A Practice Almost Perfect [Hardcover]

Norman Diamond (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 076180627X | ISBN-13: 978-0761806271 | Publication Date: March 27, 1997

A Practice Almost Perfect describes the inside story of the celebrated law firm Arnold, Fortas & Porter and the three remarkable men who founded it 50 years ago: Thurman Arnold, Yale professor, head of the United States Anti-Trust division, and distinguished federal judge; Abe Fortas, a legal prodigy appointed to the Yale law faculty upon graduation from its law school, who became Under Secretary of the Interior at age 32; and Paul Porter, a journalist and masterful politician who served as publicity chairman for Franklin Delano Roosevelt's fourth term campaign. In A Practice Almost Perfect, Norman Diamond narrates how Arnold, Fortas & Porter, alone among prominent law firms and at its own expense, defended victims of the brutal repression of civil liberties during the scourge of McCarthyism. He describes the firm's work for important clients, including the Kroger Co., Federated Department of Stores, and Samuel Goldwyn Productions, and tells of the hard-fought litigation that paved the way for discount retailing. He also recounts the administration of the estate of the legendary Washington hostess Evalyn Walsh McLean, particularly the facts concerning the legendary Hope diamond, and details the firm's salvation of Playboy magazine. Filled with fascinating anecdotes and historical detail, A Practive Almost Perfect is an important addition to the shelves of legal historians and the general public.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Norman Diamond succeeds admirably in this book in recapturing the atmosphere--the intellectual excitement, the vitality, the gaiety, and the camaraderie--that characterized Arnold, Fortas and Porter in the first two decades of its existence. For thoseof us like me who were young lawyers in the firm in those years, it was always springtime.>>> (Abe Krash )

Many recent major political events require an understanding of the role played by major Washington law firms. A Practice Almost Perfect is a very interesting, readable and humorous account of many such events as seen from the inside by a longtimepartner of such a firm.>>> (Abe Krash William P. Rogers )

Norman Diamond has written a fascinating book about one of America's great law firms...A participant in the founding of Arnold, Fortas & Porter (now Arnold & Porter), Mr. Diamond tells the story of the firm's early years gracefully and tastefully and reveals much that will be of interest to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.>>> (Sol M. Linowitz )

Norman Diamond has written a fascinating book about one of America's great law firms...A participant in the founding of Arnold, Fortas & Porter (now Arnold & Porter), Mr. Diamond tells the story of the firm's early years gracefully and tastefully and reveals much that will be of interest to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. (Sol M. Linowitz )

Norman Diamond succeeds admirably in this book in recapturing the atmosphere--the intellectual excitement, the vitality, the gaiety, and the camaraderie--that characterized Arnold, Fortas and Porter in the first two decades of its existence. For those of us like me who were young lawyers in the firm in those years, it was always springtime. (Abe Krash )

Many recent major political events require an understanding of the role played by major Washington law firms. A Practice Almost Perfect is a very interesting, readable and humorous account of many such events as seen from the inside by a longtime partner of such a firm. (Abe Krash William P. Rogers )

About the Author

Norman Diamond is a practicing lawyer with Arnold & Porter in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: University Press Of America (March 27, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076180627X
• ISBN-13: 978-0761806271
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,847,887 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable history/memoir of a unique law firm., December 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: A Practice Almost Perfect (Hardcover)

(p)A PRACTICE ALMOST PERFECT; The Early Days at Arnold,Fortas&Porter Reviewed by Gene M. Gressley (P) In those days, "it was always springtime" writes Abe Krash in the foreword to this remarkable history/memoir by Norman Diamond of the early years of that unique law firm, Arnold, Fortas & Porter. And so it was -- a magical time -- a joie d'vivre, with all of the attendant excitement, humor and rambunctiousness which infused the atmosphere and reflected the personalities of the the founding fathers - Thurman Arnold, Abe Fortas and Paul Porter. (p)Arnold, as Robert Jackson so vividly characterized as "a cross between Voltaire and a cowboy" -- was brilliant and vocal, with a mental agility dazzling all who understood him: a mind that leapfrogged the complexities of a problem to uncover a solution, an authentic genius. Fortas was a "meticulous craftsman" whose approach to legal entanglements was much akin to his mastery, via the violin, of a difficult movement of Paganni. Fortas replayed the score again and again until he conquered it. So it was with the law, Fortas wrestled with a challenging legal passage until he arrived at comprehension. Paul Porter's charm and ebullience enchanted clients and colleagues alike. Porter's irrepressible good humor defused many a contentious scene, both within and without the firm. (p) These three legal Musketeers created in 1946/1947 an institution which became the model for twentieth century law firms. How did they build such a legal powerhouse? Norman Diamond scatters the answers throughout the narrative. Probably the most concise and pointed analysis for the eminence of Arnold,Fortas&Porter, Diamond provided in 1968 in a clarion call to the younger partners. Sensing that Arnold&Porter was in danger of resting on its laurels, Diamond, in an extraordinary "Chesterfield-like" memo to the younger partners, at once analyzed the basis for past achievements and chartered the way for the future. Ticking off the essentials for greatness, Diamond's advice ranged from the care and feeding of clients, to the necessity for thorough research and presentation ("Oxygen tent" cases are the normality), to diplomatic behavior when interacting with senior partners, concluding with a reminder that "pure ability is meaningless unless followed by results." Throughout the memo, Diamond stressed that the future of Arnold&Porter resided with the younger partners. (p)Diamond's 1968 counsel reverberates throughout his chapters. With an elan and a style so seductive as to induce envy, Diamond again distinguishes himself from so many of his colleagues in a profession which often permits the expression of the routine to torpedo any eloquence. In sum, Diamond has a story to tell, and he tells it well. (P)Insights abound. As the reader turns the pages, one finds discussions of the insanity of the McCarthy era; the intriguing case of Steve Masters, who originated mass discount retailing; the abuse of regulatory agencies, especially the Federal Trade Commission(a particularly arresting observation refers to the arrogance of Paul R. Dixon, as Chairman of the FTC, "It may be no exaggeration to suggest that his reckless exercise of the authority of his office contributed to the beginning of distrust of government by Congress and the business community." (191);the rise and fall of James J. Ling, and the tragic fall from grace of Diamond's mentor,Abe Fortas. (p)The sensitivity, the charm, and the call to greatness are all deftly captured by Diamond via the spell he casts over those years. Abe Krash was right -- it was Victor Herbert time. About the reviewer -- For three decades, Gene Gressley was the founding Director of the American Heritage Center and Assistant to the President, University of Wyoming. In 1977, Gressley edited the correspondence of Thurman Arnold, entitled Voltaire and the Cowboy(Associated Press of the University of Colorado).