Memories of Morrie by Chuck Boyk

The first 10 years of my law practice (1983-1993) were
probably my most “pure fun.”. My law practice was
mainly criminal defense. I was hustling to learn, get
clients, and mingle with my peers and clients. I did not
make much money, but the amount of “characters” was
out of a crazy novel.

Morrie was an old, small criminal defense attorney who
wore suits that were twice as large as he needed. He
would hang out in the halls of the misdemeanor court,
talking to unrepresented individuals. He would try and
talk them into paying him $200-$300 to plead them.
That was his client acquisition strategy.

Morrie was also a magician. He would do tricks and pull
a quarter out of your ear. His claim to fame was making
balloon animals. Attorneys and defendants would crowd
around him and walk away with neat balloon dogs,
elephants, giraffes, birds, and cats.

You certainly did not want to be represented by Morrie.
However, it felt like a circus atmosphere of fun when he
was around.

The entire criminal defense bar often lingered in
misdemeanor court. You saw attorneys ranging from
Morrie to the top criminal defense attorneys in the state.
Teasing, gossiping, teaching, and strategy sessions in the
hallway were appreciated by everybody. Lifelong
friendships were formed, and funny stories were the
norm.

The good old days.