Irv Slate
Irv Slate, a Granite City attorney specializing in state, local and municipal law, chats casually with the Record.
If I were not a lawyer, I would be ... retired because no one permits their employees to work the flexible schedule that is so attractive to a "senior" (and essential for me).
My hero in the law profession (or one whom I deeply respect) is...most respected all around -- the late Arno
Becht -- Wash U professor. Most able lawyer -- Gary Peel.
The most memorable moment of my career occurred when... when I found I had passed the bar. Second place: Almost any case that terminated, whether by trial or settlement, with an optimum result for my client.
The state of Illinois is headed in the a) right direction; or b) wrong direction... right direction, so long as leaders continue to emphasize education and healthcare, and avoid the inane debates so common in D.C.
If I could give the President of the United States one piece of advice it would be... Hire (and heed advice of) some wise people who understand the aspirations of the middle class and the needs of the underprivileged.
Character traits in people that I admire include...Sincerity and compassion.
My favorite sports teams are... Cardinals. I grew up admiring them and still enjoy baseball.
The most scenic stretch of highway I've traveled in America...Northwest Arkansas.
A "must read" publication for me is... Jim Hightower's "Lowdown," Post-Dispatch's sports page, any opinion piece by Molly Ivins, and Decatur News editorials.
Spare time is spent...At Edwardsville Y Fitness Center, reading novels, attending live theater performances -- Alton Little Theater, Looking Glass, St. Louis Rep, SIU-E, Fox.
My family includes...my very patient wife Anne; two adult children, Betsy, general counsel for Dallas Housing Authority and Bob, editorial writer for Decatur News; and five wonderful grandchildren; and my indefatigable 88-year-old mother, Becky.