"What Would Bob J. Do?: Re-Examining Civility Today"

That's the title of this very nice piece in the DBR by Meaghan Goldstein and Katie Mitchell.

It starts this way:

Civility is a popular buzzword in legal circles, but perhaps not as popular in practice. The test comes in the ordinary moments and small decisions in litigation, which ultimately shape our daily lives: the email you’re about to send, the argument you’re about to make, the extension you’re asked to agree to. During the past year, when faced with uncertainty, we’ve found ourselves returning to one question in these moments: What would Bob J. do?

One year ago, the world lost Bob Josefsberg. We lost a mentor and a role model, and a true gentleman in the courtroom and out. We lost the first lawyer we worked under, who contributed so much to the formation of our own careers, but also the man who was mentor and teacher to so many people at KTT, including our founders. We lost the grandfather in our mentorship family tree, so to speak. But we have not lost the legacy.

As the calendar marks what would have been his 88th birthday, we find ourselves reflecting on the lessons Bob taught us, which, at their core, were quite simple: being a good person is part of being a good lawyer. 

Great timing for this piece as the FBA will be honoring Bob tomorrow night at its gala.