Rudy Baylor: My father hated lawyers all his life.
He wasn't a great guy, my old man.
He drank and beat up my mother.
He beat me up, too.
So you might think I became a lawyer
just to piss him off,
but you'd be wrong.
I've wanted to be a lawyer
ever since I read about the civil rights lawyers
in the fifties and sixties
and the amazing uses they found for the law.
They did what a lot of people thought
was the impossible.
They gave lawyers a good name.
And so I went to law school,
and it did piss my father off,
but he was pissed off anyway.
In my first year, he got drunk one day
and fell of a ladder
manufactured by the company he worked for,
and he didn't know who to sue first.
Now, he died a couple months after that.
I'm empty.
Rudy: Now, some of my classmates,
they knew they were going straight from school
into the top law firms,
thanks mostly to their family connections.
Now, the only connections I had
were made in the places where I tended bar for 3 years
so I could pay my tuition.
And while I still had plans
to shine the blazing light of justice
into every dark corner,
what I really needed right now was a job,
and badly,
because there are too many lawyers in Memphis.
[Siren]
This city's infested with them.
Second Man: I don't think so.
Rudy: I can't think of anything more embarrassing
than telling people
I work for a guy like Bruiser Stone.
Man: I mean, he's a lawyer, and they call him Bruiser.
That's how desperate I am.
Sure.
Shut the door.
Bruiser: No, not that. Not that either.
Sure.
Let's make it my house.
Ok.
I really pity the poor FBI technician
that's gonna have to extract the data
from that conversation.
Live sharks in a lawyer's office.
It's a joke. Get it?
Bruiser: So, prince,
is this the law student you were telling me about?
Yes, sir. I just finished
my third year at Memphis State.
Couldn't you use him around here?
Look, I'll vouch for him.
The boy needs a job.
He's tended bar at our clubs.
This'll be a great place for you to work, Rudy.
This'll be...
a great place for you to work.
You can see what real lawyers do.
Now, it ain't exactly a salaried position.
It isn't?
I expect my associates to pay for themselves...
generate their own fees.
Talk to me.
How exactly does that work?
Well, Rudy, you draw $1,000 a month,
and you get to keep 1/3 of all the fees that you generate.
Now, if you can't cover your draw
at the end of each month, you owe me the balance.
Do you understand?
Sounds fair to me, Rudy.
That's a hell of a deal, really.
You can make a lot of money this way.
Um...
Bruiser: I'll tell you something, Rudy.
That's the only way I operate.
And I'll get you a lot of good cases.
I have cases.
Uh...
I have 2 cases right now.
One is a will
that I'm drafting for an old woman.
She's loaded, too. She's worth millions.
And then I have this other case.
It's an insurance case.
Great Benefit. You heard of 'em.
You got these clients signed?
I'm on my way to see 'em right now,
and they'll listen to me, too.
I helped 'em over at a law workshop.
All right, I'm gonna have you talk
to an associate of mine, Deck Schifflet.
He used to work with these big insurance companies.
He handles all the high-powered stuff around here.
Hey, Deck!
Deck!
Damn it.
You got the paperwork on this stuff?
In my car.
Good.
[Door Opens]
Bruiser: Hey, good lookin'.
This is Deck Schifflet.
This man will get you plugged in.
What I want you to do,
I want you to draw up a lawsuit against this Great Benefit,
and you put my name on it.
We're gonna file it today.
Thank you.
Rudy, you're gonna learn a lot.
Rudy, I'm glad you came here.
You're making good choices already, son.
All right, well, thank you.
Ok, thank you.
Close the door on your way out now, ok?
Woman: Law offices. May I help you?
This is an office, there's people in it.
If there's somebody in the office,
you can't have it, it's off limits.
This is the bathroom.
Woman: Just a minute.
Sorry.
So, are you an associate here?
Sort of. Not really.
I'm actually not a lawyer yet.
Bruiser usually asks me
to review the insurance cases when they come in.
I used to work for Specific Mutual Insurance Company.
