Experience From the Trenches, 0617 WYBJ, Vol. 40 No. 3. 14
| Author | Kim D. Cannon Davis & Cannon, LLP Sheridan, Wyoming |
Breaking Bread Together
Kim D. Cannon Davis & Cannon, LLP Sheridan, Wyoming
Before it burned to the ground in March 1987, The Maverick Supper Club on the banks of Little Goose Creek off of Highway 87 halfway between Sheridan and Big Horn was an old log roadhouse with a colorful history. For at least the last 20 years of its existence, it stood as the premier steakhouse in northeastern Wyoming, if not the whole state. Few visitors to Sheridan escaped without at least one dinner at the Maverick. Among its most cherished traditions was the Sheridan County Bar Association meeting attended religiously every month by nearly every member of the Bar. Think of it: dinner and drinks—and usually way too many drinks—every month. Everybody was there in person and no one could avoid answering letters or returning phone calls. Discovery disputes, scheduling difficulties, personal annoyances all got resolved magically.
These were the days before mediation when lawyers settled cases in civil discussions sitting across the table from each other. That required the kind of strong, permanent, respectful personal relationships that could have only been developed through hours of personal contact at these kind of gatherings. While we convened initially in the bar for an hour or so before dinner, we were always herded into a separate room with a massive table which we all sat around. Separating us from the others insured that whatever profanity erupted would be kept among ourselves. Besides our shared values of due process and fairness and keeping our word with one another, we all understood that civility and profanity were not mutually exclusive. Although there were occasional spirited discussions about issues of common concern to the Bar (e.g. providing pro bono services for the poor), most of the conversation was marked by barbs and bon mots hurled like tennis balls across the table. And then there were the stories told masterfully. It was a master class on the intersection of observation, humor and wisdom.
The bonds those long nights created insured levels of communication among lawyers of all ages that facilitated the resolution of many disputes...
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