Court Opinion

ID: 9581567
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:16:18.835258+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:37:04.874281
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
concurring specially. I concur in the judgment only in this case. I especially refuse to concur in the language in the majority opinion as follows, to wit: "... and the well written briefs and fine oral arguments by both counsel confirm their clients receiving dedicated representation.” First, flattery gets one nowhere. These lawyers, if they are as able as the above language indicates, readily see through hollow flattery. The winning lawyer does not need to be thus propped up; and as to the losing lawyer, it is quite doubtful that such fulsome praise soothes his troubled spirit to any extent whatever. He is prone to ask himself: "If my brief was so well written, and if I made such a fine oral argument, and if my representation of my client was accounted as dedicated, how come I lost my case?”
Next, it is a time-honored rule, now ripened into a tradition, to reserve praise for the losing lawyer only. How can he be comforted by praise (genuine or synthetic) of the court, when his adversary receives just as much praise, and in addition, wins the case? I am sure the majority opinion overlooked this time-honored rule (tradition) in giving such great praise (genuine or synthetic) to counsel for both parties.