August 17, 2011 •
John Dean and the Ultimate Ethical Dilemma
John Dean spoke at the Watergate CLE for the Ohio State Bar Association.
I do have a manual typewriter. I will not throw it away because I used to type a lot of articles.
I wanted to bring out that manual typewriter today after I heard John Dean speak at the Watergate CLE for the Ohio State Bar Association today. And, HBO recently showed All the President’s Men where we could see Woodward and Bernstein hammering on their Washington Post Royal typewriters. Today, I am opting to just use the courier font on my laptop!
John Dean was disbarred because of his involvement in Watergate and he has never considered requesting reinstatement. However, he is teaching continuing legal education courses on a lawyer’s obligations when a client engages in crime.
I am a product of Watergate having been a journalism student in the 70s and State and Federal Communications owes its existence to what happened at that time.
Dean pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice for his role in the Watergate cover-up and believes his experience is instructive.
I did get a chance to ask him if Watergate was an albatross around his neck. He had been an investment banker and retired when he was 60. (He is now 72.) He said he did not spend his life wallowing in Watergate. He returned to business school and had a lucrative career as an investment banker. He has written a number of books, including:
1. Blind Ambition—now autographed and on my bookshelf;
2. Warren G. Harding;
3. Conservatives without Conscience; and
4. Worse than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush.
John Dean was born in Akron, Ohio and holds a BA from the College of Wooster. He is still married to Maureen “Mo” Dean and lives in Beverly Hills, California.
Today’s program was amazing. We met a man who affected history and wanted to share with us the ultimate ethical dilemma. He is going on the road with this four-hour program, which basically focuses on June 16, 17, and 18, 1972.
May 3, 2011 •
See Us in Person in Columbus
State and Federal Communications will be attending the Ohio Bar Association’s Annual Convention from May 4-6.
We would love to see you! Come visit us at booth #5 in the exhibit hall, right next to the voter registration. Or, chat with some of us in the OSBA conference classes Wednesday evening, Thursday, and Friday morning.
Here is a link to the event.
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