Albert Finney plays Masry, her boss, as a personal injury lawyer with more dimensions than you might expect. He's an honest ambulance chaser, insofar as that species exists. He and Erin make an excellent team. Like her, he knows how to be angry and compassionate at the same time. And both of them understand that, when diplomatic niceties are the name of the game, the surprise of full-force honesty can be an excellent weapon.
Activists are people who make sacrifices.
They are people who make enemies while they make friends. Actresses are people who attract fan while they attract critics. Julia Roberts has been a feminists' nightmare, playing women primary focus is getting a guy. She got them. Erin Brockovich knows how to give guys much less than what they want, and in exchange gets exactly what she wants.