.

I should have never taken the job.

It's a great firm,

and New York is the center of the legal universe.

You earned it.

You earned it.

I barely survived it.

I just don't want to be away from you and Jane.

You won't be.

I won't allow it.

I'll convince him.

Say, "Good luck, Mommy."

- Good luck, Mommy. - See you later.

You want a Harvard law degree,

though you plan to finish your coursework at Columbia?

You would do well, Mrs. Ginsburg,

to remember how fortunate you are to be here.

Dean Griswold, between the first and third year

of law school, which is the more substantive,

the more critical?

- The first, of course. - Yet when someone

transfers in as a second-year student,

having taken those more important classes elsewhere,

he's allowed a degree.

- That's irrelevant. - I've been here two years.

I'm first in my class.

There is no reason your husband cannot provide for you

while you and the child remain in Cambridge.

Last year, John Sumner was allowed

to finish his coursework at Baltimore.

- Three years ago, Roy Paxton... - Very different cases.

- How are they different? - Mrs. Ginsburg,

you have no compelling need to transfer.

Marty could relapse.

He beat the odds,

but the doctors say it could happen at any time.

Dean Griswold...

this is my family.

Nonetheless...

we each have our responsibilities,

and mine is to protect the distinction

of a Harvard law degree.

I can't force you to stay.

But I won't reward you for leaving, either.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Graduating top of your class.

Law Review at Harvard...

and Columbia.

I didn't even know that was possible.

Thank you, Mr. Greene.

I've worked hard.

Well, you want some white-shoe firm.

Big money cases, complex legal maneuvers...

No, I think Bibler and Greene is the perfect fit.

- You handled the Mercer bankruptcy last year. - Come on.

How many have you been to?

They all turned you down, right? How many?

Maybe ten?

Twelve.

A woman, a mother, and a Jew to boot.

I'm surprised that many let you through the door.

One sent me to interview for the secretarial pool.

Another told me I'd be

too busy at bake sales to be effective.

One partner closes his clients in the locker room at his club,

so he said I'd be out of the loop.

Last week, I was told women are too emotional to be lawyers.

Then that same afternoon, that a... a woman graduating

top of her class must be a real ballbuster

and wouldn't make a good colleague.

I was asked when I'd have my next baby.

And whether I keep Shabbat.

One interviewer told me I had a sterling résumé,

but they hired a woman last year,

and what in the world would they want with two of us?

You must be livid.

Well, my mother told me not to give way to emotions.

Bullshit.

You're angry. Good. Use it.

I have to say, Mrs. Ginsburg,

I'm very impressed.

Mr. Greene...

I want to be a lawyer.

I want to represent clients before the court

in pursuit of justice.

You can see I-I worked hard through school, I...

I did everything I was supposed to, and I excelled.

I swear it, I'll do the same for you.

The fact is that, you know, we're a-a...

close-knit firm, almost like family,

and, uh...

...the wives...

they get jealous.

The prince would marry her

whose foot would fit the little slipper.

Kiki?

- Hey! Kik! - First, he tried it on the...

- Where is everybody? - ...princess.

Oh, hi.

Hello, sweet pea.

Come here.

How was your day? Hmm?

I missed you.

Did you have a nice day?

Did you get the job?

You got the job.

That's wonderful.

Oh! So they're gonna give you a corner office,

or are you still gonna have to jump through some hoops?

It's not at Bibler and Greene.

I wasn't what they were looking for.

That's okay.

I told you one of those other firms would come back.

Which one was it?

Clyde Ferguson left his professorship at Rutgers.

- Kiki... - They haven't found

another black man to replace him,

so someone thought a woman would be the next best thing.

- Good news. - You can't quit.

There are more firms out there. This is the biggest city

in the most litigious country in the history of the planet.

- You can still... - Marty, I got a job.

Just open the champagne.

Okay.

Okay. Then let's celebrate.

Marriage of Figaro.

You know what I think? I think this is good.

I think it's better.

You won't be beholden to any firm,

you won't have a partner breathing down your neck,

and also, a professor is free to represent

any client she chooses.

As long as they don't mind a lawyer

- who's never actually practiced law. - Well...

all I have to say is,

hooray for Mommy.