I got sick of that. I went to law school.
Well, when did you finish law school?
5 years ago.
See, I'm having a little trouble
with the bar exam.
I sat for it 6 times.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Yeah. When do you take yours?
I take it in, like, 3 weeks.
Oh, yeah.
It's that hard?
Pretty rough, I'll say.
I took it a year ago.
I don't think I'm gonna take it again.
Anyway, this is Bruiser's law library.
If you want to get anything
out of the fridge or use the fridge,
you can put your name on stuff.
They'll eat it anyway. Put that in for me.
Aw, it's only rice. What the hell. Daisy.
Daisy: Yeah.
We made a mess here. Get that up, huh?
Sure, Deck.
Anyway...
So wait, what happens when you have to go to court?
I've actually gone a few times myself.
I haven't gotten caught.
There's so many lawyers here,
it's impossible to keep up with us.
Bruiser owns all this.
Oh. Nice.
You can't call it a firm exactly.
It's every man for himself.
You'll learn.
What, are you moving?
Evicted.
Here's the policy.
Yeah.
What do you think?
Well, this is the scratch-and-sniff armpit
of the industry.
What are their grounds for denial?
Oh, well, everything.
They first denied it just on principle,
and then they said that leukemia
was a pre-existing condition,
and then they said
leukemia wasn't covered in the policy.
I got 7 letters here.
Have all the premiums been paid?
According to Miss Black,
she paid every single one of them.
The bastards.
This is a typical debit insurance scam.
The blacks call it street-surance.
So what do I do?
You sign 'em up. Sign 'em all up.
To J. Lyman Stone.
All right.
Yeah. I'll help you on this one.
All right. Well, thank you.
I appreciate it.
There's nothing more thrilling
than nailing an insurance company.
[Dog Barking]
Hi, Ms. Black. It's Rudy Baylor.
Remember? I'm handling your case
against Great Benefit.
I met you
over at the Memphis State Law Workshop.
Well, come in.
Come in. I'm sorry about them crazy dogs.
Oh, that's ok.
I thought you was a Jehovah's Witness.
Rudy: Where's Buddy?
He's out in the car.
Where's he going?
Buddy isn't going nowhere.
He ain't right in the head. War injury.
Korea. You know them metal detectors
at the airport?
He can walk through one buck naked,
and the thing would go off.
He's got a plate in his head.
Oh.
That's awful.
How's Donny Ray?
Well, good days and bad.
"Plate in head."
You want to meet him?
Maybe later.
Um, now...
Great Benefit first denied your claim last August
when Donny Ray was diagnosed.
Why'd y'all wait till now to consult a lawyer?
Stupid, I guess.
I just kept writing 'em,
and they kept writing me back,
and this here is the latest one.
"Dear Mrs. Black,
On 7 prior occasions
this company had denied your claim in writing.
We now deny it for the eighth and final time.
You must be stupid, stupid, stupid."
"Sincerely, Everett Lufkin, Vice President of Claims."
Rudy: I don't believe this.
Donny Ray: You're the lawyer.
Mom says nice things about you.
She says you're suing those bastards
over at Great Benefit.
Gonna make 'em pay, huh?
That's right.
Hi, Mama.
Hi, honey.
Well, before we can file a claim,
I need all 3 of you to sign this.
Is Daddy coming in?
Well, he said he wasn't.
Some days he comes in,
and some days he don't.
Well, this is a contract.
What's in it?
Oh, the usual.
It's standard language.
It basically says
that y'all hire us to be your attorneys,
and we take care of the case for you.
We handle any expenses that we might have,
and then we get 1/3 of any recovery.
Mm-hmm.
Well, why does it take 2 pages to say all that?
Don't light that.
No wonder I'm dying.
And all 3 of us have to sign it?
Yes, ma'am, all 3. Just where your name is.
He said he wasn't coming in.
Take the pen and go out there
and make him sign the damn thing.
I guess I could.
