Attorneys and Barristers of the Lounge

[memphislawyer]

What about International Shoe? I remember the Pennoyer case.

I wanted to be an attorney since age 11. My father was a mechanic, owned his own gas station when they were full serve and did oil changes, brakes, you name it. He would be at work before I got up and came home after I went to bed. 7 days a week. Never saw me play any sports, not one. I think he got someone to cover for him when he came to see me graduate high school. He told me that I may not make a lot of money being an attorney, but it was honorable, I could help people, and I would not have to work half as hard as he did. He was right on all accounts.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Tutt books

In an effort to focus you guys on vintage legal stuff, here a couple of books you should get a hold of. I discovered Arthur Train's Tutt short stories earlier this year and have collected quite a few books. The stories firstly appeared in the Saturday Evening Post between 1919 and 1945 and were published by Scribners Sons in a series of books. The Autobiography of Ephraim Tutt was published in 1944 and is well worth a read - as are they all.

Train was himself a New York lawyer as is his character Ephraim Tutt. His tales are a hoot, especially if you're involved in the law.

 

[Alucard73]

Texas Lawyer here. Practice criminal defense...with style.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Texas Lawyer here. Practice criminal defense...with style.

Very cool avatar Alucard....and a damn sexy lady that I assume is your other half....but any claim to style requires photo evidence. We don't accept hearsay around these parts.

 

[avedwards]

This thread might be interesting to those who like vintage court wear.
http://thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=42639
I did a work experience in a Crown Court (criminal law court) and I wrote down what I observed. While I was just there as a student I still wore a suit and a grey fedora every day, though the latter stayed in the offices of the court house while I was watching trials.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

The law is a noble profession CRH - but your Prez has stooped to become a politician.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

I like the idea of having a place here on the Lounge where we lawyers can hide. It sorta helps keep everyone else safe from us.

I'm a State's Prosecutor for North Carolina Judicial District 3-B. I've been in the district about sixteen years. Before that, I was a prosecutor up in the 1st District. Most of what I do is white-collar crime and burglaries, but I also handle about half of our office's habitual felon prosecutions. I once averaged about a dozen or so big jury trials a year, but recently I've scaled that back to a more manageable number. Now I try to let our hungry, young, gogiter ADAs have more court time.

Some years ago, I began looking for a political "trademark". I had always worn fedoras when I was fly fishing and hiking and I had always liked the looks of the Stetson Open Road. I especially liked how ORs look with a suit and tie. So, in my very first post on the Lounge, I asked where I could get a silverbelly Open Road in size 7 3/4. I was kindly directed to the Quality Hats web site and I've been wearing Open Roads ever since. And the trademark thing seems to have worked. Now, when I attend political meetings, go to court or even just go out for coffee, people act downright disappointed if I'm not wearing my Open Road.

AF

Welcome to the Lawyers in Lids Room Atticus. Wasn't brother Finch a defence lawyer??

I've been doing a bit of reading on the sad case of Alton Logan from Chicago over recent months - a wrongful conviction case that saw an innocent guy put away for 26 years till recently. It wasn't the prosecutors fault - or the defence either. Just lots of people trapped in a system that wouldn't even allow the truth to be told. The case is worth a read. It challenges all of us in law to lift the bar.

Now...how about some pics of those fedoras??

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Greetings to all the lawyers of the Lounge - from an English Solicitor !
(That's an Attorney to Americans)

Great to see an English colleague Old Fogey! An Aussie solicitor here. Now, you'd know all about Donoghue v Stevenson! Heroic judgment by Lord Atkin (who was born right here in Brisbane by the way) I always thought.

What area do you practice in?

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

I too am a lawyer although I left practice about 12 years ago and have been called a "recovering lawyer." I worked for a large firm then a small firm doing med mal and insurance defense before hanging out my shingle. Being on my own was fun, exciting and got me into some interesting places and situations. However, there was something about not having a steady paycheck or insurance that kept me up most nights so I took a position with what was then West Group (now West, a Thomson Reuters business). I now manage the field staff for the Government Division in part of the Midwest. The hours are just as long but I work from home and get to spend a great deal of my time with my family and also fly fishing and chasing grouse behind my English Setters.

Sounds like the perfect lifestyle choice there Doublegun. Is West related to Westlaw? I use their online services.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Well, guess it is okay to let down the facade and tell you about me. I am a lawyer and I live in Memphis, Tennessee, probably not too far down the road down I-40, going West, from Spats. I am 49, and a solo practitioner, no office staff. You can find out more about me at www.lawyers.com/memphislawyer.

I handle much the same work as Spats, divorce, collections, a little Plaintiff's personal injury work, foreclosures, bankruptcy, criminal defense. Been at it since 1985. I have lots of attorneys in my family, some in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. My daughter is in her second year of law here at the University of Memphis, doing much better than I ever did. She wants to live in Atlanta and is looking for a summer job there thay may lead to a full time position when she graduates.

I had pens, fountain pens, but since I do not write much or write well, the only one I have is the maxi-sized Visconti Black Divina roller ball. Two nice watches to my name, one well known, the other, well, I got a great deal on it from watch forum, timezone. Id love a Reverso and then a Patek.

Sam

Nice to see you in the Lawyers in Lids Room Sam. Which reminds me, where's that other lawyer named Sam?

Couldn't talk your kid out of doing law huh? Well...it can be a noble profession with the right kind of encouragement and environment.

So, what about some pics of those pens, watches, hats??? Hell - you can even post photos you've used before!

 

[Doublegun]

Sounds like the perfect lifestyle choice there Doublegun. Is West related to Westlaw? I use their online services.

Yes. Westlaw is our web-based service and is based on the print titles and system for indexing and organizing topically key areas of law we started back in the 1870's. Actually, one of my mentors ran Thomson in Australia before transferring to the states. Since the aquisition by Thomson we have developed and integrated legal info from all over the world.

