Private law practice

January 1980 - May 1990

Carried on sole general practice, with concentration on "people's" law: criminal defense, debt and contract, residential real estate, dissolution of marriage, and landlord/tenant. Planned and executed investigations, prepared pleadings, argued motions, tried cases to the jury and to the court, heard civil claims as a commissioner and as a court-appointed arbitrator, negotiated settlements, briefed and argued appeals, examined titles, drafted deeds, agreements, trusts, and testamentary instruments, and performed all clerical and secretarial tasks, using computerized forms of my own design. My peers give me favorable ratings in the Martindale-Hubbell directory.