Recent Interview for Publication in Ventura County Bar Association's Citation Magazine
Karen Darnell = KD
William F. Flahavan = WFF
KD: How did you become involved with the Rutter Group?
WFF: Thirty years ago I received an invitation to have lunch with the Honorable William "Bill" Hogoboom. Judge Hogoboom was the Presiding Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court. I had no idea why Judge Hogoboom would want to come over to my office and take me to lunch. I only knew he was the person responsible for trial judge assignments. He showed up with a fellow named Steve Daitch who said he represented something called the Rutter Group. He wanted to know if I wanted to author a personal injury practice guide.
KD: What was your reaction to being invited to author the Rutter Group's Personal Injury Practice Guide?
WFF: I did everything I could to convince Judge Hogoboom and Steve Daitch that I was not the person they were looking for. At the time, I was the managing partner of a busy insurance defense law firm. My trial calendar was crowded and in those days cases actually went to trial as often as they settled. Most importantly, my wife and I had just had our third of four children and I was more interested in participating in my children's activities than becoming the next Ernest Hemmingway.
KD: What changed your mind?
WFF: I visited Linda Diamond and Bill Rutter. Bill Rutter wrote and published all of the original "Gilbert Outline Summaries" and co-founded the BAR/BRI Law Review. Bill assured me that I would be working with some of the best legal minds in the country. Linda would be my Editor. She assured me that the recipe book style of the Rutter Group would not put me in competition with Ernest Hemmingway. I realized that I was being invited to become part of a very professional organization. Now my only reservation was the feeling that I would never find the time to fulfill my part of the bargain.
KD: Did you discuss your concerns regarding time commitments?
WFF: Bill Rutter made a comment that I have come to agree with. When I expressed concern about time commitments, his response was: "Time is almost infinite." Bill had been practicing law since 1955 and had already established himself as a successful publisher. If he found time to be almost infinite, I certainly would find the time to author one little old practice guide.
KD: How long did it take to author the Personal Injury Practice Guide?
WFF: I signed the contract with the Rutter Group on March 6, 1980. The first Rutter Group Practice Guide, Civil Procedure Before Trial, was published in 1983 and the Personal Injury Practice Guide followed in 1984. Since then the Rutter Group has published an additional 15 Practice Guides.
KD: What were the challenges you faced between 1980 and 1984?
WFF: Linda told me to simply outline the activities of a personal injury attorney. Once the chapter outlines were completed, it was like writing an autobiography. Incredibly, Linda was able to make sense of the whole thing. Many of the Practice Pointers you still see in the Personal Injury Practice Guide actually resulted from mistakes I made. After the initial draft was written, the Rutter Group enlisted my co-authors.
KD: Who are your co-authors?
WFF: The Rutter Group always brings on at least one Judge. Judge William Rea was my first co-author. Shortly thereafter we made the very important addition of Dan Kelly of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly, Wecht & Schoenberger in San Francisco. When Judge Rea passed away, Justice Zerne P. Haning was added as our co-author.
KD: How was the Personal Injury Guide marketed?
WFF: The Rutter Group sponsored statewide programs highlighting certain areas of personal injury practice, e.g., settlement strategies, trial preparation, use of experts, etc. At the time, there was no mandatory continuing legal education for attorneys. Objective educational programs were rare. CEB was the only game in town. The Rutter Group recognized that a Judge's participation in these programs provided credibility. As a result, the Rutter Group put together panels of well respected attorneys, both plaintiff and defense, as well as highly respected Judges. I had the good fortune of being on all of the panels. It became clear that personal injury practitioners throughout the State were excited about the prospect of the Personal Injury Practice Guide. The materials we authored for these programs would actually be incorporated into The Personal Injury Practice Guide.
KD: Do you continue to author the annual updates?
WFF: I work closely with the Rutter Group editorial staff in preparing the annual update materials.
KD: Was Bill Rutter right when he told you that time is almost infinite?
WFF: I think his point is well taken. My involvement with the Rutter Group has had no adverse impact on my family life. My work with the Rutter Group has complimented my law practice.
KD: Why have you opened your office in Ventura County?
WFF: For many years I enjoyed practicing with my partners in West Los Angeles. However, after the other originating partners retired, I came to question why I was commuting from the West San Fernando Valley to the West Side of Los Angeles. I decided that it was time to develop a more comfortable lifestyle. In the years of teaching courses in Civil Procedure and Legal Malpractice at Ventura/Santa Barbara College of Law, I had the opportunity to become acquainted with the Ventura County Legal Community. The legal environment is more comfortable here.
KD: When do you plan to retire?
WFF: When I run out of energy. At this point, there is no retirement in sight. First of all, I continue to work closely with my son Brian who is practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. I know he would continue calling me whether I "retired" or not. My wife has owned a Montessori School for over 30 years and she has no intention of retiring. Finally, when anyone mentions the concept of retirement, I think of Bill Rutter. He graduated from law school over 50 years ago and is still going strong. I have a long way to go.
