Just an Old Trial Lawyer

Old trial lawyers-those who have hurdled the 50 years in practice marker, or who are fast closing in on it, are uniquely positioned for the submission of "Tribute" articles on Judges taking senior status-especially when the Judge is himself an old trial lawyer.Both the assessor and the assessed have litigation scars and bruises, courtroom agonies and ecstasies, and a multitude of experiences upon which to base comparison and fair comment.Old trial lawyers can recall when the federal bench was mainly populated with white males who acted as if their appointment was providential rather than a result of political connection.In those days, young trial lawyers practiced in federal court with apprehension, certain that any mistake or misstep would be announced from the bench and the client held responsible for perceived ineptitude.Imperiousness was the prevailing atmosphere and federal court practice, particularly for those based in medium to small-sized towns, was to be avoided.Fortunately, "greatest generation" Judges began to be replaced by Boomers and/or those whose trial experience or years on a state court bench ingrained an appreciation for the stress and pressure experienced by courtroom practitioners.This "new" federal judiciary assisted and encouraged aspiring trial lawyers.Never taking their eye off a just result, these post-presumptuous period adjudicators brought empathy, understanding, humanism, and a sense of humor to the proceedings.Prior to his federal appointment, the Honorable Richard L. Young tried cases and presided over the busiest trial court in the state.He understood from the moment he climbed the bench in the Vanderburgh County Indiana Circuit Court that "luck," good fortune, ability, and connections all played a critical role in his appointment.And he never forgot his experience as a trial lawyer-that perspective one gains in front of the bench, not behind it.Judge Young sat second chair in a capital murder case as a young public defender.When courtroom success is measured by a verdict of life without parole versus the electric chair, the unceasing demands and unrelenting and incomparable consequential nature of trial work is seared into the soul.As a former private practitioner and corporate counsel for a municipality, he also never forgot how hard lawyers work to earn a buck-that one's word and reputation in the practice are the calling card that matters, and that life experiences, political realities, and social consequences are as equally important to a just result as any text in musty Northeastern reporters.Judge Young brought his small-town Iowa upbringing to the bench as well.Mom and Dad ran the town's drugstore and sundries shop.He was educated in public schools and played golf with his brother at the City's municipal course.The loss of his father while still an elementary student brought sorrow and loss into Young's life.His ability to relate to the vagaries of life and an accelerated