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In-House at The American Lawyer May 2004
During my annual peacekeeping visit this year, one managing partner reminded me that the law firm world plays a simple game. Quoting from Bull Durham, the sweet film about minor league baseball, he smiled and said, "You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball." By extension, I suppose, you land the client, you serve the client, you bill the client. (And if you've been reading these pages, you call the client to ask whether you could have done something better.)
But the simple level isn't where this, or baseball, gets interesting. The fascination comes another level down, with the players and the plays. For 25 years, we've focused on who hit, threw, and caught the ball. Also, how much they were paid to run around in pinstripes, whether they played honorably, and did they--which is to say, you--share their winnings and skills with those less fortunate.
For us, then, it's not been the game as much as it's been the players. Whatever else might be said about our founding, we were well and clearly named. We cover lawyers: their business, their firms, their whiffs and errors, and, when we find them, their grand slams. We don't ignore the law or legal issues, but from the beginning we have been clear about what we don't aspire to: We're not a law review or a journal. Instead we come at issues through the prism of those who practice--and when we encounter the truly insufferable, we are grateful that the operative word is practice rather than perfect.
It was this focus on lawyers that helped lead to our Lifetime Achiever awards that we inaugurate in this issue. A few months ago, our editors identified a dozen lawyers for this honor. Those in private practice all had distinguished themselves in public life. Those in the public sector had outstanding records. All were at or near the end of their careers or had retired from their principal positions. And we saw each as a model for young lawyers. We feature them this month, starting on page 133. All but one were scheduled to take a bow at our anniversary dinner, which was to be held just after we went to press. (The one exception has a serious health issue.) We'll prepare a full report on the dinner for next month's issue. And then start searching for next year's group. I welcome your thoughts and nominations.
This anniversary issue required an extraordinary effort from our staff. The issue is bigger than usual and more ambitious in scope. Senior writer Amy Singer and national editor Dirk Olin led the planning and execution. We often turn to Singer for these special acts; she's a veteran in our newsroom and has the good judgment and scar tissue necessary to bring these projects in on time. Art director Joan Ferrell developed a special design. With Ferrell, photo editor Elizabeth Williams sifted through hundreds of images before settling on the 183 photos in this issue. Production chief Angela Baughman made it all fit. And managing editor Maryann Saltser went over every line to make the words as clear and accurate as possible.
As usual, Bar Talk was a joint effort directed by executive editor Mark Obbie and designed by Darlene Simidian. This time Obbie chose among 25 years' worth of items for a Best of Bar Talk section. Those were hard choices because the archives are so rich. And it's not just me saying that. Last month, Bar Talk received a Jesse H. Neal award as the best regular feature among national business magazines. That was one of two Neal awards we won. The other was for our Future of Litigation supplement, which ran last fall with both The American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel magazines. The judges called that effort "brilliant and seminal." We're too modest to believe it, but it was nice to hear.
For 25 years we've tried to give you honest, important, prize-winning journalism. We thank you for being so receptive. And we look forward to another quarter-century.
Aric Press
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