Now, Buddy,
you gotta sign this paper
so Donny Ray can get that operation he needs,
and I don't want no trouble out of you.
I'll take that damn bottle
and throw it across Union Street.
Now sign the damn thing. Come on, hurry up.
[Cats Meow]
I know you must think they're crazy.
They're nice folks.
Hey, man.
Hey, your nose is bleeding.
Mrs. Black!
Hold your head up.
Mrs. Black!
It's ok. I got it.
He's bleeding.
Put your head back. Put your head back.
Come on, put it back.
Oh, sweetie, ok, it'll be all right.
I got it.
Ok, ok.
Ok, I got it.
You're gonna be all right.
Where's the paper?
Donny Ray, why don't you just rest a little bit?
You can wait.
You don't have to do this now.
No, no. I want to do this now.
Ok.
All right, all right, you can do it.
Go ahead.
You're doing it.
Uh, Miss Birdie, it's Rudy Baylor.
What?
Who is it?
It's Rudy Baylor.
Oh.
We met at the law workshop
at Memphis State.
Oh, yes. Oh, come in, come in.
Thank you, thank you.
How are you doing today?
Fine, fine.
Miss Birdie, I wanted to talk to you
about your will.
Cut my children out of my will. Cut, cut, cut.
Cut, cut, cut. I know.
I had trouble sleeping last night
'cause I was worried about your estate.
Now, if you're not careful, Miss Birdie,
the government is just gonna get a big chunk of this.
Now, a lot of these taxes can be avoided
with a little bit of careful estate planning.
Oh, that legal gobbledygook.
I suppose you want your name
in the will somewhere.
Of course not.
Lawyers are always wanting their names
in my wills.
No, ma'am. Well, there are all kinds of lawyers.
What I do need from you is, for purposes of estate planning,
I do need to know where the money is.
Is it in bonds or stocks or cash?
Now, Rudy, not so fast, not so fast.
Ok, ma'am. So we have this money somewhere.
Who are we gonna leave it to?
Well,
I want it all to go
to the Reverend Kenneth Chandler.
Do you know him?
He's on television all the time now
out of Dallas.
Got this curly gray hair premature,
and he wouldn't dream
of touching it up, you know?
I want him to have the money.
Forgive me, Miss Birdie. Um...
What?
I just have a real problem
drafting a will or any instrument
that's gonna cut out family
and that's gonna replace it
and convey the bulk of this estate
to a TV personality.
Well, he's a man of God.
I realize that.
I know.
Is there any way we could attack this in more of a...
Do you have to give him everything?
Could it be more, say, 25%?
He's got a lot of overhead,
and his jet is getting old.
His jet is getting old?
Now, Rudy, I want you to just please
draw it up the way I ask
and bring it back to me
so I can review it, all right?
Here's the hustlers
when they were still young and sweet.
Cut, cut, cut.
You come back now, huh?
Oh, I will, I will.
Thank you.
No. Thank you.
Is that a little apartment back there?
Used to be.
What do you think about my garden?
Oh, that's a fine-looking garden.
Do you do all the work on this yourself?
Most of it.
I pay a young boy to cut the grass for me once a week.
$30. Can you believe it?
Used to be 5.
Well, I don't suppose you'd be interested
in renting this place out now, would you?
I couldn't afford much, though.
I could let you have it quite reasonably
if you'd assist me with a few chores around the place.
Sure, sure.
Perhaps a little weed pulling now and then.
Sure. Weed pulling's my specialty.
Go to hospitals all the time.
Bruiser has contacts down at the main precinct,
guys he grew up with.
They feed him accident reports every morning.
Can I ask you something?
Sure.
What does Bruiser expect me to do?
Get the case. You find the victims.
You sign 'em up to the law firm of J. Lyman Stone.
Put the case together.
So I should solicit?
What did they teach you in law school?
Well, they didn't teach me
how to chase ambulances.
Well, you better learn quick, or you're gonna starve.
All you have to do is ask for a doctor
and we can admit you right here. Sure.
