Washington Lawyer - May 2019 - 5

YOUR VOICE

FAREWELL

TO A LEGAL ICON

F

JAMIE GORELICK
Partner, WilmerHale LLP
D.C. Bar President (1992-93)

PHILIP ALLEN LACOVARA
D.C. Bar President (1988-89)

Jake was an expert at the strategic use of humor,
which could defuse an argument and disarm an
opponent. He was a terrific lawyer and person. If there
were still apprenticeships, being his would have been
a great way to learn the craft.
ROBERT N. WEINER
Partner, Arnold & Porter LLP
D.C. Bar President (1995-96)

The D.C. Bar and the legal community are deeply
saddened by the passing of a legal legend, Jacob
Stein. He exemplified the very best of our Bar. Jake
was a lawyer's lawyer, an exceptional legal mind,
and a respected leader. He will be long remembered
and sorely missed.

Jacob Stein's passing is a tremendous loss to our legal
community. I appreciated his commitment to the legal
profession and our Bar, and his unique - and often
humorous - insights. He not only served as Bar
president from 1982 to 1983, but also he later wrote
columns for our publication, Washington Lawyer,
which members thoroughly enjoyed.
ROBERT J. SPAGNOLETTI
D.C. Bar CEO

"

"

Jake was Bar president when I was secretary. He
bought signs for the Bar's conference room table
that said "Be Brief." I kept the sign he gave me for
a very long time, and sometimes felt it helpful to use
it at the Justice Department . . . If you visited him in
his office, he would just as likely be sitting on his
couch reading a history [book] or a novel as paying
attention to legal business. He had many, many
interests that took him far afield from the practice of
law. I loved seeing him in his white suit and what he
called his "co-respondent shoes" - the sort worn
by a co-respondent in a divorce, a person who perhaps
had lured away someone's wife, he explained. He
thought them stylish and they were. As was he. Jake
broke the mold.

Jake was truly one of a kind. Those of us who knew
him as a lawyer, friend, and Bar leader took particular
delight in reading his periodic essays in Washington
Lawyer. They offered a unique insight into our
profession and the wider world. A sad day that he
has written his final chapter.

Karin Cooper/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

ormer D.C. Bar President JACOB A. STEIN -
the Legal Spectator adored by many -
passed away on April 3 at the age of 94.
Deeply revered in the legal community for
his passion for the law, exceptional skill, dignity,
and humor, Stein has left behind a tremendous
legacy built over six decades of practice. The D.C.
Bar joins Stein's family, friends, and colleagues
in mourning the passing of a true icon in the
legal world.

Jake was a true gentleman who always engaged
colleagues with a unique combination of intellect,
class, and humor. I recall a lasting impression he
made during my first year as the Bar's executive
director. Convening a meeting of the Board of
Governors, he placed a small sign on the table
that read, simply: "Be Brief." During a discussion,
if someone took more time than he thought
necessary, he would just point to that sign. He
did this with a twinkle, but he was firm. We have
lost a great and very special man. He was one
of a kind and will be missed.
KATHERINE A. MAZZAFERRI
Former D.C. Bar CEO

ESTHER H. LIM
D.C. Bar President (2018-present)

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MAY 2019

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WASHINGTON LAWYER

5
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Washington Lawyer - May 2019

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