Bar Association discusses 'The Fortune Cookie'

MILFORD — A movie-themed Continuing Legal Education (CLE) event was held by the Pike County Bar Association (PCBA) at Balch’s Seafood Restaurant in Milford on Friday, July 29. The 1966 Academy Award-winning black comedy “The Fortune Cookie,” directed by Billy Wilder, was screened and followed by discussion and analysis, which helped to examine the legal aspects and implications raised by the events depicted in the film for those in attendance.
PCBA President, Elizabeth Kameen, Esq., hosted the screening of the film, starring comedy duo Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in their first on-screen collaboration, to an audience consisting of many prominent local attorneys. Central to the film’s plot is an insurance scam, and the lengths to which characters will go in their attempts to substantiate a false claim. The perpetuation of the fraud brings to light the greed and dishonesty of some characters while eventually highlighting the inherent morality of others. The film is important in its depiction of insurance law and through the actions of the characters, as they attempt to conceal or reveal the truth.
CLE Panel Presenter Pennsylvania Trial Attorney Randolph Borden, Esq., brought his experience and knowledge to analysis of the film. Attorney Borden is a seasoned trial lawyer with 38 years of experience in the courtroom since 1978. While his office is based in Wayne County, he has tried cases throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. Mr. Borden has obtained defense verdicts in the most serious of criminal charges.