Cheers.

Hooray for Mommy.

Hooray for Mommy.

Hell no, we won't go!

Hell no, we won't go!

Hell no, we won't go...

No!

Vietnam!

And now they're telling us

there's gonna be no prosecution!

- No! - No! - Are we gonna stand for that?

No!

Are we gonna die in Vietnam?

- No! - No!

Hell no, we won't go! Hell no, we won't go!

Hell no, we won't go!

Hell no, we won't go! Hell no!

I am Professor Ginsburg.

This is Sex Discrimination and the Law.

Some of my colleagues will tell you

that sex discrimination doesn't exist,

that I may as well be teaching

the legal rights of gnomes and fairies.

We'll see if they're right.

Hoyt versus Florida.

State the facts, please, Miss...

Valentin.

Gwendolyn Hoyt was a housewife,

and her husband was this asshole.

Can you recall the specifics?

He cheated on her. He choked her.

He'd rip off her clothes and threaten to kill her.

So in statutory terms, he was a "real asshole."

On the night in question,

Clarence told his wife that he'd met another woman

and he was leaving her.

How did Hoyt respond, Miss... Burton?

She smashed in his skull with a baseball bat,

then called an ambulance while he was dying.

A jury convicted Hoyt of second-degree murder.

And that's where our story begins.

A great civil rights lawyer

took up Hoyt's appeal.

Dorothy...

Kenyon.

On what grounds, Miss... Roemer?

The Florida's juries violated the U.S. Constitution,

'cause there were only men on them.

Kenyon said that if there were women on it,

Hoyt may have been convicted of a lesser crime,

- like manslaughter. - That law makes sense, though.

Uh, women can't take care of their kids

if they're on some sequestered jury.

- Oh, is that so? - What? - Excuse me?

What? Men are the mammoth hunters.

You're never getting laid again.

- What about women who don't have children? - Yeah.

- Or they're out of the house? - Let the man stay home

and take care of his children.

Hey, don't take it out on me.

I'm not holding my fiancée back.

- She's got two jobs. - Which...

she can be fired from just for marrying you.

The law allows it.

There are laws that say

women can't work overtime.

And that a... a woman's social security benefits,

unlike her husband's,

don't provide for her family after death.

- What? That's bullshit! - Excuse me? - Crazy.

Ten years ago, Dorothy Kenyon asked a question:

If the law differentiates on the basis of sex,

then how will women and men ever become equals?

And the Supreme Court answered:

They won't.

Hoyt lost her appeal.

The decision was unanimous.

Discrimination on the basis of sex is legal.

Here, stir that in.

Mmm, Daddy, that's not how you do it.

- Oh, really? - If you put the herbs in too early,

they lose all their punch.

Well, they're not supposed to pummel each other, Jane.

They're supposed to complement each other, and that is why

- it's called "marrying the flavors." - We're home!

- Hi! - Daddy!

Buddy!

- How was your day? - Good.

- Did you have a good day at school? - Uh-huh.

What'd you learn? Anything exciting?

- Not really. - No? - Hi.

- Hi. - Hi.

- Jane. - Hey, Mom.

How's this year's class?

Oh, these kids are so passionate.

To them, it's about more than precedents and dissents.

- They want to forge a movement. - That's great.

Mmm. This is delicious.

Don't act so surprised.

Jane?

I got a call from your school today.

Apparently, I misdated a note

excusing you from classes

- last week. - It's not a big deal.

Oh, well, problem solved, then, right?

You skipped school.

It's... it's the first week.

Is... is this what this year's gonna be like?

- And you lied to the school. - I never lied.

No, forging a note is lying, Jane.

You're smart enough to know that.

Well, apparently I'm not, Mom.

Don't forget we have that party tonight. Not you.

- Jane. - You're staying right here with me.

- I apologize, okay? - I want to know where you were.

Denise and I went to a rally to hear Gloria Steinem speak.

What?

Gloria Steinem. She's a writer.

She just started her own magazine.

She testified in the Senate about...

Yeah, I know who Gloria Steinem is.

What if you got hurt or arrested?

Mom, it's a rally, not a riot.

