Editor’s note: following is an opinion submitted by Houston attorney Neal Manne.
I am writing to respond to recent public comments about my law firm Susman Godfrey’s enthusiastic support of our beloved partner Stephen Shackelford in his campaign for the Westport Board of Education. The comments criticize Stephen for accepting campaign contributions from his law partners who live outside Connecticut, and for raising a lot of money in his effort to get his message out to voters. These are odd complaints. Our law firm (of which I was the longtime managing partner) has 100 partners across the country, and we encourage them to engage in community service. We are proud of them when they provide pro bono (that is, free) legal services to causes they care about, like how Stephen is currently helping lead a large group of our partners (including me) in representing the American Bar Association in its constitutional challenge to the executive orders targeting law firms. We’re also proud that our partner Beatrice Franklin gave a great deal of her own time to represent a Westport soccer coach who had been dealt with unfairly.
When any of our firm’s partners run for elected office, we support them. It is irrelevant to us whether they are running as a Republican or a Democrat, and whether their community is near or far. When I, a Democrat, worked decades ago at the US Senate for a Republican Senator, I also got to know the late Republican Senator from Connecticut, Lowell Weicker. A lovely and wry man, Senator Weicker used to say that he ardently supported the First Amendment despite the fact that it guaranteed the right of crowds of Connecticut citizens to shout at him “You’re an ***hole!” Well, Stephen is one of the country’s foremost legal advocates on First Amendment issues, and now he is learning first-hand that it protects the right of others to level criticisms at him that are mean-spirited and unfair.
Five alumni of my law firm serve as judges. Three are elected judges, all originally appointed by very conservative Republican governors. Two others are federal judges, one of them nominated by President Trump. My partners and I regularly donate to (and vote for) our former partner who serves on the Texas Court of Appeals, not because all of us agree with his extremely conservative views, but because we know him to be a person of intelligence and integrity—and because he is our friend. Likewise, the list of my law firm’s partners who have donated to Stephen’s campaign include liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans.
We support Stephen not because we will agree with everything he may do on the Westport BOE, but rather because we know him to be a person of extraordinary dedication, tireless diligence, keen intellect, and unquestioned honor. We know him not just as a superb lawyer, but also as a wonderful husband and father, who wants to serve Westport for all the right reasons and to genuinely help your community. We don’t seek to influence anything in Westport other than Stephen’s ability to get his campaign message out to voters.
Political campaigns are hard when you are an insurgent candidate running against candidates who have the quiet support and assistance of an entrenched political establishment, like Stephen’s Republican opponents do in this race. But most voters are savvy. Surely Westport voters will understand that his opponents’ real unhappiness with Stephen’s fundraising is not that some of it comes from dear friends of his like me who live outside the state of Connecticut, but that it will allow him to get his message out to Westport voters.
Neal Manne
Partner, Susman Godfrey LLP
Houston, Texas
Dear Mr. Manne,
Greetings from Connecticut! I hope the weather in Houston is as nice as it is here. We are enjoying peak autumn foliage right now.
I appreciate your kind words for Mr. Shackelford and agree, he has a wonderful family. However, I have to push back on some of your statements.
I don’t think there is anything “odd” about our campaign pointing out to local voters that the majority of funds raised by all candidates (all eight of us) for the Board of Education has come from out of state Susman Godfrey attorneys.
I am also surprised by your suggestion that Westport’s Republican slate derives great benefits from “the quiet support and assistance of an entrenched political establishment.” This is not Texas. Democrats significantly outnumber Republicans in our town. Mr. Shackelford and his running mate will benefit immensely by simply having a D next to their names.
I agree that freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. Just as Mr. Shackelford is legally permitted to raise money from individuals all around the country, we as candidates are free to highlight that he did so- it’s all public information. There was nothing at all “mean-spirited” in our comments. However, there were many mean-spirited comments directed towards me and my family stemming from the sensitive local matter with which attorneys from your firm got involved.
As you’ve described at length, Susman Godfrey is very impressive and powerful. As Vice Chair of the Board of Education, I would like to know, for planning purposes, how much more money and personnel do you expect to allocate to matters related to Westport Public Schools? Is this just the beginning?
Dorie Hordon
Vice Chair, Board of Education
Westport, CT
It was confirmed last week that the unnecessary attacks by the four Republican candidates for the Board of Education on Stephen Shackelford and Jodi Harris came directly from the candidates themselves, not their campaign manager.
I was surprised by this.
They own those words. Stephen and Jodi, like all of the candidates, have stepped forward to serve their community — and they are rightly being recognized for their integrity and dedication.
The official Republican and Democratic campaigns have access to funding from their local parties — and, more importantly, to voter data that allows them to email and communicate directly with residents. Ever wonder how they get your email address? Individual candidates often struggle to access the same organizational resources and outreach tools.
This letter offers a thoughtful and accurate reflection of Stephen Shackelford’s character, and of why so many talented legal professionals are proud to donate their time and expertise in support of his public service.
The Republican candidates appear intent on creating controversy to distract from the fact that their platform offers little of substance beyond repeated references to “the curriculum.”
It does not appear that they plan to meaningfully question or hold the superintendent or administration accountable, aside from opposing SEL and making vague calls for change.
I continue to believe that the Republican criticism was deeply unfortunate.
One positive outcome from the soccer coach non-renewal hearings was the full room of Staples students who witnessed attorney Beatrice Franklin’s impressive advocacy. She volunteered significant time to represent a coach who had been treated unfairly, and her professionalism set a strong example for the students present.
It remains clear that the Republican candidates do not believe those soccer coaches were treated unfairly — a view that many in our community do not share.