Publication Date
1967
Abstract
Before putting pen to paper I asked two men who have worked closely with Elbert Tuttle how, in a word, they would describe his outstanding quality. One of the men is the Deputy Clerk of Court for the Fifth Circuit; the other is a member of our court. The overburdened Deputy Clerk somehow remembered that Judge Tuttle's first opinion concerned electric motors. He hesitated a moment, then answered, "Judge Tuttle's been going like an electric motor ever since his first opinion back in October 1954." Our brother judge did not hesitate. "I can give it to you in one word: integrity." Each of these answers correctly characterizes Judge Elbert Parr Tuttle.
The motor has never run down. Year after year, Judge Tuttle sits more often and writes more opinions than any other judge on the court. What is more, no other judge on the court allows himself as short a lapse of time between the post-argument conference, when an appellate case is tentatively decided, and the final draft of the opinion. No one should infer, however, that the high speed at which Judge Tuttle works affects the quality of his judicial craftsmanship. Llewellyn would say that Judge Tuttle's decisions are in the Grand Style: They reflect respect for precedent and legal tradition, but they are guided by reason and principle. Judge Tuttle writes lean, strong English. He has a purist's feeling for the right word and correct syntax, and a good newspaperman's discriminating eye for the significant details and how to place them in logical order.
Recommended Citation
Wisdom, John M.
(1967)
"Chief Judge Tuttle and the Fifth Circuit,"
Georgia Law Review: Vol. 2:
No.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/glr/vol2/iss1/3