Volume 157, No.

183

Monday, September 19, 2011

Amicus Curious

Argentar gives his career a rebirth

By Patrick Yeagle
Law Bulletin staff writer

SPRINGFIELD David S. Argentar said he left the practice of law in 2009 because of unprofessionalism, but the attorney of 17 years returned to combat the very issues that drove him away. Argentar, 42, started in August as deputy director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. The commission began in 2005 and celebrates its fifth anniversary at the end of the month. Argentar said he originally wanted to be an attorney because it was a good fit for his talents of writing and crafting arguments, but he also wanted to make a difference. When I explained to my daughters what a lawyer is, I told them I help people, Argentar said. Argentar lives in Chicagos Roscoe Village neighborhood with his wife, Kathy, and two daughters, Amy, 12, and Camille, 11. He said his claim to fame is his 1998 victory on the Jeopardy! TV game show. A 1993 graduate of Northwestern University School of Law, Argentar said he spent his entire law career as a commercial litigator. He worked at Robbins, Salomon & Patt Ltd. from 1993 until about 1999, then moved to Mandell, Menkes & Surdyk LLC, now known as Mandell, Menkes LLC. He started at Chuhak & Tecson P .C. around 2001, he said, but the unprofessional attitudes of some attorneys he faced in court started to wear on him. What got me down after awhile was the constant barrage of what I saw as incivility, pettiness and almost juvenile behavior amongst some attorneys, Argentar said. I dont want to paint with too broad a brush, because I worked with and against plenty of talented attorneys who were also very good people. But after a number of years, it reached a point where I looked ahead and said, I cant tolerate that much negative energy in my life. It was affecting my life overall, so I left. Argentar said he spent about two years as a freelance writer and copy editor for various publications. Although Argentar said he didnt miss the negativity, he felt sad about leaving the practice.

David S. Argentar It made me sad that this profession that I had spent 17 years engaged in, plus three years of hard work and student loans pursuing, reached a point where it drove me out, Argentar said. When Argentar heard about the opportunity to work with the Commission on Professionalism, he said he saw it as a way to address the issue of unprofessionalism and to feel like I hadnt abandoned the profession. Argentar started in August with the commission, where he focuses on outreach initiatives like blogging, a new statewide lawyer-to-lawyer mentoring program and collaboration with law schools to reach new students. Argentar said professionalism goes beyond simple civility and ethics. He said lawyers are more likely than the general public to experience depression and substance abuse, so the commission works to address general well-being. The generational gap between senior lawyers and new attorneys also means a major difference in how they conduct business, he said. The commission looks to bridge the gap through the

Copyright 2012 Law Bulletin Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Publishing Company.

new mentoring program, which started in June, he said. Its exciting because its an opportunity to inculcate, among the next generation of attorneys, the highest values and aspirations of the legal profession, Argentar said. Gordon B. Nash Jr., chairman of the Commission on Professionalism, said Argentar is a good fit for the commission because he has real-world experience as an attorney and strong communication skills. Thats going to be really important in terms of getting our message out effectively, Nash said. He said Argentar is a good measure of the professionalism the commission wants to encourage in other attorneys. Were talking about lawyers who are strong advocates for their clients but civil in their approach to the law, Nash said. Being nasty is not part of being a lawyer. Being tough and being a solid advocate is certainly part of good lawyering, but being

nasty or a jerk is not part of that. Jayne Rizzo Reardon, the commissions executive director, said Argentars previous work as a practicing attorney gives him insight to the issues of professionalism faced by lawyers today. The breadth of his experience makes him familiar with practice in a whole lot of settings, she said. He knows what its like because he has practiced out there. Reardon said Argentar also brings a very rare combination of skill and passion to the commission. He is very passionate about his desire to give back and do something positive for the profession, Reardon said. Its very clear that he loves being a lawyer and cares about the profession. Reardon said some of Argentars references for the job came from attorneys he faced in court. He holds a reputation as an incredibly awesome advocate for his clients, Reardon said.

I can see that already, as he uses those persuasive oral and written skills in his work here, she said. Attorney James R. Pranger, a partner at Peter J. Latz & Associates LLC in Oak Park, worked with Argentar at Chuhak & Tecson. Pranger called Argentar a terrific lawyer of the highest order. Dave brings certain characteristics to the table that we take very seriously in the law, Pranger said. In litigation, certain lawyers will travel the high road and some may not always do that. I saw that Dave always takes the high road. Pranger said Argentar genuinely cares about the law and about people. He has a level of compassion you dont always see, Pranger said. Really good lawyers have that, but not every lawyer does. He also has a voracious curiosity to understand the issues and particular challenges in front of him. Those things in combination really set him apart.

Copyright 2012 Law Bulletin Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Publishing Company.