Working as a file clerk at the law firm Masry & Vititoe, Erin Brockovich was organizing papers in a pro bono real-estate case when she noticed medical records in the file. She got permission from one of the firm's principals, Ed Masry, to dig a little deeper.

She eventually uncovered the fact that the health of hundreds of people who lived in and around Hinkley, Calif., in the '60s, '70s, and '80s had been severely compromised by exposure to toxic Chromium 6 that leaked into the groundwater from the nearby Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Company's compressor station. In 1996, as a result of the largest direct-action lawsuit of its kind, spearheaded by Brockovich and Masry, PG&E paid the most sizable toxic tort injury settlement in U.S. history: $333 million in damages to more than 600 Hinkley residents.

The case inspired the hit movie "Erin Brockovich," which Brockovich says accurately depicted her legal triumph, personal challenges, and dogged perseverance - not to mention her penchant for wearing plunging necklines. The role earned Julia Roberts an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award for best actress.

At a recent presentation Brockovich gave at Richard Stockton College, in Pomona, N.J., her world-renowned stick-to-itiveness was put to the test. Only six days earlier, she had rushed to her hometown of Lawrence, Kan., to be with her mother, who died in her arms of Alzheimer's. Although she had considered postponing this speaking engagement, it was that one character trait that held her to her commitment and she brought the audience to its feet.

Brockovich immediately got the crowd's attention by announcing, "I am not Julia Roberts. I am Erin Brockovich. The person, not the movie."

Tall, blonde, and fiercely outgoing, "the person" is a serious researcher who always works for the underdog. She refuses to be intimidated by corporate giants or their legal teams, but is empowered by the strong sense of right and wrong she was taught as a child.

At 48, Brockovich still favors high heels and form-fitting clothes. She has been married to her third husband for nine years and has three children - 25-year-old Matthew, 23-year-old Katie, and 17-year-old Elizabeth - to whom she is completely devoted. True to her nature, she stuck it out to help all three overcome drug problems.

She had her own share of challenges growing up, including a learning disability. Her parents were determined to help her rise above her dyslexia and often would leave motivational messages on the bathroom mirror or in her school bag.

It was when she was in her early 20s that one of those parental messages got her through a particularly rough time. Brockovich had two failed marriages behind her, two children to raise on her own - and no formal education to help her land a job. She had hit a brick wall.

Persistence and Determination
Then a letter arrived in the mail from her father. It read: "Press on. Nothing can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. This slogan, 'press on,' has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race." She later learned his words were inspired by Calvin Coolidge.

She carries that letter with her to this day, and as a motivational speaker often shares it with her audience. As the head of her own consulting firm, Brockovich Research & Consulting, persistence has helped her pursue a number of major environmental cases, including one involving Beverly Hills High School. "I feel like the kid who stuck her finger in the dike with the original Hinkley case, and when I did, a thousand other holes popped up," Brockovich said. "It's getting to be almost impossible to go to each place to stop the leak, to stop the lies, and to fight another battle."

She is critical of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for not doing more. "There are over 1,000 Superfund sites and no money ... to clean them up," she said. "They are going to be left the way they are, and contaminants are going to still hit the water and affect people."

Her father told her that one day, water would become a precious commodity - a prediction she doesn't think is far from the truth. He was a mechanical engineer who worked for the oil companies for many years and then transitioned to the National Department of Transportation and Safety. "He has an incredible sense of family values," she said, "and knows health is our greatest gift." Overwhelmed by what she was uncovering in Hinkley, she called her father every day for motivation. "Everything was against me," she said. "My father would say, 'Yes, you can do this, Erin. Why are you questioning yourself? You are there, you can see it, you can feel it, you have to fight for those people.'"

Dealing With Death and Destruction
"In the past two years, I've lost so many who have been so important to me," Brockovich said. In December 2005, Masry, one of the greatest mentors of her life and her partner in all her major toxic tort cases, died.

A few months ago, George - the "biker dude" who was portrayed in the movie by Aaron Eckhart - died at the age of 51 from a brain tumor.

"I sit here and think that three of the most inspirational people in my life are gone," Brockovich said. "It's hard, but I will still pull inspiration from them. I feel their presence strongest in the environment, and that is why I get outraged to see it jeopardized. The lesson is always in front of me of how precious life is and how we are destroying the environment by dumping chemicals and jeopardizing public health and safety. This will one day affect us all."

According to Brockovich, the tap water in 41 million homes is contaminated. "Water sustains us for life," she said. We will not exist without it. When are we going to learn our lesson? We need a government that will fund an agency that sets laws and then enforces them. If that doesn't happen, we need to get every major company to contribute one half of one percent of the $50 billion they make per quarter into a collective fund that will be used to clean up toxic sites and restore and preserve the water for future generations.

"We need to change our lifestyle and start teaching prevention rather than rescue," she continued. "We can take all the cars off planet Earth tomorrow, but if we leave all these contaminants in the ground, and they continue to leech out, and we continue to ingest them through the soil or by water … we're not going to be green." Brockovich's current environmental crusade - the Beverly Hills High School case - may play out on the big screen.

She told the Stockton State College audience that a sequel to the original movie is in the works. It may take a while, but is there any doubt that she'll see the project through?

A Speaker Is Born
The fact that she is in great demand as a speaker is something Erin Brockovich finds ironic. She's used to being muffled by corporate attorneys. Her speaking career began when she filled in for Candice Bergen, who was scheduled to speak in Kansas City as part of the Unique Lives & Experiences lecture series put on by Bob Benia Productions. (The series has since been relaunched as SMART TALK, which brings some of the most intriguing and influential women of the day face-to-face with audiences in an intimate theatrical setting.)

Not a Huge Fan
"I hate lawyers, I just work for them" is a famous line from the movie "Erin Brockovich." Even after working with lawyers for the past 17 years, Brockovich still feels the same way - although she has received an honorary JD from Lewis and Clark Law School as well as an honorary doctorate degree from Loyola. "I'm extremely put off by big industry, by lawyers, and by the arrogance of many who feel just because they have the title of lawyer, they are smarter than others," she said. "I like the position I'm in. I like being out in the field."

The Leading by Example series is sponsored by the Canadian Tourism Commission. Visit its Web site at www.meetings.canada.travel.