Law Commons^™

Judge (A Tribute To Judge Frank M. Coffin), J. Peter Byrne

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Becoming Judge Coffin's law clerk must be the most fortunate of conclusions to a legal education. His judicial craftsmanship sets a standard for thoughtful professionalism that a young lawyer can never outgrow. In those salt-scented and book-lined chambers, briefs were painstakingly and critically read, precedents and statutes honestly interpreted and challenged to yield just results, opinions written and rewritten to convey the significance of a small distinction or the applicability of a large principle.