Legendary Celebrity Trial Lawyer Nate Cohn Dies at 91
Nate Cohn, a legendary California trial lawyer known for his longtime celebrity practice, photographic memory, sense of style and joie de vivre has died at the age of 91.
The son of a man who operated circuses and carnivals, Cohn represented individuals ranging from celebrities including Duke Ellington to ordinary criminal defendants. He become as well-known around town as his high-profile clients and saw his courtroom role as an actor performing in a theater, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Often, other lawyers attended to watch the drama.
“My father always told me, ‘If you can’t be a millionaire, live like one,’ ” he recalled before his death.
Cohn was in practice for more than 53 years and sometimes handled 50 trials annually, seldom relying on notes due to his brilliant memory. A shipyard worker, among other pre-law gigs, who had only a “slight brush” with college, the newspaper reports, he went to night law school and found his true vocation only after World War II, when an attorney suggested that he give the legal profession a try.
He was close to 30 years old when he passed the bar in 1947 and opened his own law firm.
For more details about Cohn’s career and family, read the full article. His funeral will be held Friday.
