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"Melvin Belli Talks, Acts and
Performs"
Harvard Law
Record - February 28, 1969 - Page 3
By Larry Pressler
reprinted by permission
Melvin Belli, accompanied by a most attractive blonde companion, addressed the Harvard Law School Forum on February 14th. Tugging at his velvet-lined coat and his gold watch chain, Belli spoke on "The Law Revolution" -- also the title of his latest book.
Belli's performance illustrated his own description of what a good trial lawyer should be: "the ingredients of a trial lawyer are imagination and initiative. You need a feeling for the plaintiff, the desire to do him some good, and to stick with him through thick and thin, the guts to do just that when everyone is criticizing you. And a little law will help."
Belli's speech was virtually void of any blackletter law. His ninety-minute performance for the three hundred students who had not left for the holiday weekend was filled with humorous anecdotes about insurance companies, juries, and past experiences. He told how he had received a $150,000 verdict from a Chinese-oriented jury by repeatedly wishing them "Happy New Year" in fluent Chinese. Then he told how the opposing insurance company's lawyers were frantically calling their home office to "find out what the hell Belli is saying to the jury."
Belli, who has made a fortune and a national reputation by representing individuals against insurance companies in tort actions, said that he "usually genuflects to the East each morning because it is the home of the wealthiest insurance companies."
He pointed out that a good young torts lawyer must learn not to gulp when he says "I seek $150,000 in damages." "If you gulp or twinge," said Belli, "they will automatically cut the amount in half."
Although the rogue in Belli kept coming out, he did say a number of things on the serious side in his wide-ranging, but often incoherent talk :
- "I think Ralph Nader has done a hell of a job with warranty.
- "In California we have some eighty people waiting for execution - I don't think any of them will be executed. I predict a Supreme Court ruling in the next few years completely outlawing capital punishment.
- "Trial-lawyer practice is clearly the brain-surgery of the law.
- "We must establish provisions for installment payments of tort judgments.
- "One acquires more objectivity as he moves further away from bankruptcy.
- "A guilty man is much more in need of a lawyer than an innocent man.
- "We are a country that has gone to the moon, but we still don't know when to call a man insane.
- "Any established law firm is bound to have
a number of insurance companies in its stables a young man should remember that when he goes to work for them."When asked what he thought of law school curricula, Belli replied, "we need to add some medicine to our curricula for those interested in torts. Who can judge the accuracy of an autopsy unless he has had anatomy? We come out of law school not equipped forensically."
Belli affectionately recalled his past friendship and visits with Dean Pound when he led Harvard Law School. Ending his speech by declaring that "we are now in the golden age of the law," Belli urged his audience to "go out and get with it."
Following his speech, at a cocktail party a jokester introduced himself to Belli as being with the Holy Grail Insurance Company, to which Belli replied, "You do have a fairly solvent handshake."