Frank Lorson: A remembrance
on Jan 16, 2013 at 3:04 pm
As we reported on Sunday, Frank Lorson – who retired in 2002 as the Chief Deputy Clerk of the Supreme Court – died on Friday. During his twenty-plus years in that position, Lorson was an invaluable and unflappable asset at the Court, as illustrated by this brief tribute from Emily Spadoni, who for many years served as the chief contact between the Office of the Solicitor General and the Clerk’s Office.
I worked closely with Frank from 1992 until his retirement in 2002. But, it was the fall 1992, after I was hired to fill the position of Legal Administrative Assistant, Office of the Solicitor General, on short order, where my memory takes me. I was fortunate. The master of the Court’s practice and procedure was always available by way of a special phone on my desk. The phone was referred to as the “hot line.” It was a direct line to Frank. All I had to do was pick up the receiver, and Frank was on the other end ready to answer any question on the Court’s practice and procedure. During that first year, Frank was my lifeline, someone I could rely on to counsel and guide me through any crisis while remaining neutral and impartial. Although, over the years, I learned a great deal from Frank in the technical area, it is his patience, decency, politeness, and courtesy that I’ll always treasure the most.
