10 Questions For Erin Brockovich

By Michele Orecklin

Thanks to her investigative efforts, residents of Hinkley, Calif., won a settlement against Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating their groundwater. And thanks to her, Julia Roberts won an Academy Award for depicting that struggle. Now Brockovich brings TIME's Michele Orecklin up to date on her life since the movie.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW? Another case against PG&E, involving chromium 6 in groundwater in Kettleman City, which is off Interstate 5 in California. The case started in 1995.

HAS WORKING ON THIS CASE BEEN DIFFERENT FROM WORKING ON THE LAST ONE? The movie blew my cover. Now when I'm investigating, people say, "We're not talking to you without a lawyer." In other cases, it's been good and I get what I need quickly.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS WHEN THEY MEET YOU? They expect me to dress a certain way. They're shocked if I sometimes wear a sweatshirt. They expect me to be aggressive, which I'm not. When I go into a community, I could never be that way or people wouldn't talk to me. I'm a better listener than anyone realizes.

DO A LOT OF PEOPLE CONTACT YOU TO HELP THEM? People think that because we prevailed in Hinkley, we can help in any case of injustice, but if we can't prove all the facts or a component is missing, we just can't do it.

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT GOING TO LAW SCHOOL? I don't want to--it's boring. I have great respect for lawyers, but a good deal of their job is writing motions and being in court all day. I like to be around people. I'm afraid that as a lawyer, I'd lose my ability to do that.

WHAT ABOUT RUNNING FOR OFFICE? If I thought I could make a difference, maybe, but I'm not convinced of that yet.

DO YOU RECOGNIZE YOURSELF IN THE MOVIE, OR DOES IT SEEM LIKE SOMEONE DIFFERENT? I know it's my name, but I don't associate with the name as much as the event. It would feel great to say I'm a lone ranger and did everything myself, but the people of Hinkley and judges and so many other people helped the case come to fruition.

WHAT ELSE ARE YOU DOING? Writing a second book, a lot of lectures. I've done two talk-show pilots, and I'm waiting to see if they get picked up.

HOW HAS FAME AFFECTED YOUR KIDS? We went from having no money to being flooded with material things. That catapulted them into experimenting with drugs and alcohol. I slammed my foot down and sent them to rehab. Now they're doing fantastic.

HAS YOUR STYLE CHANGED? Wardrobe people have tried to help me. But changing my image doesn't feel right. I have fun with the way I dress. I still like my low-cut tops and high heels, but I like Armani better.