A Civil Action (1998)

Sydney Pollack: Al Eustis

Quotes 

• Al Eustis : [after Jan showed up late to the Harvard Club]  You've never been here before? What kind of "Harvard man" are you?

  Jan Schlichtmann : [smiles]  The Cornell kind.

• Al Eustis : [siting on his couch in his office across from Jan]  Let's be honest I can afford to pay you almost anything you ask for, it's not the money, it's what a settlement that says, it says we're guilty, and that says to every two bit personal injury lawyer in Boston, "hey, let's all run up to Woburn, and sign up every jerk with a head cold", creates a shark effect, and that I can't afford, give me a number.

  Jan Schlichtmann : I'm not going to negotiate with myself Al, I'm going to throw out numbers that you'll say no to them, you'll have to come up with them.

  Al Eustis : Eight million.

  Jan Schlichtmann : I can't go to the families with that, I can't go to them empty handed.

  Al Eustis : Since when is eight million dollars empty handed? Eight million dollars is a lot of money.

  Jan Schlichtmann : I owe them more than that.

  Al Eustis : What do you owe them? You owe them your career? You owe them that much? Don't do it, don't go for broke on this one.