A collateral benefit of being a judicial law clerk is the opportunity to rub elbows with “legal legends” on a daily basis. These legends are the elder statesmen of our profession: judges, retired judges and lawyers who have practiced law for longer than I’ve been alive.

I’m the kind of person who loves a great war story. Nothing excites me more than to hear about a lawyer’s great Atticus Finch moment, or a judge’s clever retort on the record. Legal legends have the best war stories around and as a law clerk, I’ve been blessed with the chance to hear many.

The stories I’ve heard about the way practicing law used to be — when lawyers were colorful characters and local celebrities, when lawyers had a strong sense of decorum and civility, when spending an evening discussing cases with your partners over a drink was the norm, when lawyers liked being lawyers — make me feel nostalgic for a time I never knew.

It can be so easy to burn out as a young lawyer. The daily grind can make you question why you ever decided to do this in the first place. Spending time with a legal legend can be a serious source of inspiration and remind you of the goals you had when you started this profession. It would be a non-billable hour or two well spent.

Know a great story from a legal legend? Pay homage in the comments section.

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