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John Lewis gavels an end to legal career

Diciembre 26, 2009 | Por pillbi | Claves: career, end, gavels, john, legal, lewis, to | # Enlace permanente

It’s an injustice to say that John F. Lewis practiced law for 51 years, and it’s inaccurate to say he’s retiring.

It’s true that Lewis spent much of that time as one of the most influential attorneys at one of the oldest and most respected law firms in the nation – Cleveland-based Squire, Sanders & Dempsey.

But his influence went well beyond the walls of the firm that incorporated the original Standard Oil Company. It covered a lot more than the dry nuances of statute and case law.

Lewis shaped the way many lawyers practice today, helped change big law firms from bastions of white-male-gentile privilege, extended a helping hand to the underprivileged and redrew the landscape of Cleveland itself.

His office on the 49th floor of Key Tower speaks to this. Two walls include souvenirs and memorabilia of Playhouse Square, a pivotal project he led that transformed part of downtown from a dilapidated, crime-ridden strip to a cultural destination.