I am extremely fortunate to be able to do what I do. However, there are times when I do miss the nitty-gritty part of the practice, especially the criminal defense and related street-level practice. But I do sleep better at night and I don't miss visiting holding-cells, jails, prisons or dealing with a distraut client in a divorce case.

 

[Spats McGee]

Fountain pens: I've never had a large collection of fountain pens, but I got my first one over 20 years ago. I carried them (& a pocketful of ink cartridges) through law school. I usually have a cartridge or two squirreled away in a pocket or briefcase for emergencies, but I prefer using bottled ink when I can. I enjoy the small task of actually refilling my pen before getting back to writing.

Anyway, without further ado, my fountain pens:

​

Left to right: (1) A wooden, handmade pen that I picked up in a shop in Fayetteville, Arkansas; (2) Waterman Phileas; (3) My workhorse Shaeffer; (4) Levenger Verona; (5) Rotring.

The second group:

​

Left to right: (1) A Levenger, the model name of which escapes me; (2) another Shaeffer; (3) my Jean-Pierre Lepin, received as a graduation present for my BA; (4) Waterman Expert; (5) Levenger True Writer; and (6) Pelikan

 

[Atticus Finch]

Welcome to the Lawyers in Lids Room Atticus. Wasn't brother Finch a defence lawyer??

I've been doing a bit of reading on the sad case of Alton Logan from Chicago over recent months - a wrongful conviction case that saw an innocent guy put away for 26 years till recently. It wasn't the prosecutors fault - or the defence either. Just lots of people trapped in a system that wouldn't even allow the truth to be told. The case is worth a read. It challenges all of us in law to lift the bar.

Now...how about some pics of those fedoras??

You are indeed correct. Atticus Finch was an old time, sleepy-town lawyer. Domestic, criminal, estate, contract....he handled whatever case crawled through the front door. And, like most good lawyers of the day, he was also on the capital case court appointed list.

As to wrongful convictions, well, there's a cynical---maybe even morbid---old prosecutor's joke that goes, "Any half-assed attorney can convict a guilty defendant...but it takes a real prosecutor to convict an innocent man.

Here are the hats I wear to court. They're all Open Roads or Open Road clones.

AF

 

[Doublegun]

Atticus Finch - undoubtedly one of the greatest and most admired characters in American literature and for all of the right reasons. There have been many times when I have been a little angry with my daughter and I have asked myself how Atticus would handle the situation.

I love the book, the movie and the stage production I saw in Stratford, Ont. last summer. Unfortunately, no matter what movie I watch with Gregory Peck I see Atticus Finch playing the character.

 

[billyspew]

Yes. Westlaw is our web-based service and is based on the print titles and system for indexing and organizing topically key areas of law we started back in the 1870's. Actually, one of my mentors ran Thomson in Australia before transferring to the states. Since the aquisition by Thomson we have developed and integrated legal info from all over the world.

I am extremely fortunate to be able to do what I do. However, there are times when I do miss the nitty-gritty part of the practice, especially the criminal defense and related street-level practice. But I do sleep better at night and I don't miss visiting holding-cells, jails, prisons or dealing with a distraut client in a divorce case.

Not a lawyer, myself but do also work for the aforementioned company but in the UK.

 

[memphislawyer]

Datejust with the sunburst dial. I dont find many of them around. Also, I am not a Submariner guy or the Yachtmaster, but did like the Explorer. Got a great deal on this one at timezone.

Jaeger LeCoultre Master Control. I wear this when I need to be dressy. Sometimes the watch is a tad big under cufflink shirts where my cuffs have shrunk - I hate that. Keeps great time and I wish I had a Reverso as well.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Fountain pens: I've never had a large collection of fountain pens, but I got my first one over 20 years ago. I carried them (& a pocketful of ink cartridges) through law school. I usually have a cartridge or two squirreled away in a pocket or briefcase for emergencies, but I prefer using bottled ink when I can. I enjoy the small task of actually refilling my pen before getting back to writing.

Anyway, without further ado, my fountain pens:

​

Left to right: (1) A wooden, handmade pen that I picked up in a shop in Fayetteville, Arkansas; (2) Waterman Phileas; (3) My workhorse Shaeffer; (4) Levenger Verona; (5) Rotring.

The second group:

​

Left to right: (1) A Levenger, the model name of which escapes me; (2) another Shaeffer; (3) my Jean-Pierre Lepin, received as a graduation present for my BA; (4) Waterman Expert; (5) Levenger True Writer; and (6) Pelikan

Spats, you're a champion. Wonderful set of pens. I've never used a fountain pen. My life is incomplete. I must remedy this or how dare I call myself a real lawyer! Great pics.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

You are indeed correct. Atticus Finch was an old time, sleepy-town lawyer. Domestic, criminal, estate, contract....he handled whatever case crawled through the front door. And, like most good lawyers of the day, he was also on the capital case court appointed list.

As to wrongful convictions, well, there's a cynical---maybe even morbid---old prosecutor's joke that goes, "Any half-assed attorney can convict a guilty defendant...but it takes a real prosecutor to convict an innocent man.

Here are the hats I wear to court. They're all Open Roads or Open Road clones.

AF

Brother Finch - that's a set of lids even the real Atticus would have worn with pride. Fantastic.

I've yet to acquire an Open Road but it - and a Stratoliner - are near the top of my 'must or bust' hat list.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Not a lawyer, myself but do also work for the aforementioned company but in the UK.

Billy - you're not a lawyer??!!

Why not??? You've got the hats and everything!

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Brother Sam - That's a stonkin' Rolex - and the Stetson works for me just fine.

But please tell me this isn't you in your Goin' to Court gear?