Advocate for Broken Wings, f/k/a Mr. Lawyerman, Ch. 3

Though lawyers tend to be pack animals, there are outliers.

Thank God.

But with any outlier, there usually is a story

or tragedy.

Mr. Lawyerman had a trial against an outlier last year

and wishes he would have found more about her story before her death.

All we have to work with now are various non-specific clues.

To begin with, she apparently graduated first in her law school class.

No doubt that was quite an honor and certainly would have opened some doors for her in corporate america, wall street, or basically whatever the hell she wanted to do with a law degree if there are things to do with one.

However, thirty years after her graduation, she had a solo practice anchored at times in her apartment, an ever changing office address, and if rumors were true, her car.

Her uniform was strictly non-lawyer (at least out of court).

At depositions, Barbara wore ragged flannel tshirts, jeans, and a red dew rag red bandana covering her long grey hair.

They say she looked the part of the homeless person.  But I never trust mob psychology, especially coming from Judges.

Was Barbara like Dickens' Miss Havisham--a victim of some itinerant suitor?  Some modern day Compeyson?

Could that explain the metamorphosis of the top law student?

If so, that was all she had in common with Miss Havisham.

For Barbara sought to protect all the Pip's in the world--be they human or animal. 

I remember her telling Mr. Lawyerman about the story of a wounded bird, and how upset she was that she could not heal it.   Or of all the cats at her apartment that she was concerned about during her extended out of town trial. 

Her clients likewise involved injured birds of sorts, those who otherwise would have gone without legal representation.  They all, like her, were outcasts from society, usually because of their past misdeeds.

But for the grace of God:

BARBARA JEAN CLINITE, 64 CHICAGO - Barbara Jean Clinite, 64, of Chicago, died Nov. 10, 2011, at Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines, Ill. Miss Clinite was born on Nov. 10, 1947, to Rolland Arthur and Barbara June (Erbes) in Spring Valley, Ill. Survivors include her brothers and sister, Jerald (Judi) Clinite of Gold Canyon, Ariz., Susan (David) Bacher of Middleburg, Fla., David (Jill) Clinite of Winnebago, Ill., and Brian (Matthew Bruehler) Clinite of Atlanta, Ga.; and her many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by both parents. Miss Clinite graduated from Guilford High School (1965) and Augustana College and earned her law degree at Loyola University Chicago School of Law while working full-time as a social worker for the City of Chicago. She was the 1980 recipient of the law school's distinguished Chief Justice Edward D. White award presented annually to the senior with the highest academic performance. A member of the Illinois State and American Bar Associations, she specialized in injury and medical negligence law. She owned her law firm located at 120 W. Madison St. in Chicago. A private family memorial service will be followed by burial of ashes at Greenwood Cemetery, Rockford. Memorials may be directed to Tree House Humane Society, 1212 W. Carmen Ave., Chicago, IL.