Jane, these things can get out of hand.

Okay, well, I'm 15 years old, and you don't need

- to control every minute of my life. - Yes, I do.

That is my job. And your job is to go to school and learn.

Well, Gloria says we need to unlearn the status quo.

Oh, so you're on a first-name basis now?

You know what, Mom?

If you want to sit around with your students and talk

- about how shitty it is to be a girl... - Hey. Language.

But don't pretend it's a movement, okay?

It's not a movement if everyone's just sitting.

- That's a support group. - Jane, that's enough.

We should get going.

Yeah, go make yourself pretty for Daddy's party.

You know what? Go to your room.

Fine.

No, no, it's well known.

Tax is the only genuinely funny area of the law.

I think most of us just want careers that have

- a little more, uh, impact. - Hmm.

You know, young people in Sweden these days

- aren't getting married? - Really?

It's true. They're getting engaged.

- Hmm. - They're still living together.

They're still having kids, raising a family.

But they're not getting married. You know why?

They can have sex without it.

- It's because of taxes. - Mm-hmm. - Ah.

That's true. After the war, Sweden passed a law that said

married couples will now file joint income tax returns.

However, unlike the United States,

they weren't given any of the benefits from it.

So married Swedes were finding themselves

in the uncomfortable position

of now being in a higher tax bracket.

- Oh, really? - So they got divorced.

Of course, they were still living together.

So the Swedish government then passes a new law

that says, all right, married couples who get divorced

but continue to live together, for tax purposes,

will be considered still married.

So they did what anyone would do.

They add a second entrance to their home

with a nice wall that goes right down the middle,

- with doors for... - easy access.

"All right, fine,"

says the Swedish government, "new law."

Once married, now divorced couples living

in a two-income household that is subdivided would,

again, for tax purposes,

be considered living together, and therefore...

Therefore still married.

Now he's got it.

And this went on for decades.

All the while, a whole generation of Swedes

simply skirted the issue by never getting married

in the first place. Thank you.

Speaking of, have you all met my lovely wife, Ruth?

The moral of this story is that in their attempt

to raise revenue, the Swedish government

ruined all those young men's best hope at happiness.

Exactly. Because...

how a government taxes its citizens

is a direct declaration of a country's values.

So tell me, what could have more impact than that?

You'd be wise to listen, boys.

I-I swear to Christ,

Martin Ginsburg will be signing all of our checks someday.

You're a smart girl, Ruthy. You married a star.

Tom Maller's barely evolved.

He started walking upright last week.

- You always do that. - What?

You act like... like it doesn't matter.

- No. - But all the little brush-offs,

the dismissive pats on the head,

- it-it matters, Marty. - Why?

You know what you're doing is important, so who cares?

Okay, fine. Next time my boss gives me a clumsy compliment,

I'll challenge him to a duel. Will that make you happy?

I wouldn't want to hurt your stellar reputation.

Just tell me what you want.

Nothing. I want nothing. I-I want you to go to work

- and wow your bosses and clients... - Oh, great.

...and be the youngest partner in the history of the firm.

That's not fair. That's not fair, and you know it.

Then I want you to walk me home, Marty,

so I can sit in my corner and write a lesson plan

to inspire the next generation of students...

- No one's put you in the corner. - ...to go forth

- and fight for equality. - I don't understand why

you're acting like that's such a bad thing.

You're out there training the next generation of lawyers

to change the world.

'Cause that's what I wanted to do!

Kiki. Kiki.

Page 21.

I don't read tax court cases.

Read this one.

The IRS denied a petitioner a tax deduction

to hire a nurse to take care of an invalid mother.

- Sounds like a real page-turner. - Hmm.

- Ask me why. - Marty, I have a lecture to write.

Hmm. Okay.

It's because the petitioner is a man.

Marty...

Section 214 of the tax code

assumes a caregiver has to be a woman.

This is sex-based discrimination

against a man.

Poor guy.

If a federal court

ruled that this law is unconstitutional,

then it could become the precedent others refer to

and build on.

Men and women both. It-it...

It could topple the whole damn system

of discrimination.

What?

Nothing. I'm just thrilled

at your newfound enthusiasm for tax law.

