The first time I stood in front of a jury, in a large superior courtroom in Spokane County, I was a younger lawyer with more energy than eloquence, more ambition than experience. I'll never forget the feeling as if my legs might give out and collapse as easily as the accordion files in my briefcase. My mouth...
Those who represent ordinary people understand that faith is important to our concept of justice. Many of our modern civil justice principles emanated from narratives told in a religious or philosophical context thousands of years ago. An old Latin proverb, Justitiae soror fides, teaches that "Faith is the sister of Justice." The Pali Canon, sacred scriptures to Theravada Buddhists,...
Yesterday, I learned that a friend of mine died early this year. His name was Marvin Lanter. Marvin was a trial lawyer, like me. You can still find his website, his law firm, and YouTube videos of Marvin Lanter online. The first thing everyone noticed was the accent. Marvin was raised in a Jewish New York neighborhood. I met Marvin...
It has been a long 2020 we have been through with the coronavirus. Lost loved ones. Business closures. School shutdowns. Kid's sports cancelled. Graduation and wedding celebrations postponed. No one has been unaffected. It’s been a difficult and exhausting year for everyone. It has long been said that times of crisis bring us closer together. But everywhere you...
