The Best Of The Bar

One of the dangers of advancing age is googling people from my past and finding out that they have passed.

When I was a young attorney learning the ropes of criminal defense, I had the good fortune to have a number of cases where the co-defendant was represented by an experienced attorney named William Garber.

This case got three votes for certiorari (one short if you are counting).

Bill was a lawyer’s lawyer and I viewed him as a role model and mentor. 

I was saddened to see that he had died in November 2018 and saw this tribute

William J. Garber, a prominent District of Columbia attorney, died peacefully at the Sunrise Retirement Home in Springfield, VA, on November 20, 2018, at the age of 90. Mr. Garber, an only child, was born on April 2, 1928, in Philadelphia, PA , to Hallie and Etta Garber. Mr. Garber was predeceased by his beloved wife, Lucy Garber, who died in 1994. They had no children.

After moving to Washington, DC, Mr. Garber graduated from Eastern High School in 1946 and later attended American University. He received his law degree from the National University School of Law, which was absorbed by George Washington University. Mr. Garber was admitted to the D.C. Bar in 1952 and was a member in good standing until his retirement in 2017. During his 65 years at the Bar, Mr. Garber focused almost exclusively on criminal law. He tried more than 1,000 jury trials, mostly serious federal felony cases, including murders, multi-defendant drug trafficking cases, and major fraud prosecutions. In his early years he tried eight capital murder cases and never lost a client to the death penalty. Mr. Garber, who had an engaging and jovial personality and who was a raconteur par excellence, readily developed a warm and disarming rapport with jurors that enabled him to win many “unwinnable” trials. Upon learning of Mr. Garber’s death, Federal Public Defender A.J. Kramer commented: “Bill was an incredible lawyer, who was not afraid to try any kind of case. He also was a wonderful person, and a great storyteller about the old days. Everyone knew and respected him immensely. He truly made our lives better and will be missed terribly.” In addition to his outstanding success at the trial level, Mr. Garber was an extremely effective appellate attorney. He argued numerous cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the D.C. Court of Appeals, as well as arguing a search and seizure case before the Supreme Court.

Over the years, Mr. Garber established for himself a stellar and impeccable reputation among judges, prosecutors, and fellow criminal lawyers. He was universally regarded as a highly-skilled, trustworthy, and dedicated advocate who fought tirelessly for his clients in the highest traditions of the Bar. He was known in his later years as “the Dean of the Trial Bar.” As former Chief Judge Thomas Hogan summed up in his letter to Mr. Garber in 2017 congratulating him on his retirement: “We miss seeing you here at District Court. Your work and help on so many cases was invaluable and always the best.”

Mr. Garber’s dedication to the Bar and his many legal accomplishments during his 65 years of practice were acknowledged in 2013 when the Council for Court Excellence awarded him the Justice Potter Stewart Award “to recognize exemplary work that has contributed significantly to CCE’s mission to enhance justice in the District of Columbia.” Also, Mr. Garber was the recipient of the District of Columbia Defense Lawyers Lifetime Achievement Award.

His tribute reads in part:

During a long and distinguished career before the Courts of the District of Columbia, Mr. Garber has endeavored to preserve the very basic protections in our society which were long ago enshrined in our Constitution and still stand as the foundation of our Nation.

An avid student of history, Mr. Garber was especially interested in the Civil War and enjoyed reading about the war and visiting battle sites. He often noted that the initial “J” for his middle name stood for “Jackson,” and that he was a direct descendant of Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, who served under General Robert E. Lee. Mr. Garber also was interested in Second Amendment jurisprudence and was a marksman himself, and a life member of the National Rifle Association. Mr. Garber and his wife Lucy were active and devoted members of the Providence Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, VA, where Mr. Garber served as a Deacon for many years.

My eternal thanks to this fine attorney and person. (Mike Frisch)