Attorney to the Stars Says It’s His Pro Bono That’s Most Exciting

[b]Attorney to the Stars Says It’s His Pro Bono That’s Most Exciting[/b] By Mike McKee When he had the chance, Thomas Mesereau Jr. didn’t brag about his successes in defending pop star Michael Jackson or former television actor Robert Blake. Instead, he talked about the joys of doing pro bono work. The partner from Los Angeles-based Collins, Mesereau, Reddock & Yu was the featured speaker on June 6 at the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s 52nd annual California Supreme Court luncheon, and regaled the huge crowd at the swanky Beverly Hills Hotel with stories about doing pro bono work in the ghettos of L.A. and on death row in Mississippi. “I have never had more exciting times than in pro bono,” Mesereau, famed for his long white hair, said. In fact, he noted, he wound up on the Jackson and Blake cases through people he met while doing pro bono work. “The value in this kind of work is not just in the people you help,” Mesereau said. “You help yourself as a lawyer.” Pro bono work, he insisted, helps heal the soul. Attorneys who handle pro bono and public interest law, he added, have a sparkle about them — better spirits and a better approach to their work. And that, Mesereau said, can spill over into everyday work in the courts. Having a good character, valuing your client and just being a nice person all around makes jurors like you more, he said. “You can use that to your advantage every single time.” Source: http://www.nylawyer.com/display.php/file=/probono/news/06/061206b