Osler's Razor

It was hard to miss Gordon Davenport at Baylor Law-- he is a big guy, and pretty unforgettable all around. He came to Baylor from undergrad at UT-Austin, where he was a part of the famed Trial Advocacy program there. He had--and has-- a particularly good skill set for trial work, thoughtful, thorough, and able to describe complicated things clearly. It was clear from the start that he was going to do great things, and he has.

During school, he was on a trial ad team I coached, and then after school he helped me coach others. He was able to do so because he was clerking with Walter Smith, the federal judge in town. He's a person you can count on, and I have.

After clerking, Gordon took a job as a federal prosecutor in Tucson. I urged him to do that, because I think it is imperative that people of compassion and good judgment take on that role, and Gordon was exactly that. He has thrived, and now is a leader there in taking on public corruption cases. Abuse of public authority is especially pernicious close to the border, where abuses can be hidden and especially dangerous. He's brave that way, and I'm proud of him. Since my friend and colleague Hank Shea spends much of the year in Tucson, I get to see Gordon fairly regularly-- and I'm always happy to see him. 

Here's why: teaching people like Gordon, and seeing what he does, makes me feel like I am in the right business.

# posted by Mark Osler @ 1:00 AM