Nice flowers.
Thanks.
William.
How you doing, Deck?
All right. 346.
Dr. Wells.
Morning.
How are you? Good to see you.
Don't act like a lawyer.
Hmm. "Do not enter."
How you doing, Mr. McKenzie?
How are my tests?
Gall bladder. Wrong fish.
Mr. Van Landel.
Good afternoon, Mr. Van Landel.
Can you hear me, Mr. Van Landel?
Hi.
Who are you?
I'm Deck Schifflet, para-lawyer.
You haven't talked
to any insurance companies, have you?
No.
Good. Don't talk to 'em
because they're just out to screw you.
Do you have a lawyer?
No.
My firm handles more car wrecks
than anybody in Memphis.
Insurance companies are terrified of us,
and we don't charge a dime.
Can you wait till my wife gets back?
Your wife, Mr. Van...
Ow!
Aah!
Sorry.
I'm very sorry, Mr. Van Landel.
Very sorry.
Where is your wife, Mr. Van Landel?
She'll be back in a little while.
Well, I'm gonna have to talk to her
down in my office
because there's a ton of information that I need.
Just sign right there.
Remember, don't talk to anybody
except your doctor.
There are gonna be people coming at you
from every direction
offering you settlements.
I do not want you under any circumstances
to sign anything without me reviewing it first.
Understand? My number is on this card.
You can call me 24 hours a day.
Mr. Rudy Baylor's number is on the back.
You can call that number for him any time, ok?
Do you have any questions?
No.
Good. We're gonna get you a bunch of money.
Let's go.
I'm real sorry about your leg.
I'd like to be alone please.
And that is how it's done.
Piece of cake.
What if the guy had a lawyer?
We came with nothing.
If he'd have thrown us out of his room
for whatever reason, what have we lost?
A little dignity.
Maybe a little self-respect.
You see...
in law school, Rudy,
they don't teach you what you need to know.
It's all theories and lofty notions
and big fat ethics books.
What's wrong with ethics?
Nothing, I guess.
I mean, I believe a lawyer
should fight for his client,
refrain from stealing money.
And try not to lie.
You know, the basics.
That was blatant ambulance chasing.
Right, but who cares?
There's a lot of lawyers out there.
It's a marketplace. It's a competition.
What they don't teach you in law school can get you hurt.
Rudy: How do you know when a lawyer is lying?
His lips are moving.
What's the difference between a hooker and a lawyer?
A hooker will stop screwing you after you're dead.
Everybody loves lawyer jokes,
especially lawyers.
They're even sort of proud of 'em.
Why do you suppose that is?
A third party is no different.
He may also be used by the plaintiff
to bring in a third party.
What the hell are you doing?
Oh, I'm studying.
I thought we was gonna study on our own time.
I know, Bruiser, but look, man,
the bar exam is next week, all right?
It is next week.
I'm scared, man.
Hey, Rudy, look, you want to study,
why don't you run over to the hospital
and study with Deck?
I'm not gonna study with...
I'm not gonna study with Deck.
Yeah, I got a police report here.
Do we represent her, this victim here?
Well, not yet.
Why don't you run down to the hospital
and check it out?
Maybe you could sign her up.
[Elevator Bell Rings]
Woman: Would you get me a soda?
Sure, darling.
Here you go.
Where did this all come from?
Are you gonna tell them where
all this stuff came from?
Rudy: I know what's going on
the second I lay eyes on them.
Like I'm 10 years old,
my father crying in the bedroom,
my mother sitting at the kitchen table
with blood all over her face
telling me that Daddy's sorry,
and he's never gonna do it again.
Jeez!
Just tell me yes!
Why are you doing this to me?
It's always the same with you!
You make me so crazy!
Deck: Kelly Riker was admitted
to St. Peter's Hospital 3 days ago,
at midnight, I might add,
with assorted injuries.
The cops found her lying on the sofa in the den,
beat to hell, wrapped in a blanket, naked.
