Like father, like son in the legal profession

The legal profession in Chester County is a family affair.

Stan Lieberman, 85, a lawyer for 53 years and I looked through the Chester County Bar Association’s member directory together.

We flipped the pages of the directory while Lieberman noted all the lawyers with the same last name.

There were husbands and wives, parents and children, aunts, uncles, and siblings; each had chosen to work in the legal profession.

As a matter of fact, Lieberman’s son Marc followed in his father’s footsteps.

Dad Stan works in Exton. His practice centers on estate planning, probate, real estate and he taught real estate law. Son Marc specializes in criminal defense from his Darlington Street office, which is just a short walk away from the Chester County Justice Center.

I met with both men together.

“Maybe I set a good example?” asked dad.

“Yes, he did,” said the son, with validation, “while holding me to a high ethical standard.”

“We talk about the law cases a lot — about what’s going on with the bench,” the 85-year-old said.

“He never pushed me to do the law,” Marc said.

“If you are smart enough to be a lawyer, you’re smart enough to do something else,” Marc said his father told him. “If you want to go to law school that’s fine.”

Like his father, Marc enjoys helping people.

“When somebody comes to a lawyer they are in pain, just like with a doctor,” the criminal defense lawyer said. “We never really know what’s going to happen although we usually have a pretty good idea.”

Bill Mitman Jr. worked side-by-side with his deceased father, Bill Mitman Sr.

Mitman Jr. took a job as a police beat reporter at the Baltimore Sun newspaper but opted to attend Dickinson College Law School. He met several members of the legal profession through that job.

“Occasionally I watched in court,” Mitman said. “My father told stories to my mother about interesting things that happened.”

Bill Sr. specialized in political law and told his offspring that politics and law go hand in hand.

During the ‘70s, Mitman Jr. worked the Valley Township Sewer Authority and Downingtown meetings.

“I built my own practice but at the same time supplemented his practice,” Mitman said about his father. “He taught me how to practice law and how to be a gentleman.”

“I went to municipal meetings to see how that side of the business worked,” Mitman said.

Retired Common Pleas Judge Hon. James MacElree comes from a long line of law school graduates.

His great grandfather was Chester County District Attorney, his grandfather was a judge and his wife, uncle and aunt are all lawyers.

MacElree worked as a lawyer for 18 months, as assistant DA for nine years, as DA for 10, and for 25 years as a judge.

He lived with his grandfather while attending what was then West Chester State College and at dinner they’d discuss the law.

“I was always interested in it,” MacElree said. “I enjoyed law school very much.

“We have a lot of history in Chester County. I think my grandfather and great-grandfather would be proud.”

MacElree’s father worked in real estate and the retired judge said he’d have likely built houses if he had not pursued a legal career.

MacElree served in public service because he wanted to “make a difference and do the right things for people. I always tried to follow the law and be fair in my application of the law.”

MacElree said he could never write a book about his long career.

“I know where too many of the bodies are buried, literally and figuratively.”

There are more than a dozen other family legal connections in Chester County.

Whether or not they ever worked together, family plays a major part in the career choice for those related by blood and marriage.

It’s a family affair.

Bill Rettew Jr. is a weekly columnist and Chester County resident. He only enters a courtroom when absolutely necessary. You may contact him at brettew@dailylocal.com.