Larry Sutter was better at his job than me. But he never once flaunted it.
I met Larry through the trial team at the University of Akron. Larry was a coach. He volunteered time away from his practice to help young lawyers learn how to try cases. He helped countless lawyers get their feet under them.
We had a case that involved a baby who died when he slipped down in his high chair and got his neck caught between the back of the chair and the tray. I was working on the plaintiff side. We were in practice and the defense had created a poster board listing the warning that was on the back of the chair. I had taken the poster and began questioning the defense expert about the wording of the warning. I had carefully crafted a series of questions to show how the warning was inadequate.
As I went through the questions, I could see Larry getting more and more frustrated. Finally, he stopped me, came down from behind the bench, and asked me, “Casey, what are you trying to prove?”
“The warning was inadequate,” I responded.
“Okay, sit down and watch,” he said. “Doctor, this warning poster the defense made is three feet wide by three feet high, isn’t it?”
Yes.
“Is the warning this big on the chair?”
No.
“Well, is it two feet?”
No.
“One foot?”
No.
“Six inches?”
No…
“The truth is the warning on this chair is less than one inch wide and less than a ½ inch tall, isn’t it?”
Yes.
“So let me get this straight, babies are dying in these chairs, and this company decided to put this little itty bitty warning on the back of the chair?”
Yes.
“No further questions.”
Larry showed me how to make the complicated simple. He was the best I ever saw at it. Larry taught me that being a lawyer is an art. He showed me how to use the courtroom, how to use all the senses in the presentation of evidence.
Larry served as a mentor to me in my formative years. I had not seen him in several years and decided to call him and go to lunch. At lunch, I thanked him and told him how much he had helped me form the basis of who I am as a lawyer. He thanked me and minimized his role.
Several months later, Larry died of cancer. Everyone I know who knew Larry was shocked. We never even knew he was sick. That was Larry. He lived to help other lawyers, not have other lawyers worry about him.
Larry, thank you.
And I miss you.