Cliff Riker,
her spouse, was obviously intoxicated,
highly agitated,
and initially wanted to dish out to the cops
what he was giving his wife.
Which was, by the way,
a severe beating with an aluminum baseball bat.
Evidently his weapon of choice.
Deck: Let's talk about Miss Birdie's millions.
No, I want to talk about Cliff.
I want to talk about what happened to Cliff.
He spent the night in jail.
His family bailed him out.
He's due in court in a week.
Nothing will happen.
Uh, all right.
Colleen Janice Birdsong.
She did indeed inherit a couple of million bucks
from her late second husband.
But lawyers, bad trust department investments,
and the IRS totally devoured the estate.
All except for about $40,000,
which Miss Birdie probably tucked in her mattress
for all we know.
Sorry.
[lmitates Explosion]
[Tools Clanging]
Miss Birdie: #music# You are my sunshine #music#
#music# My only sunshine #music#
#music# You make me happy #music#
#music# When skies are gray #music#
#music# Da da da da da #music#
#music# Do not take my sunshine away #music#
Oh, good morning, Rudy.
Isn't it a lovely day?
Oh, yeah, it's... It's beautiful.
Oh, here's my mulch.
That's right. There, there.
Right there. Yes.
Stop it, stop it.
All right. Just put it right there now.
My yard boy will get it.
Just right down there.
Isn't that a fine bunch of mulch?
Excuse me.
I'm not one to meddle, but...
are you all right?
Are you in pain?
No.
But thanks.
Ok, well, I'm right up here.
I'm just studying for the bar exam,
so if you need anything,
just holler at me.
Ok.
Anything. All right?
I'll get it for you.
My name is Rudy Baylor.
Kelly Riker. Nice to meet you.
Kelly, it's nice to meet you, too.
Why don't you sit down?
Go ahead. Take a seat.
What school do you go to?
I went to Austin Peay
and then law school at Memphis State.
I always wanted to go to college,
but it didn't work out.
Did you?
Yeah. I always thought I'd go,
but it didn't work out.
What kind of lawyer do you want to be?
Well, I enjoy trial work, so, uh...
I'd like to spend my days in the courtroom.
Defending criminals?
Maybe.
They're entitled to a good defense.
They have a right to their day in court.
Murderers?
Most murderers can't afford a private lawyer.
Rapists and...
child molesters?
No.
Men who beat their wives?
Criminal work is a real rare specialty.
Um, I'll probably be doing more, uh...
civil litigation.
[Cell Phone Rings]
Like lawsuits and stuff.
Right.
Yeah.
[Ring]
It's, uh... Excuse me.
Mm-hmm.
[Ring]
Rudy Baylor.
Hey. Hey there. It's me.
What you doing?
How's the fishing going?
Um, it's, uh, it's going well.
I'm actually talking to the prospect right now.
Bruiser: Well, you better sign her up.
What... Rudy? Rudy? Can you hear me?
I enjoyed meeting you.
Rudy?
Yeah, thanks for the company.
Hey, tomorrow night?
Maybe.
Man: Time's up. Pencils down.
Please pass your test booklets to your right
so that your proctors may gather them up.
Rudy: In my first year at law school,
everybody loved everybody else
because we were all studying the law,
and the law was a noble thing.
By my third year,
you were lucky if you weren't murdered in your sleep.
People stole exams,
hid research materials from the library,
and lied to the professors.
Such is the nature of the profession.
Right here.
Rudy: Half an hour ago, her husband came in...
and threw a bowl of soup at her
because she just won't get it through her head
how much he loves her.
This is my room.
Pregnant at 18, married, then a miscarriage...
probably because he beat her up...
and still, she can't leave him.
You are gonna have to help me.
Rudy: Everything I've ever seen
tells me that this girl is a loser,
scarred and broken and maybe even dangerous,
but I've never really seen anyone like her before,
and instead of running away,
all I want to do is protect her.
Visiting hours are over, hon. You kids need to wrap it up.
[Chuckles]
So...
