I Miss Trials

I miss trials. In case you might mistake me for a crazy person or a super-spiritual type, I am talking about court trials. I have been a trial lawyer for over thirty years. Over that time I have accumulated a lot of great trial memories. I remember helping an adult woman prove her paternity. Pretty much everyone knew who her father was and his family didn’t deny it until oil was found on his property. I remember when a truck driver shot in the parking lot of a motel, tried to collect money from the motel owners. I remember telling the jury that the driver’s expert, Mr. Wright, was just plain “wrong.” The jury agreed.

I remember being in federal court when the audience was filled with sign carrying supporters of the opposition. I remember defending a school board when a teacher put a kid in a box. I remember a case when the jury asked the judge for writing pads and calculators, not a good sign for the defendants. I remember when I had the opposing party on the stand and the man turned to the judge and asked if he could fire his lawyer and hire me. I always thought that would have made a great television commercial.

Trials are a lot less frequent than they used to be. It’s just so expensive to go to court and then there are almost always appeals. I don’t think I could tell you anymore who the great trial attorneys are around here (except me of course) because you just don’t see lawyers in trial that much any more. I can tell you who has great commercials or who can generate the most paperwork. I can tell you who I would invite to dinner or whose lying every time their lips are moving. The best ones don’t necessary have the most commercials, the prettiest offices or get the most “votes” for best lawyer.

It’s a good thing to just find out what a jury thinks every once in a while. It keeps lawyers tied to reality. In my experience, jurors are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Lawyers are not nearly as smart as they think they are.

I wish I could add some spiritually significant thought to all of this, but I can’t seem to. I just miss not getting to do more of what I really like and think I do best. Pushing paper isn’t really very much fun, even when it’s digital paper.

Be blessed.