In Memoriam

• Jurisdiction: United States,Federal
• Citation: Vol. 92 No. 3 Pg. 52
• Publication year: 2023
• Pages: 52
• topic: Business of Law,Family Law,Corporate / Commercial,Labor Law,Civil Procedure

In memoriam 92 J. Kan. Bar Assn 3, 52 (2023) Kansas Bar Journal June, 2023

May, 2023

A Tribute to the Hon. Sam A. Crow (5/5/1926 - 12/2/2022)

By Judge Kathryn Gardner, Kansas Court of Appeals and Martin Albrecht, Retired Senior Law Clerk to Judge Crow

It's hard to summarize Judge Sam A. Crow's nearly 41 years on the federal district court bench. Telling you the number of cases, orders, and trials seems pointless, as those numbers were never that important to Judge Crow. To him, it was the people who mattered: his court family working beside him, the attorneys appearing before him, and others participating and watching. His legal secretary, Bev Rector, worked for him for 46 years, his law clerk Martin Albrecht for 37 years, law clerk Kathryn Gardner for 17 years, and law clerk Chris Allman for 10 years. No one ever really wanted to leave Judge Crow's employment because he made us feel like family and made the workplace fun while always modeling professionalism and integrity.

Judge Crow loved lawyers. He had great respect for them and for the profession and was reluctant to criticize any attorney. Whenever I left on a family vacation, Judge Crow would give me the same advice: "Remember if you get into any trouble, just call a member of the local bar. As professions go, they are good people ready to help others." That Judge Crow truly believed this is shown by how he ran his court. He valued counsels' opinions, their time, their commitment to their clients, and their real-life struggles in keeping up their practices, never failing to give them the benefit of every reasonable doubt. He modeled civility and courtesy in the courtroom to the point that others could not help but follow his example. He charmed the jury with his sense of humor and way of putting them at ease in voir dire. Juries often commented to Brenda Wessel, Judge Crow's courtroom deputy, how they wished they worked for someone like him. He was an excellent judge — patient, courteous, and procedurally fair long before that was a thing.

Outside the courtroom, Judge Crow never failed to be an ambassador for the courts and civic responsibility. Visitors to his chambers, frequently students of all ages, received individual copies of the U.S. Constitution along with some well-chosen words about his love of the United States. Guests

never left with any doubt about his abiding respect for our country and its legal system.

Judge Crow always looked for opportunities to...