He should be shot.
Any man who'd beat his wife with an aluminum bat
needs to be shot.
How did you find out?
There are police reports, there are ambulance reports,
there are hospital records.
How long are you gonna wait, Kelly,
until he decides to hit you in the head
with that bat of his?
'Cause that could kill you, you know. That'd be it.
A couple of good shots to the skull,
and that would be it.
Stop it. Don't tell me how it feels.
Look at me, Kelly.
Can I ask you something?
Do you have a father or a brother?
Why?
Because if my daughter
got beat the way your husband beat you,
I swear to god I'd break his neck.
No big brother?
No.
No one to take care of me, you know?
Kelly, I'll try to help you any way I can,
but you have to file for divorce.
Do it now while you're in the hospital
being treated for the last beating.
It'll sail through.
What better proof is there than that?
I... I can't file for a divorce.
Why not?
Because he'll kill me.
He tells me so all the time.
That's not gonna happen.
Could you pass me a pillow, please,
and put it under my foot?
There's one over there.
Here.
That ok?
Yeah.
Yeah? All right.
Could you pass me my gown, too, please?
Yeah.
Thanks.
You need some help putting it on?
No. Just turn around.
All right.
[Rustling]
Hey!
Oh! Who are you?
I live here. Who the hell are you?
Oh, my gosh. I'm Delbert's wife.
Delbert? Who the hell is Delbert?
How did you get in here?
Birdie gave me the key. [Blows Whistle]
Who are you?
I am the person who lives here.
Do you understand that?
You have no right to be in here.
This is a private residence.
Oh, yeah, right. Some place. Get a grip.
Birdie wants to see you.
[Man Murmuring]
"Agreements are permanent,
and restrictions mentioned above herein..."
What is this?
Well, you must be the lawyer.
I'm Rudy Baylor.
I'm Delbert Birdsong, Birdie's youngest.
He yelled at me.
He told me to get out of his apartment.
That so?
You're damn right that's so.
That goes for the both of you.
I don't want neither one of you up there
going through my stuff.
That's private property.
I come home to check on Mama,
and, damn, she's got a stinkin' lawyer livin' with her.
You been messin' with my mama's will?
Well, she's your mama. Why don't you ask her?
She won't say a word.
Oh, well,
then neither can I.
That's a lawyer-client privilege.
But I tell you what.
I made a couple of phone calls...
Mm-hmm.
Verifying some accounts.
Your mama's second husband
left her an enormous fortune.
How big?
Big.
I hope you're not meddling, boy.
Mama, wouldn't you just love to come and visit with us
down in Florida for a while?
You'd love it down there, Mama.
Mama, come on back in and get some cake, Mama.
I'll get her some milk.
Delbert: We're close to the fountain of youth.
We ain't but 33 miles away and 180 miles from Disney World.
[Dog Barking]
Rudy: How you feeling, Donny Ray?
Donny Ray: Great.
Don't I look fantastic? [Chuckles]
You feel up to this?
Yeah. Let's go already.
All right.
Rudy: A lawyer's not supposed to become personally involved
with his client,
but there's all kinds of lawyers
and all kinds of clients, too.
You ok, baby?
[Aluminum Bat Hits Ball]
[Cheering]
[People Chanting] Riker! Riker! Riker!
Riker! Riker!
Can I get you guys anything else?
Um, want something?
I'll have a shot of Jack Daniels, please.
What's it gonna do, kill me?
Rudy: Miss Birdie, this is my friend Donny Ray.
Oh, Donny Ray,
I'm so glad to have you come over and visit.
Donny Ray: Hello, Miss Birdie.
Miss Birdie: Where... Oh.
There you go.
You just come right over here and sit down.
Just have a rest.
You have me all...
blocked off here.
Well...
[Hand-Operated Lawn Mower Rolling]
Rudy: Sorry, Miss Birdie. I got to take a break.
My back's killing me.
I almost forgot. This came for you.
Oh, my God.
