This may be old news to some, but it bears highlighting.  Well known liar, philanderer, ambulance-chaser, former Senator, 2008 presidential aspirant, and federal indictee John Edwards has again hung out his shingle in Raleigh, this time with former UNC classmate and partner David Kirby, Edwards’ older daughter, Cate Edwards, and a few others.  The former vice-presidential candidate (Kerry/Edwards, 2004) should do well, bringing to the practice the distinction of being a lawyer who has been on both sides of the litigation fence, having been indicted himself on six felony counts of campaign law violations.  (Yep, he skated on all six counts.)

The New York Times online financial news service Dealbook ran a flattering article on 11/18/2013 publicizing his return to the practice of law.  An excerpt:

Before entering politics, Mr. Edwards earned a fortune as a plaintiffs’ lawyer, casting himself as the champion of the little guy. He focused on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, obtaining multiple multimillion-dollar verdicts from doctors, hospitals, and corporations.

I’ll say.  Just two of the milestones in that journey toward fame, fortune, and infamy:

In the mid-eighties, Edwards represented a mother and child in a medical malpractice case that was settled for over $4-million dollars.  The mother’s physician chose to have the child born naturally, even though there were signs of fetal distress that may have caused some doctors to opt for a C-section.  When the child developed cerebral palsy, Edwards argued that it was the fault of the physician and the hospital.  His success in winning this award established the precedent in NC law that medical practitioners are responsible for making sure that a patient fully comprehends the medical risks associated with any medical procedures they perform.  This single case is thought by many to be a substantial causative factor in the increased incidence of Caesarean births over the last two decades.

In the mid-nineties, Edwards status as a medical malpractice attorney peaked with the suit against Sta-Rite, a company that manufactured swimming pool drains.  When a little girl suffered permanent injury to her intestinal tract after sitting on a Sta-Rite drain from which the cover had been removed by other swimmers, Edwards sued on behalf of the family and hit the jackpot with a jury award of $25-million.  Fellow trail lawyers hailed his lengthy closing argument, in which he invoked the tragedy of his own teenaged son’s death in a car accident just weeks earlier, as brilliant.

After collecting his 30% on roughly $60-million in damage awards during his first legal career, Edwards turned to public service, and the rest, as they say, is history.  What a guy.