UnknownChapter 2: Kravitz and Bane
With 286 lawyers, Kravitz and Bane was the third largest law firm in Chicago. Appropriately, its fashionable offices filled the top floors of the third largest building downtown. The firm earned most of its huge income from commercial and insurance cases. Like most large firms, it made so much money that it felt it had an obligation to society to take a few worthwhile cases without charge. There was a full-time partner dealing with these cases, an eccentric do-gooder named E. Garner Goodman. He worked for clients who could not afford to pay: death row prisoners, people on drugs, and the homeless.
Adam Hall headed along the hallway, toward Goodman’s office. Hall was twenty-six years old, and had been employed by Kravitz and Bane for nine months now. He held a thin file in his hand, a summary of his education and career.
In Goodman’s disorganized office, Adam sat and waited nervously while the gray-haired old man studied the file.
“This is a pretty strong recommendation.” He was reading a letter from Wycoff, the partner responsible for Adam. “You’re bright. You work very hard. The firm is lucky to have you. And you want to work with me? Why? Let me guess. You want to help other people, do some honest work, give something back to your community?”
“Not really,” admitted Adam.
“So what is it you have in mind, then?”
Adam cleared his throat. “It’s a death penalty case.”
“A death penalty case?” Goodman repeated. “Why?”
“Well, I’m opposed to the death penalty.”
“Aren’t we all?” Goodman closed the file. “Look, Mr. Hall, these are high pressure cases. Life and death. You’re too young and you don’t have the experience to handle something like this.”
“I want to take on the Cayhall case,” Adam said slowly. Goodman shook his head. “Sam Cayhall just fired us. And frankly, I’m relieved to have him out of my life.”
“The man needs a lawyer.”
“No he doesn’t. He’ll be dead in three months with or without one. He’s decided to represent himself.”
“He needs a lawyer,” Adam repeated. “I think so, and I’ve studied his entire file.”
Goodman thought about this. “That’s a lot of paper. Why did you do it?”
“It’s an interesting case.”
“Sam Cayhall is not a nice man. He’s a racist who hates just about everybody. He hates lawyers. He’d hate you.”