Miss Birdie: Ohh! Isn't it exciting?
Ohh. I'm so proud of you.
I passed the bar.
Donny Ray: All right.
Hey, come on. Here's to Rudy.
Congratulations on passing the bar.
What the hell is that?
Iced tea.
Deck: Congratulations, Rudy.
That's some good work, boys.
I got a check today from the Van Landel settlement.
I'm giving you boys a bonus.
5,500 each.
Thank you.
Sign up some more cases, huh?
Bruiser: Ok.
Mmm.
So are we gonna be ready for tomorrow morning?
9:00?
We're gonna argue
Great Benefit's motion to dismiss.
Mmm, yeah, I think we're ready. We're ready.
Deck and I have been going over it. I think we're ready.
I hope so, because I might, uh...
I might have you handle some of that argument, Rudy.
It would be awfully embarrassing if we lose this case
on a dismissal.
Prince: Boss?
Ok, I got to go.
Food's on me.
Enjoy your meat.
Thanks a lot, Bruiser. Appreciate it.
Something's about to go down.
I'm sure of it.
He never split money like that before.
What do you think's behind his generosity?
Come on, man.
Oh, yeah?
Here.
Yesterday, one of Bruiser's ex-partners testified
before a grand jury.
I think he's cut a deal.
It's just a matter of time
before he's singing on Bruiser.
So what?
So... you're gonna have to make a move.
Make a move? Deck, I just got here.
Yeah? Well, things might get a little hot.
Jury-tampering, tax evasion,
money-skimming, you name it.
I'm nervous, real nervous.
What are you nervous about? They can't arrest us.
Listen...
supposing they come in with subpoenas and hacksaws. Huh?
They can do that.
They've been known to do that in racketeering cases.
They come in, they confiscate the files,
they haul the computers out. What's that leave us?
I'm not worried about being arrested.
I'm worried about my job.
All right, so what are you saying here?
Let's bolt.
How much money you got?
I got... got $5,500.
Me, too.
We can rent a small office,
$500 a month.
We operate on a shoestring for the first 6 months.
It'll be beautiful.
We split everything, everything
right down the middle, 50-50.
Costs, expenses, profits... everything
right down the middle.
What's the matter?
You don't want to be my partner?
Um, no, it's not... they...
It's not that. It's just that you...
you're hitting me with this right now,
and I mean, you got to give me a minute, all right?
I mean, you can't just spring it on me.
We have to act fast.
All right. Let's do it.
We'll do it for a while,
see how it goes.
How many files do you have?
Um, I... I got 3.
Get them out of there. Take them home,
but don't get caught, ok?
Is somebody watching us?
The Feds.
[Belches]
I'm eatin' too fast.
[Bell Tolls]
[Briefcase Bangs]
Sorry.
Hey. Listen, I went by the office this morning.
The FBI was chaining up the front door.
Is Bruiser comin'?
I doubt it.
Arrest warrants have been issued
for both Bruiser and Prince.
Oh, man.
Just relax. You can do this.
It's just a motion. Go on.
- Me? - Yeah. Come on.
I'm gonna be sick.
You know this case. You're gonna be fine.
Listen, I don't even have my license.
We don't need a license. Come on.
Rudy: I've memorized the Black files cold.
I've read all the books on jurisprudence,
the rules of evidence and discovery,
but I take one look around the courtroom,
and I realize I haven't even been born yet.
Excuse me. Uh, sir? Your Honor, um, ahem.
I'm here for the Black vs. Great Benefit hearing.
And who are you?
Uh, Rudy Baylor.
I work for J. Lyman Stone.
Oh, you work for J. Lyman. [Coughs]
[Wheezing Cough]
[Coughing]
Staunch supporter of the tobacco lobby.
Judge Hale: Where's Mr. Stone?
Um...
Honestly, Your Honor, l... I don't know.
He was supposed to meet me here,
and I don't know where he is.
Well, why doesn't that surprise me?
So what do you want? You want a continuance.
No, Your Honor.