Marty.

Oh, Marty.

We need to take this case.

Of course he says he's against bombing Cambodia.

I want to know, where's the bill to defund it?

It's derogatory, it's taunting, but it's speech.

Hi. Mel Wulf is expecting me.

He wants to get his hands on Nixon, or he hopes

- the Viet Cong do? - Well, why? What's the difference?

Five years in prison.

Go.

♪ Oh...

♪ I'm an acorn short and round ♪

♪ Lying on the dusty ground

♪ Everybody steps on me

♪ That is why I'm cracked, you see ♪

♪ I'm a nut

♪ I'm a nut, I'm a nut

Come on. ♪ I'm a nut

♪ I'm a nut, I'm a nut

♪ I'm a nut, I'm a nut, I'm a nut ♪

♪ Oh

♪ I'm a nut, but that's no sin ♪

♪ 'Cause at Camp Che-Na-Wah I fit right in. ♪

Ladies and gentlemen,

three-time Camp Che-Na-Wah All-Around Camper,

Ruth "Kiki" Bader.

Oh, and for all you who think this job is hard,

I judged the 13-and-unders with a color war trophy on the line.

Back to work.

Hey, Kiki. What do you say?

Hi, Mel.

Sorry about that.

You said you had a case.

This is not a case... this is the opening salvo

on a 50-year war for a new class of civil rights.

- Yes, exactly. - Huh. I can't do this.

- This is beyond my mandate. - Wha...

American Civil Liberties Union?

Women's rights are civil rights.

I'm still getting flack for defending draft card burners.

And the right to protest actually exists.

After you.

Here.

Phyllis, can I get a...?

How's Marty?

He's fine.

Still protecting the rich

against the predations of the poor?

If we're gonna appeal, the court needs to agree

there's a constitutional handle here.

How did you even convince this guy to let you represent him?

I-I'll take care of that.

- He doesn't know? - Alone...

- Are you kidding me? - Alone, the judges

- may not give Marty and I the benefit of the doubt. - Whoa.

But with your name alongside ours on the brief...

Yeah.

Mel, you must see the...

the opportunity this case represents.

You think the judges are gonna be sympathetic

just 'cause they all have prostates?

Men and women all eat at the same lunch counters, they drink

at the same water fountains, they go to the same schools...

- Women can't attend Dartmouth. - Men can't go to Smith.

Women police officers can't patrol New York City streets.

We have to get...

We have to get credit cards

in our husbands' names.

You're not a minority.

You're 51% of the population!

And it's been tried. Muller, Goesaert.

Uh... what's the other one?

The one with the woman with the baseball bat.

- Gwendolyn Hoyt. - Gwendolyn Hoyt. Exactly.

Yeah, and morally, they were right.

Yet they lost.

Ruth...

morality does not win the day.

Look around you.

Dorothy Kenyon could not get women equality

by arguing a case with sex, murder

and prison time on the line.

You and Marty think you're gonna do it

with this guy and his taxes?

Operator.

I-I... I need a number.

Denver, Colorado.

Come on, you're gonna miss your flight.

Now, you have to get James from school while I'm in Denver.

Mom, I told you, Denise and I are starting our

- consciousness-raising group. - Wait. Please wait.

Take James with you.

Will you be all right?

- Yeah. - We'll survive somehow.

Bye. Bye.

Go kick ass.

Meter's running.

Bye, Mom.

- Bye. - Bye, Mom.

Thank you.

- Mr. Moritz. - Mrs. Ginsburg.

Um, you're early.

Uh, I-I can come back in ten minutes if you prefer.

No, you might as...

might as well come in now and have your say.

Shoes off, please.

Just come on in.

Excuse me.

- Are you done, Mom? - No. Not yet.

- You want your... - I'm done, thanks.

- You want your crossword? - Yeah.

- Okay. - Please.

Here you go.

Mom.

- Uh-huh. - This is Mrs. Ginsburg.

She's the New York lawyer I told you about.

Mrs. Moritz, hello.

I thought she would be bigger.

- I... - Uh, y-you can have a seat.

Uh, here. Here you go.

Do you want your magnifier?

- Yeah, please. Yeah. - Okay.

