My Newbie is Showing...Part 3

THE DEFENSE RESTS

Let me tell you about Larry Leventhal, a great civil rights lawyer who I have had the honor and privilege of working for since 1997. Larry entered the world in April of 1941 and left it on January 17th. He was the foremost authority on American Indian Law and Treaty rights. Others may argue that he was only in the top five. They would be wrong. Larry forgot more about American Indian Law and Treaties than any 100 attorneys could ever hope to know about the subject.
The American Indians loved him so much they bestowed upon him the name, He Whose Name Is Carried In The Wind. They recognize him as a great warrior for justice for The People. They speak of his presence at Wounded Knee with honor and respect. When the government agents cut off communications at Wounded Knee, it was Larry and Doug Hall who took the tapes past the agents to get them to the public so everyone would know what was really happening there.
Larry worked with Bill Kunstler in a 9-month trial to make sure that the Wounded Knee defendants were given a fair trial. The government was up to its usual shenanigans during the trial and to hear the tales of their misdeeds was so funny. At the time, it would not have been, but 40 years later he retold the stories at the Indian Law Conference and it was well received.
Larry is described by all who knew him as an American Hero. He was a friend to everyone. If you google his name you will find lots of stories about him. He did not shy away from the newspaper, radio or TV appearances. The cases he took on would not get any coverage unless there was an advocate like Larry to put them into perspective.
To know Larry was to know someone who truly lived in the moment. He was like the wind. He would come in on a breeze or gale, spend time with you and then leave just as rapidly. To those who called him father, Papa, brother, uncle, friend, boss, he was the best gift giver. He never showed up empty handed and at gatherings, he always picked up the check. And some of his best friends were also those who had notable names either locally or nationally. Yes, he was the attorney for Shabazz, and Wounded Knee defendants, but he also represented many others whose names or causes you would not recognize. He was so humble about his wins. He never said he lost, he only ran out of time.
From his personal side, he would do things that were a bit unusual just because he had to. If he felt like running on the beach, he would. And did not care that he was wearing burmuda shorts, black socks and black wingtop leather shoes for this run. If his frequent flyer miles were expiring, he would make a quick trip to visit friends in Alaska or Hawaii, and it did not matter that he had to wing it back home 48 hours later. He would show up, live strong and fast and wing it on to the next adventure.
Another thing about Larry is that he was an adamant Democrat/liberal and I am an adamant Republican/conservative. We had good debates, believe me. His favorite thing was when Democrats were in office because he would get phone calls from vice presidents and invitations to go to inaugurations. His invitation to this last inauguration must have gotten lost in the mail.
I just want you all to get how outside the box his thinking was. He knew that if the DAPL focused on environmental rights and water rights, it would all get trashed by government agencies. He brought it back to treaty rights. We know that DAPL worked without permits and were hurting real people without remorse. The police needed an excuse to protect the people and not the machines. I hope Larry’s work made that happen.
Larry’s most amazing talent is that he used to be able to do five things while driving. He could read a brief, drink coffee, play with the radio, drive the thing and talk on the phone. It was amazing. Sitting in the passenger seat was often like a Disney ride, you know the one, where you go from 0 to 60 with Aerosmith blaring in your ears.
So now you know Larry as a man of tenancity, one who cared about justice and experienced life with an urgency and energy that was unparalleled. I know he is in a better place and that he can now experience the peace and restful sleep that he never had enough time to do in life.
At the end of his life, Larry would probably have said: The Defense Rests.