WIST Quotations

Peterson, Peter G. -- “The Morning After,” Atlantic (Oct 1987)

Dave — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 21:26:42 +0000

The future has no lobby.

Peter G. Peterson (1926-2018) American investment banker, author, politician
“The Morning After,” Atlantic (Oct 1987)
(Source)

White, Ken -- “Fault Lines” blog, Mimeslaw.com (8 Jun 2016)

Dave — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 22:28:13 +0000

Despite what Hollywood would lead you to believe, we criminal defense attorneys do not advocate lenient sentences for all wrongdoers as a matter of policy. […] Our role is to stand beside our clients, no matter who they are or what they did, and be their advocates, the one person required to plead their case and argue their interests. This is the closest our society comes to grace or humility. It’s grace because we give this support to defendants whether they deserve it by any objective measure, and it’s humility because we know the system is so capable of grave error in accusing and punishing.

Ken White (b. c. 1969) American constitutional and criminal attorney, prosecutor, blogger
“Fault Lines” blog, Mimeslaw.com (8 Jun 2016)
(Source)

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard (1734 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 19:31:25 +0000

Would you persuade, speak of Interest, not of Reason.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1734 ed.)
(Source)

Hofstadter, Richard -- “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” Herbert Spencer Lecture, Oxford (Nov 1963)

Dave — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 09:28:14 +0000

Style has to do with the way in which ideas are believed and advocated rather than with the truth or falsity of their content.

Richard Hofstadter (1916-1970) American historian and intellectual
“The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” Herbert Spencer Lecture, Oxford (Nov 1963)
(Source)

Reprinted in Harpers (Nov 1964). Often misattributed to Douglas Hofstadter.

Pepper, George Wharton -- Letter to Eugene Gerhart (1951-12-10)

Dave — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:45:33 +0000

Intellectual honesty and obvious sincerity carry more conviction than was ever accomplished by mere utterance. The advocate can make no greater mistake than to ignore or attempt to conceal the weak points in his case. The most effective strategy is at an early stage of the argument to invite attention to your weakest point before the court has discovered it, then to meet it with the best answers at your disposal, to deal with all the remaining points with equal candor, and to end with as powerful a presentation of your strongest point as you are capable of making.

George W. Pepper (1867-1961) American lawyer, law professor, politician
Letter to Eugene Gerhart (1951-12-10)
(Source)

Quoted in Gerhart, America's Advocate: Robert H. Jackson, ch. 24 (1958).