Back in August 2007, I was standby counsel for an attorney who was accused of forgery in a Nigerian check scam. The opposing counsel was Shane Phelps, who I had enjoyed a cordial relationship with prior to the trial.
Shane was one of the best prosecutors in the state and a fierce and zealous advocate for the government. I got frustrated when I thought Shane was trying to needlessly prolong the trial (and my suffering) and I lost it.
I made some comments that were rude, vulgar, and completely out of line. Shane, understandably, responded in kind. We were like two mean little boys on the playground and the Judge admonished both of us for our unprofessional demeanor.
We both apologized and have been good friends ever since. When we made our closing arguments, we showed up wearing identical seersucker suits. It turned out we were both fans of To Kill a Mockingbird, and we both realized we had fallen short of conducting ourselves like our hero Atticus Finch.
Accordingly, Shane and I decided to start Atticus Finch Day to remind ourselves and the local legal community of the wonderful heritage we have as attorneys and the standards we all strive to achieve.
This will be the eighth annual Atticus Finch Day celebration and will be held May 6, 2016 at 11:30am in the Brazos County Administration Building. Our speaker this year will be the legendary Houston lawyer Rusty Hardin and Dr. Jerome Loving of the English Literature Department at Texas A&M.
It is open to everyone. You don’t need a seersucker suit or a law license to attend. Please join us for lemonade, cookies, and an enjoyable program.
- Phil
Shane was one of the best prosecutors in the state and a fierce and zealous advocate for the government. I got frustrated when I thought Shane was trying to needlessly prolong the trial (and my suffering) and I lost it.
I made some comments that were rude, vulgar, and completely out of line. Shane, understandably, responded in kind. We were like two mean little boys on the playground and the Judge admonished both of us for our unprofessional demeanor.
We both apologized and have been good friends ever since. When we made our closing arguments, we showed up wearing identical seersucker suits. It turned out we were both fans of To Kill a Mockingbird, and we both realized we had fallen short of conducting ourselves like our hero Atticus Finch.
Accordingly, Shane and I decided to start Atticus Finch Day to remind ourselves and the local legal community of the wonderful heritage we have as attorneys and the standards we all strive to achieve.
This will be the eighth annual Atticus Finch Day celebration and will be held May 6, 2016 at 11:30am in the Brazos County Administration Building. Our speaker this year will be the legendary Houston lawyer Rusty Hardin and Dr. Jerome Loving of the English Literature Department at Texas A&M.
It is open to everyone. You don’t need a seersucker suit or a law license to attend. Please join us for lemonade, cookies, and an enjoyable program.
- Phil
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