Jack Daniel, justice worker

I am proud and grateful to count myself among the many who have co-counseled with Jack, and who have been the benefactors of his friendship, creativity, wit, wisdom, and generous encouragement.

Some lessons he taught through his example, that I aspire to:
-To choose action over perfection
-To value imperfection as its own perfection - more than once, Jack counseled me of other cultures' traditions of purposefully leaving an "imperfection" in a work of art; similarly, he counseled, if there were a stray error in that brief heading to federal court, that might only add to its ultimate value
-To treasure the creative force of the young, and to surround oneself with youthful energy
-To create: to write poems, file lawsuits, seek out music, to speak the truth, to be ornery, to be loyal
-That big problems are not really big problems - which is to say, lawyers and clients can take action to call attention to big problems, and trust that the fight will make a difference
-That friendship is a gift to be treasured - for no other reason than that it is friendship

Jack, you were a true friend, support and inspiration, and I will miss you. I hope that it may be a comfort to Mary and all of your family to know this community's appreciation for you.

-Stephanie Haffner

From Kyra

I was lucky to have co-counseled with Jack on a case against the State Department of Ed six or seven years back. Calling himself "a recovering Texan," he added much-needed insight, levity, and can-do-it-ness to the litigation effort by doing stuff like whipping up a draft TRO overnight (yes it suffered much editing by moi), regaling us (modestly) with his numerous former legal battles, giving folksy and sage advice, and quoting all manner of folk in his emails (like Neruda, Dylan, Langston Hughes, Townes Van Zandt, Curtis Mayfield, and...himself). Among some of of the gems I found this week in my emails: in response to my bitching about opposing counsel trying to give me litigation "tips," Jack said, "ask if he is a certified MCLE provider so you can get a 'MCLE minute' out of the conversation--they build up slowly at 1st but over the years I have hours & hours of it." Jack could really deliver a compliment and I always felt so honored when he delivered one to me. I think it was because he was always the one that actually deserved the compliment. For instance. He reported that as a young Catholic boy he was told that he could avoid committing sin by avoiding scenarios and people that could tempt. He decided that this made sense, and said that "now I avoid the near occasions of cowardice & stupidity [to both of which I am prone by nature] by being sure that when I am litigation, I am surrounded by brave and smart folks." No, Jack, we were fortunate to be in your brave and smart company and we're muchly (ala Jack) the closer to vice and failure in our efforts without it now.

You, with the flashy, unmatched clothes,
You, with the toothless grin,
You, with the intoxicating name,
You, without any pretense,
You, who always said it as it was,
You, who would take on anybody,
You, who kept me honest,
You, who took the less travelled way,
You, who fought with the poor,
You, who inspired new activists,
You, who made law a tool of the oppressed,
You, who defined a justice we need,
You, my friend, I will keep in who I am.

Rollie Smith

From Mona Tawatao

There is much I could share about my memories of Jack, but I'll just keep it to a couple of things. On my bulletin board next to my desk is the following quote, which I copied from one of Jack's e-mails: "An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody will see it." Many times, I have relied on it as a moral compass and inspiration, much as I relied on Jack and his work to guide me. Another memory: in our race equity project presentations, we often use a slide that contains a passage that is entirely intelligible though every word is misspelled to illustrate the point that our brains read words as units and in a context rather than letter by letter. When we first showed the slide to Jack during a presentation, he exclaimed in his Texas drawl, "Hell, that looks like one of my e-mails." The whole room burst out laughing, especially those familiar with the fact that Jack had apparently never heard of spell check.

We'll miss you and will fight on in your memory, Jack.

That Jack Daniel lived proves there are gods and they are among us

For a time, Jack added the following to the signature block on his e-mails: "R.I.P. Max Roach, genius, percussionist, civil rights leader, teacher, mentor, innovator & epic hero. That Max Roach lived proves there are gods and they are among us."

While I'm sure he would cringe to have me write this, "that Jack Daniel lived proves there are gods and they are among us."

The world is a much poorer place for his absence.

Michael Allen, Relman & Dane, PLLC (and one of hundreds who learned at Jack's feet)

Firecracker Jack

I first met Jack when I worked at the Stanford Criminal Justice Center, evaluating Fresno's Juvenile Behavioral Health Court. I traveled from the Bay Area to Fresno on a regular basis to observe the court, interview youth and their guardians, and chat with all the doctors, lawyers, probation officers, and counselors involved. I always looked forward to seeing Jack. While we waited for others to arrive, we'd shoot the shit and trade Texas stories. I loved it when he wore his silly Texas tie. What a way to dress up for court!

Jack made an immediate impression on me, even in the short time I knew him there. Everyone was quick to point out that Jack worked for the court for free when the court couldn't afford to pay for an education advocate. He talked to me about the importance of knowing a system from all sides and not getting too stuck in one role. He also talked a lot about resources in rural counties and the ways that youth were not always served well. I knew he'd done a lot, but I still hear about more and more ways that he pushed the system.

I also immediately idolized Jack, as I'm sure many young attorneys do. In my next job interview after the evaluation (for a rural outreach position), I mentioned Jack and what he'd shared about the importance of trying different jobs and different roles. Little did I know how well Jack is known--the Executive Director interviewing me said, "Oh, I love Jack! He's awesome!"

For that job and my current job, I also have traveled to Fresno, and I looked forward to stopping by Jack's office to bug him. Jack returned the favor by harassing my group of Bay Area law student volunteers back in March. I would expect nothing less from him.

I'll really miss him.

Salena

My friend Jack

First, I would like to send my condolences and warm prayers to Jack's Family and Thank You for letting us have him for so long.

I met Jack here at CCLS about 3 years ago he has been a great pleasure to work with, he is always eager to help everyone. When it came to his work he was UNTOUCHABLE and his sense of humor and outlook on life was just amazing. (Jack is shown here with Gregg showing off his new hat.) I can only imagine how many people he called "kiddo" but I enjoyed it and it always brought a smile to my face when he would say "hey, kiddo how are you?". One can only strive to be the great one but in my book he is the "Great One".

Jack may GOD bless you and your family and just like the country song "Holes in the Floor of Heaven", I know you are watching us and We Miss you greatly

--Your Friend Always Rosie a.k.a "Kiddo"