Clement, Stansell 1998-07-07

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Stansell Clement discusses how he became a lawyer without attending law school and practicing longer than the Texas State Bar has existed.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Stansell Clement

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: July 7, 1998

Location: Lamesa, Texas

Interviewer: Gene B. Preuss

Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes


Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Clement, Stansell, Born: September 27, 1907 in Decatur, Texas, Raised near Wellington, Texas, Parents: E. C. Clement and wife--farmers, Wayland Baptist University, Taught school to earn money for law school--4 years, District Clerk--Childress County, Texas, Step to becoming a lawyer, Bar Exam, 24 subjects, 16 papers, March 1936--passed 13 papers, October 1936--retook the papers failed and passed them, December 1936--sworn in as an attorney, Depression Era, Grew good crops, but you could not get the right amount of money for them, School would get out early so the school children could pull cotton, Marriage (between his 3rd and 4th year of teaching), Childress County Courthouse, Basketball in the 1920s, County Judge--January 1939, 1936-1939, Worked as a clerk as an attorney, Works Progress Administration, Public Works Administration, No courthouse where he was a judge, Problems as County Judge, Times were difficult, Rural community--livestock extermination, Dawson County, Needed a place he could make money practicing law, Lamesa, Texas--1941, Employees with his office, Served on Juvenile Board--22 years, Community service

Tape 1, Side 2: Work, Trial work--probate wills, Office work--deeds; oil and gas leases; trusts; contracts, Hasn't done trial work since 1984, First National Bank: Lamesa, Texas, Has never gone broke (1905), Reasons he still works, Law practice: Lamesa, Texas, Civil law, District Attorney, Some criminal law, Cases, West Texas lawyers, Changed over the years, Characteristics, 1969--lot of water ran under the bridge, Specialization--ruined the profession, Law Practice (again), Set-up own practice, Bar Association, Has had license longer than the state bar has existed, President 106th judicial district, Texas Tech University law school--impact, District Attorney (again), Women in law, Didn't know any in 1941, Has been some, Couldn't serve on juries, Legal professionals: Lamesa, Texas, Work well together, Prices--cost of attorneys, Inflated, World War II, 34 years old, Served 18 or 19 months, Out when the war was over, Pearl Harbor, bombing, Son, a plastic surgeon, Travel destinations, Pearl Harbor, bombing (again), Roosevelt, Franklin (President), Opinions, Hoover, Herbert (President), Opinions, Dust storms--1936, Description, Change in practice, Liberal, Duties, then, Discourage litigation, Advertising, Public Opinion of Attorneys, Caused by attorneys, Advertising, Practice, Legal professionals: Lamesa, Texas (again), Opinion, Memorable Cases, District Attorney

Tape 2, Side 1: Memorable cases (continued), Right to representation, How lawyers could get back good reputations, Advice for upcoming lawyers, You can be honest and practice law, Influences, Advice, County Judge (again), Cases tried, Bootleggers, Future of law, Children, Daughter: Patricia Ransom, Son: Robert L. Clement (again), Comments, Wife, Lillie Crawford, from Childress County, Celebrate 65th wedding anniversary, She was on the Childress high school basketball team, where he taught school, 8 years younger than Stansell, World War II (again), Military Service, Army Air Corps, Typist for headquarters, Playing golf, Son (again), Country club (only liked the golf), $75 a month dues, Clement, W. T., Texas Tech University dormitory named for him, Wayland Baptist University (again), Plainview, Texas, Minor--English, Major--History

Tape 2, Side 2: Blank

Range Dates: 1907-1998

Bulk Dates: 1936-1998


Access Information

Original Recording Format:

Recording Format Notes:

Transcript:



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