Federal Judiciary

East Texas lawyer's kidney switches sides in litigation

By Michael C. Smith

This month's Baylor magazine had a short article about something that I think exemplifies (well, in a pretty extreme way, admittedly) the way counsel on opposite sides of the courtroom get along in East Texas. 
In February of this year, Baylor Law grad Keith Langston (JD '01) donated a kidney to fellow BU law grad Scott Skelton (JD '92 - a very good year, I might add) after Scott suffered kidney failure.  Scott and Keith both practice in East Texas, and know each other well - they've actually been opposite each other in over 4,000 cases over the past five years.  (No word yet on whether the procedure gives rise to a conflict, whether TTLA and TADC have worked out membership exceptions to cover this sort of thing, or whether this was really just part of a very intensely negotiated settlement agreement).
Both have been organ donors for many years, but plan on working together to get the word out about live donation.  Keith points out that the entire waiting list for kidney donors could be taken care of through live donation, a procedure that requires only about a week's worth of time from the donor.  Oh, yes, and a kidney.
And no, this isn't something you can get your local counsel to do for you.

Full post as published by Eastern District of Texas Federal Court Practice on June 11, 2009 (boomark / email).