Clark Clifford, counsel to a...
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Clark Clifford, counsel to a number of American presidents during the past 40 years, and an eminent Washington, D.C. lawyer, recently published his memoirs. In the opening chapters he tells of his youth in St. Louis and his success at Washington University where he completed his bachelor's and law degrees in only five years. Everything went along very smoothly. He was on top of the world.
After graduation he sought to gain courtroom experience. Suddenly things became difficult for him. He lost his first criminal case, and his client received 25 years in prison. His second client only received 15 years. Clifford lost 10 cases in a row sending 10 of his clients to the state penitentiary.
Other lawyers around the courtroom joked that authorities had opened a "Clifford Wing" at the Missouri State penitentiary in Jefferson City. Clifford laughed, but it hurt.
Finally, one day he heard the judge say: "Not guilty." He finally won a case. At a later date he looked back upon that low period in his life, and he was able to say that it was a valuable training period for him. Suffering one dismal defeat after another, he had been forced to re-examine his life, to study more carefully the whole process of the law and to draw upon inner resources that he did not know he possessed.
--Hasler
After graduation he sought to gain courtroom experience. Suddenly things became difficult for him. He lost his first criminal case, and his client received 25 years in prison. His second client only received 15 years. Clifford lost 10 cases in a row sending 10 of his clients to the state penitentiary.
Other lawyers around the courtroom joked that authorities had opened a "Clifford Wing" at the Missouri State penitentiary in Jefferson City. Clifford laughed, but it hurt.
Finally, one day he heard the judge say: "Not guilty." He finally won a case. At a later date he looked back upon that low period in his life, and he was able to say that it was a valuable training period for him. Suffering one dismal defeat after another, he had been forced to re-examine his life, to study more carefully the whole process of the law and to draw upon inner resources that he did not know he possessed.
--Hasler
