The extremely publicized defamation trial between actor Johnny Depp and actress Amber Heard was watched by hundreds of thousands, sending Depp's younger authorized staff to the forefront of dialog. Regardless of the newfound fame, certainly one of Depp's attorneys, Camille Vasquez, says she simply desires to proceed her observe as a lawyer.
"After I take a look at myself within the mirror, I see an advocate," Vasquez instructed "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King throughout an unique interview. "I used to be born to do that. I actually really feel that means."
The 38-year-old lawyer, who's a companion on the legislation agency Brown Rudnick's litigation and arbitration observe group, stated she is "doing her greatest" at dealing with the latest consideration, calling it "overwhelming and surreal."
"I've had so many pinch me moments," Vasquez stated.
Final month, a jury discovered Heard liable in a civil swimsuit for defaming her ex-husband Depp in an op-ed printed in The Washington Submit. Depp was additionally discovered responsible for a press release his lawyer made to the Day by day Mail calling her claims a hoax. Depp was awarded a complete of $15 million in damages and Heard $2 million. Depp's $15 million judgment was lowered to $10.35 million as a result of Virginia legislation caps punitive damages at $350,000.
Heard instructed a courtroom final week that she's going to enchantment the $10.35 million settlement she was ordered to pay her ex-husband. Depp's staff additionally filed an enchantment.
The trial proceedings have been televised regardless of pleas from Heard's authorized staff to exclude cameras from the courtroom. Vasquez instructed King that the cameras have been "essential to the consumer."
"For Johnny, it was about lastly with the ability to inform his story," she stated. "I feel he got here into this case considering he had nothing else left to lose, Gayle, and I feel for him, it was, he needed to put all of it on the market."
The staff behind Depp within the publicized case have been all largely below the age of 40, Vasquez stated. She described the group as "younger and powerful" — qualities she says have been essential by way of the case's success.
"They resonate with a youthful viewers and also you want these views," Vasquez stated. "I feel younger folks have a recent perspective on particularly these points, the problems that we have been discussing on this case: abuse, MeToo."
Jessica Meyers, 34, who executed the direct examination of Depp throughout the trial, echoed the sentiment saying that Depp's younger authorized staff "was really an asset."
She stated it was her first time doing a direct examination.
"There was a stage of nerves," she instructed King. "I feel I saved ready for this overwhelming sense of nerves however I feel, you already know, when you rise up there, it simply feels type of pure and also you simply do what you do."
Sam Moniz, 32, one other lawyer at Brown Rudnick on Depp's case, stated the staff has "a number of uncooked expertise" and collaborated to inform Depp's aspect of what occurred.
"It was extra of a gradual strategy of realizing that our story was coming in," Moniz stated of his expertise. "Issues can go improper at any second and so they by no means went improper and we instructed the story we got down to inform."
Vasquez added that strain surrounding the case "made us in all probability overprepare."
"We have been actually ready and I feel that may't be understated," she stated.
CBS Information has reached out to Heard and her authorized staff concerning the appeals. They stated they don't seem to be commenting presently.