How will they describe your trial advocacy skills?

“He was extremely well-prepared, a very polished, professional lawyer and exceedingly confident.”

This was how District Attorney Ed Grannis described the loss of criminal defense attorney Kirk Osborn.  Osborn, who was defending one of the Duke Lacrosse players accused of sexual assault, passed away Sunday evening after suffering a massive heart attack Friday.

Here’s what Coy Brewer, a former Superior Court judge who had presided over cases defended by Osborn, had to say:  “He was a trial lawyer capable of trying the biggest cases for the highest stakes and at the highest level of advocacy.”

The family of his Duke Lacrosse client said, “He is an example of what a lawyer should be.”
When I read those quotations from an article in The Fayetteville Observer, I took a moment to reflect and ask myself some serious questions.  “What will they say about me when I’m gone?”  “How will clients, judges, and opponents describe me?”

Osborn was highly regarded not only by his clients, but by the judges he practiced in front of and the opponents he faced in court.  I never had the privilege of meeting Mr. Osborn, but it sounds like he left behind a legacy of professionalism, hard work, and dedication to his clients.  My condolences to his family and friends.