There you go. All right.

- You want a drink? - Uh-huh.

I-I see you were a drum major.

I was a twirler.

That was a thousand years ago.

Mr. Moritz, about your case...

I don't have a case.

Four lawyers told me so.

And that judge...

Tietjens...

he basically called me a tax cheat.

Are you?

I never cheated at anything in my life.

"Tasmanian egg-layer." Eight letters.

Not now, Mom.

Tell me in your own words,

why did you hire a nurse?

If you've never cared for an ailing parent...

I have.

Then you know.

Between the dressing and the bathing and the toilet,

it's not a task for one person,

especially if you have a day job.

If it wasn't for Cleeta, uh, I'd have to put Mom in a home.

So you deducted Cleeta's salary on your taxes.

The judge said the tax code was clear.

Caretaker's deduction was available to all women,

but only to men who had wives who were incapacitated or dead

- or were divorced. - And you've never been married?

- No. - The men who wrote that law couldn't even fathom

that a bachelor, choosing to take care

of a parent at home, might exist.

"Tasmanian egg-layer,"

- second letter: "L." - Mom,

- I'll help you in a little bit. - How about "platypus"?

Ah! Ah.

I'm a salesman, Mrs. Ginsburg,

and I know when I'm being sold.

With due respect, you have $296 at issue.

I'm not here for the money.

We'd represent your appeal pro bono if you'll let us.

So... the judge was wrong?

Mr. Moritz...

the law is wrong.

Thank you. I was hungry.

If it's not for the money...

why are you here?

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution

says all people must be treated equally under the law.

Yet there are... I don't know how many laws

like the caregiver deduction that say, in effect,

women stay home, men go to work,

and that it should stay that way forever.

I want to convince the federal courts

that those laws are unconstitutional.

How do you do that?

One case at a time.

Starting with yours.

So I'm a guinea pig?

No, sir.

You're the man marching out ahead of the band,

leading the way.

Just like that drum major you used to be.

I've invested a lot of my own reputation

to building up your career, and now you're on track

to be the youngest partner in the history of the firm.

And you want to risk that for some cockamamy case?

Tom, I'm contractually obligated to ask

to take outside work, and I'm asking, but...

Okay, for God sakes, you're traipsing into this for what?

So your wife can feel like a real lawyer?

She is a real lawyer, Tom.

You want to support Ruth, tell her the truth.

- Which is? - The case is unwinnable.

Congress can write whatever taxes it wants.

That's not open to constitutional attack.

Or maybe you just say that because no one's been able

to successfully do it before.

Oh, Marty.

Fine. Try, but...

when you lose and you embarrass our firm,

just be ready for your career to come crashing back to earth.

Okay, noted, noted. And thank you, Tom.

- Thank you. Thank you. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No! Murder can never be condoned,

- least of all by a lawyer. - It's called justice.

Yeah, what's just to you may not be just to me

- or to someone else. - You know what I'm talking about.

- Hello, family unit. - And would it kill you to admit

that maybe I actually did something right?

- This is an "A" paper. - Yeah, of course it is.

You're a beautiful writer. It just needs more work.

Please tell me you aren't going 15 rounds

over To Kill a Mockingbird.

Daddy, can you please tell Mom that Atticus Finch

can be a role model.

He covers up Bob Ewell's murder.

He's a terrible lawyer.

- Why? 'Cause you say so? - No, not me.

Canon 1 of the American Bar Association's Model Code

- of Responsibility. - What are you talking about?!

It's called legal ethics.

Well, you'd do exactly the same thing

if you actually had a heart.

I don't know where she gets her stubbornness.

Can't imagine.

So, how was your day?

"History discloses that woman

"has always been dependent upon man.

"Like children, she needs special care.

This justifies a difference in legislation..."

- Muller v. Oregon, the law of the land. - Wow.

Or Bradwell v. Illinois.

"The destiny of woman is the benign offices

"of wife and mother.

This is the law of the Creator."

I'm writing this brief

and citing the same cases with the exact same precedents

as-as everyone before us.

Marty, if this is what we go in with,

we're gonna lose.

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait.

I got it. I got it.

AMT