Jan Schlichtmann
Encyclopedia
Jan Richard Schlichtmann (born March 16 1951) is an American
attorney specializing in personal injury law and toxic torts. He was educated at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
, B.A.
, and Cornell University
, J.D.
, and was admitted to the bar
in 1977.
and Beatrice Co.
(Anderson v. Cryovac
) alleging that chemicals from these companies had contaminated drinking water in a town north of Boston, Woburn, Massachusetts
. Extensive tests by Schlichtmann's experts and the Harvard School of Public Health
showed that defendants W. R. Grace and Beatrice Co. had polluted Woburn's water with dangerous levels of various carcinogenic chemicals.
The contamination is alleged to have resulted in the deaths of children from leukemia
. This civil action case, often referred to as "Woburn," was chronicled in the 1995 book A Civil Action
by Jonathan Harr
, which in turn was made into a film starring John Travolta
as Schlichtmann.
Schlichtmann has continued in his practice of the law, with a focus on toxic tort
s and consumer protection
. He was engaged in a legal battle with a debt collection agency known as "The Cadle Company". Schlichtmann is also representing families from Wilmington, Massachusetts
in a case that resembles his representation of the families from Woburn. He is currently working with Bob Ackley, a gas specialist, in an effort to save urban forest
s and shade tree
s from natural
gas leak
s.
in 2005. LBN is a blogging and podcasting site of interest to trial lawyers and consumers interested in various aspects of trial law and settlement issues. In 2007 he also founded The Civil Action Center as a means of educating attorneys and citizens about alternatives to litigation, means of empowering consumers and discussion of environmental law.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney specializing in personal injury law and toxic torts. He was educated at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
, B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, and Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
, and was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1977.
Legal career
Schlichtmann became famous in the 1980s as a result of his lawsuit against W. R. GraceW. R. Grace and Company
W. R. Grace and Company is a Columbia, Maryland, United States based chemical conglomerate.The company has two main divisions, Davison Chemicals and Performance Chemicals. The Davison unit makes chemical catalysts, refining catalysts, and silica-based products that let other companies make...
and Beatrice Co.
Beatrice Foods
Beatrice Foods Company was a major American food processing company. In 1987, its smaller international food operations were sold to Reginald Lewis, a corporate attorney creating TLC Beatrice International, after which the majority of its domestic brands and assets were acquired by Kohlberg,...
(Anderson v. Cryovac
Anderson v. Cryovac
Anderson v. Cryovac was a landmark federal case concerning toxic contamination in Woburn, Massachusetts. The book A Civil Action documents the case and surrounding issues...
) alleging that chemicals from these companies had contaminated drinking water in a town north of Boston, Woburn, Massachusetts
Woburn, Massachusetts
Woburn is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 38,120 at the 2010 census. Woburn is located north of Boston, Massachusetts, and just south of the intersection of I-93 and I-95.- History :...
. Extensive tests by Schlichtmann's experts and the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
showed that defendants W. R. Grace and Beatrice Co. had polluted Woburn's water with dangerous levels of various carcinogenic chemicals.
The contamination is alleged to have resulted in the deaths of children from leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. This civil action case, often referred to as "Woburn," was chronicled in the 1995 book A Civil Action
A Civil Action
A Civil Action is a 1998 American drama film starring John Travolta and Robert Duvall, based on the book of the same name by Jonathan Harr...
by Jonathan Harr
Jonathan Harr
Jonathan Harr is an American writer, best known for A Civil Action.Harr was born in Beloit, Wisconsin. He lives and works in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he has taught nonfiction writing at Smith College. He is a former staff writer at New England Monthly and has written for The New Yorker...
, which in turn was made into a film starring John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
as Schlichtmann.
Schlichtmann has continued in his practice of the law, with a focus on toxic tort
Toxic tort
A toxic tort is a special type of personal injury lawsuit in which the plaintiff claims that exposure to a chemical caused the plaintiff's injury or disease.-Different types:...
s and consumer protection
Consumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
. He was engaged in a legal battle with a debt collection agency known as "The Cadle Company". Schlichtmann is also representing families from Wilmington, Massachusetts
Wilmington, Massachusetts
Wilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,325 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading and Billerica. Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm...
in a case that resembles his representation of the families from Woburn. He is currently working with Bob Ackley, a gas specialist, in an effort to save urban forest
Urban forest
An urban forest is a forest or a collection of trees that grow within a city, town or a suburb. In a wider sense it may include any kind of woody plant vegetation growing in and around human settlements. In a narrower sense it describes areas whose ecosystems are inherited from wilderness...
s and shade tree
Shade tree
A shade tree is any tree grown specifically for its shade. This term usually applies to large trees with spreading canopies. Shade trees are effective in reducing the energy used in cooling homes....
s from natural
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
gas leak
Gas leak
In common usage, a gas leak refers to a leak of natural gas, from a pipe or other containment, into a living area or any other area where the gas should not be...
s.
Legal Broadcast Network
Jan Schlichtmann co-founded The Legal Broadcast Network with Mark WahlstromMark Wahlstrom
Mark Wahlstrom is the owner and founder of Wahlstrom & Associates ,one of the nation's leading plaintiff oriented structured settlement and litigation consulting firms...
in 2005. LBN is a blogging and podcasting site of interest to trial lawyers and consumers interested in various aspects of trial law and settlement issues. In 2007 he also founded The Civil Action Center as a means of educating attorneys and citizens about alternatives to litigation, means of empowering consumers and discussion of environmental law.
External links
- Legal Broadcast Network (LBN)
- Jan R. Schlichtmann http://www.martindale.com/law_firm/2433682?PRV=LL2 (LexisNexisLexisNexisLexisNexis Group is a company providing computer-assisted legal research services. In 2006 it had the world's largest electronic database for legal and public-records related information...
)