Erin Brockovich
Born 1960 · Age 65
American paralegal, consumer advocate and environmental activist best known for building the 1993 case against Pacific Gas & Electric (Hinkley, CA); subject of the 2000 film Erin Brockovich.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Erin Brockovich and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in Lawrence, Kansas
Erin Pattee (later Brockovich) born to Betty Jo (journalist) and Frank Pattee (industrial engineer).
Graduated Lawrence High School (approx.)
Completed secondary education in Lawrence, Kansas (approximate year based on birthyear).
Attended Kansas State University
Attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas (dates not specified).
Became mother to children (dates approximate)
Had two children, Matthew and Katie, with first husband Shawn Brown (birth years not provided).
Associate degree from Wade College (approx.)
Graduated with an Associate in Applied Arts degree from Wade College in Dallas, Texas (year not specified; estimated).
Married Steven Brockovich
Second marriage; she later took the Brockovich surname.
Recognized dyslexia
Publicly noted as dyslexic; cited as shaping her activism and career approach.
Divorced Steven Brockovich
End of second marriage; daughter Elizabeth is from this marriage (birth year of child not specified).
Employment as legal clerk at Masry & Vititoe
Worked as a legal clerk for the law firm Masry & Vititoe (by 1991 she was working there).
Case filed: Anderson et al. v. Pacific Gas & Electric
Legal case alleging drinking-water contamination in Hinkley centered on PG&E's compressor station waste practices.
Began investigation into Hinkley groundwater
Spoke out against PG&E after finding unexplained illness in Hinkley, CA, and helped build the case alleging hexavalent chromium contamination.
Masry firm and Brockovich fees from settlement
Masry & Vititoe received $133.6M; Erin Brockovich personally received $2.5M as part of the fee.
Hinkley case settled for $333M
Settlement of the Hinkley groundwater case — at the time the largest direct-action settlement in U.S. history.
Purchased Agoura Hills house with settlement bonus
Used the $2.5M bonus from the Hinkley settlement to buy a house in Agoura Hills, California.
Married Eric L. Ellis
Third marriage to actor and country-music DJ Eric L. Ellis (divorced in 2012).
Became media personality and consultant
Post-film career included TV hosting (Challenge America with Erin Brockovich on ABC; Final Justice on Zone Reality), consulting roles, and founding/leading Brockovich Research & Consulting (titles and dates reported post-film).
Film 'Erin Brockovich' released
Feature film based on her work starring Julia Roberts; nominated for five Academy Awards. Erin Brockovich had a cameo role.
Published 'Take It from Me: Life's a Struggle But You Can Win'
First book by Erin Brockovich published, a memoir and motivational book.
Julia Roberts wins Best Actress (film awards)
Julia Roberts won the Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying Erin Brockovich (Academy Awards ceremony following the film's release).
Filed suit vs Beverly Hills Unified School District
Brockovich and Masry alleged health harm from oil wells on campus (case later granted summary judgment against plaintiffs).
Settled personal mold lawsuit for $430,000
Brockovich received $430,000 from two parties (plus an undisclosed amount from a third) over toxic mold in her Agoura Hills home.
Honorary Doctor of Laws — Lewis & Clark Law School
Honorary Doctor of Laws and commencement speaker at Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland.
Kettleman Hills litigation settled for $335M
Suit alleging contamination near PG&E's Kettleman Hills compressor station settled for $335 million.
Beverly Hills USD awarded reimbursement
In May/Oct 2007, the Beverly Hills Unified School District announced it would be reimbursed $450,000 for legal expenses after summary judgment.
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters — Loyola Marymount University
Received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and served as commencement speaker at Loyola Marymount University.
Consulting role with Weitz & Luxenberg (reported)
Reported consulting work for the New York law firm Weitz & Luxenberg (focus on personal injury/asbestos claims).
Assisted lawsuit vs Prime Tanning Corp (Missouri)
Helped file a lawsuit alleging hexavalent chromium-laden waste sludge was distributed to farmers and linked to local tumors.
Investigated Midland, Texas water contamination
Investigated and publicized detection of significant hexavalent chromium in water affecting 40+ homes in Midland; filters installed on some homes.
Divorced Eric L. Ellis
End of third marriage (married 1998, divorced 2012).
Appeared in documentary 'Last Call at the Oasis'
More extensive role in this 2012 documentary on water pollution and global water issues.
Involvement in LeRoy, New York student illness case
Investigated possible environmental causes for students' tics; ultimately no environmental cause was confirmed and medical teams concluded mass psychogenic illness.
Became involved in Aliso Canyon litigation
Early 2016 involvement in potential litigation related to the large methane leak at Southern California Gas' Aliso Canyon storage facility (Porter Ranch).
Spoke at Arizona Ultimate Women's Expo
Public speaking engagement in Phoenix, AZ; continued national speaking and media appearances.
Published 'Superman's Not Coming'
Second book release offering social commentary and calls to action (published Aug 25, 2020).
Published Guardian op-ed on endocrine disruptors
Wrote about falling sperm counts and chemical threats to fertility (PFAS and other hormone-disrupting chemicals).
TV series 'Rebel' premiered loosely based on her life
ABC premiered Rebel, a show creator Krista Vernoff loosely based on Brockovich's life.
Wrote about Steven Donziger case
Published an article discussing lawyer Steven Donziger, his Chevron judgment, and subsequent jailing for contempt.
Response to East Palestine, Ohio train derailment
Within hours of the Feb 3, 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment, Brockovich began receiving calls and traveled to East Palestine; participated in town halls (notably Feb 24).
Public persona and ongoing activism
Continues to work as an environmental activist, consultant (Weitz & Luxenberg, Shine Lawyers), president of Brockovich Research & Consulting, speaker, and media personality.
Guest essay in The New York Times
Authored 'What's at Stake in November', warning about regulatory weakening after Loper Bright decision and linking risks to Project 2025 and possible political outcomes.
Profiled and cited as ongoing environmental advocate
Recent retrospectives and interviews (e.g., ABC News 2021 & others) continue to document and reaffirm her role in major environmental and public-health advocacy work.
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Erin Brockovich and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
Yukihiro Matsumoto
Born 1965 · Age 60
Japanese computer scientist and software programmer, chief designer of the Ruby programming language and original author/maintainer of MRI (Matz's Ruby Interpreter).
Robert Scoble
Born 1965 · Age 60
American blogger, technical evangelist, video blogger and author; founder of the Scobleizer blog; longtime Microsoft evangelist; later worked at PodTech, Fast Company, Rackspace (Building 43), UploadVR; co-author of Naked Conversations.
Dan Carlin
Born 1965 · Age 60
American podcaster, political commentator and former radio/TV reporter. Host of Hardcore History, Hardcore History: Addendum, and Common Sense. Author of The End Is Always Near (2019).
Michael Dell
Born 1965 · Age 60
Founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies; entrepreneur and philanthropist who built a leading global IT company from a dorm-room startup and led major M&A and strategic transformations.
Brené Brown
Born 1965 · Age 60
American research professor, author, speaker and podcaster known for research on shame, vulnerability, empathy and leadership; author of multiple #1 NYT bestsellers; host of popular podcasts; holder of the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at University of Houston.
Robin Sharma
Born 1965 · Age 60
Canadian self-help author, leadership expert and speaker; best known for The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari series and founder of Sharma Leadership International.