Fast Eddie, Let's Shoot Some Pool
One of my favorite movie scenes was in The Hustler. Fast Eddie Felson (played by Paul Newman) is a young pool shark who takes on the legendary Minnesota Fats (played by Jackie Gleason) in a high-stakes game of pool. They play for 30 straight hours – drinking straight whiskey throughout – at which point Fast Eddie is beating Fats pretty good.
After the 30 or so hours, Fats and Fast Eddie take a short break. Fast Eddie spends his time slumped on a chair, looking dog-tired (and drunk) with his clothes ruffled and his hair a mess. In the background, the viewer sees Minnesota Fats in the bathroom. Fats is washing his face, cleaning his fingernails, combing his hair, straightening his tie, and repining the flower on the lapel of his pin-stripe suit. Fats then leaves the bathroom looking fresh as a daisy, smiles and says, “Fast Eddie, let’s shoot some pool.” At that moment, the viewers (and Fast Eddie) realize that Fats is legendary because he can play for 30 straight hours, freshen-up, forget about what had already transpired, and be ready to play another 30 hours, or however long it takes, to claim victory.
As part of my trial persona, I take a page out of Fats’ book. A trial is a live performance, where you know only half of what your witnesses’ testimony will be in advance, i.e., their testimony on direct. Trials often go on for days, weeks or months depending on the complexity of the case and the court’s schedule. There will be ups and downs, long days and short nights, good and bad facts, favorable and unfavorable rulings from the court, and all the rest. And, make no mistake, it is a competition. Two teams, plaintiff and defendant, fighting it out in public, according to the rules of our justice system. Much is demanded of the participants. Stamina, focus, ability to concentrate, and ability to handle stress are all tested, sometimes to the limit.
Armed with this knowledge, I do everything within my power to acclimate both clients and witnesses to the rigors of trial well in advance of day one. This means, among other things, that serious attention must be paid to proper nutrition, and sleep and time management immediately prior to and during a trial.
As an admitted fitness nut, and former athlete, I seem to be “wired right” for trial work. So, I make it a point to put my client and myself in the same position as Fats leaving that bathroom (without the drinking) – looking good, feeling confident, hyper-focused on the task at hand, and ready to go all day and night if necessary.
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