文/ Tracy Schorn
2017年4月3日
With members in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, the D.C. 酒吧 is beginning a regular feature to profile the people who make up our community. Read about your peers, their lives, and their work around the world.
丹尼斯·W. Archer是密歇根州底特律市Dickinson Wright plc的名誉主席，一直是D .的成员.C. 1972年成为澳博app. He served two terms as mayor of Detroit from 1994 to 2001, 1986年到1990年, he was an associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.
你一直是民主党的一员.C. 从1972年开始当澳博app，所以你是创始成员之一. As a lifelong Michigan resident, do you recollect why you joined the D.C. 酒吧?
我一直对你的D印象深刻.C. 酒吧领导，警官，澳博app，还有你的员工. 1970年6月11日，我开始从事法律工作. It seemed to me if the opportunity came along to interact with outstanding lawyers, it would be a benefit and I would learn a lot—and I have.
我和很多美国澳博app协会和国家澳博app协会的澳博app一起工作过.C. 酒吧里的成员. The staff has been very generous in helping those whose offices are not in D.C.
You were the first African American ABA president (2003–2004), and last summer you received the association’s highest honor, 美国澳博app协会奖章, 特别杰出的服务. Of particular note has been your work mentoring new lawyers. What advice would you give those just entering the profession?
There are two lawyers who impacted my life and how I practice law. The first was my law professor at the Detroit College of Law, Donald Campbell. 毕业前, 他把我拉到一边，告诉我他在福特汽车公司法律总顾问办公室的办公室需要任何符合他们资格的澳博app. I worked in their office for the summer on Professor Campbell’s recommendation.
他还告诉我，他注意到一些黑人毕业生在金刚狼澳博app协会(Wolverine 酒吧 Association)很活跃, our local bar that was predominantly African American. Professor Campbell encouraged me to get involved in bar associations—the Detroit 酒吧, 密歇根州澳博app协会, 以及美国澳博app协会, 我做到了.
在我毕业并进入一家澳博app事务所后，我得到的第二好的建议来自塞缪尔·C. Gardner, a law partner at the Detroit firm of Bell and Gardner. Sam counseled: Make sure you return your telephone calls every day, 即使是对一个唠叨的客户, 因为那个人可能会把你一生中最大的案子介绍给你.
当你的客户进来时，从椅子上站起来，把你的客户带回你的办公室. That way, you let the client know how important they are. 一定要保持桌子干净. 你想让你的客户觉得他们是你那天要见的最重要的人.
He said if you do those things you will earn a very good reputation. Also, get malpractice insurance, and charge a reasonable fee. 把你们的业务关系写下来——告诉你的客户这是我打算做的，这是你可以期待的. Your client will get good representation and will feel comfortable talking.
至于我的指导, I have always tried to meet with anyone who has any interest in law school, 或者只是去上大学. 当我在教堂或学校演讲时, sometimes people ask if I could meet with their son or daughter. Or kids come up and say, “I think I’d like to be a lawyer. 我能和你谈谈吗?我说:“可以——如果你把父母带来的话。.“因为我想让家长们知道我们的要求是什么——高中和本科都要取得好成绩. 我告诉他们在法学院努力学习并取得最好的成绩是多么重要.
我今天和年轻澳博app们分享的是数字. 大多数执业澳博app都是单独执业的, 在澳博app事务所工作的大多数澳博app都是在只有8到10名澳博app的小公司工作. 澳博app协会是年轻澳博app学习、发展和成长的最佳机会之一. 我鼓励他们加入当地的澳博app协会，并与其他年轻澳博app交往, 加入一个委员会或分部.
如果你要单飞, 你想要和执业多年的澳博app交流，听取他们的建议. 你可以通过澳博app协会来实现. 开始接触其他执业领域的澳博app, because you never know when you’ll need to make a referral. 你想把你的客户介绍给一个你觉得舒服的人，一个你认为有道德、工作努力的人. You make those connections through your bar association. 我相信澳博app协会的工作.
You transitioned very successfully from a legal career to a political career. What advice would you give to lawyers who want to go into politics?
I got involved in politics by virtue of my father-in-law. 我刚结婚，我们在打高尔夫球，我岳父告诉我，我应该和他在二战期间在军队里的澳博app谈谈, 罗伯特Millender. 米勒德是密歇根州最大的综合澳博app事务所的合伙人，非常受人尊敬. In 1969 Millender was running the campaign for Richard Austin, 底特律市市长候选人. 我想让米勒德看到，我可以成为一名努力工作的竞选者，这样他可能也会认为我是一名努力工作的澳博app, 太.
奥斯汀输了，但我和鲍勃·米勒德关系密切. 1970年，我们一起帮助奥斯汀成功竞选(密歇根州)州务卿. Millender, in 1973, successfully ran Coleman Young’s campaign for Detroit mayor. 四年后的1977年, 米勒德是竞选主任，他请我担任科尔曼·杨市长连任的竞选经理.
很长一段时间以来，人们都到我的办公室来，表达他们想竞选总统的愿望. 我会倾听，然后分享我的经验. 如果你想当选，你必须向投票给你的人证明你是值得的...你关心你想代表的人...你不是那种出现然后说“我想当法官，你会支持我吗”的人?”
和你的政党以及挨家挨户散发竞选宣传材料的人一起工作. That’s how people begin to know you and respect who you are.
And if you’re a lawyer, you ought to be involved in pro bono work. 有句老话说:“如果你把面包扔在水面上，它会回到你身上。.“在你想要某样东西之前，你必须先付出.
参与并帮助他人. Go to fundraisers, buy a ticket to help other candidates. 与此同时，你也会学到东西, 你会听那些人的, and you’ll learn about the community you want to serve.
采纳这一建议的人通常都是成功的. 那些不这样做的人很少会成功.
What do you make of the economic resurgence in Detroit? Luxury watchmaker Shinola, Quicken Loans, Buick’s “Made in Detroit” ads, hipsters. 作为底特律前两届市长, do you feel responsible for planting the seeds of this comeback?
底特律已经发生了巨大的变化. 我于1994年1月开始服役. 1990年的人口普查显示，底特律的贫困人口比例最高.2%. 如果算上儿童，是46.6%的人生活在贫困线以下. 我知道底特律人需要工作.
在我宣布参选之前, 我花了大约一年的时间为我们在九个关键领域面临的问题制定解决方案. 我向密歇根大学的一些优秀教授寻求帮助. 我们有来自其他城市的专家, community leaders from Detroit and the region talking about different initiatives. We looked at other cities and how they faced their challenges.
在我当选之后, 我们能够, with the help of then President Bill Clinton and his administration, to get a hand up from their very strong outreach to cities, 比如授权区和社区警务服务项目. 我还与密歇根州州长约翰·恩格勒(John Engler)建立了良好的工作关系，他提出了复兴区和智能区. 我们的政府与商业界以及像通用汽车和Compuware这样的公司保持着良好的关系，这些公司都搬到了底特律市中心. 邻里社区和基金会社区都团结起来，帮助底特律市发展和繁荣.
I had a great team of people in my administration and others willing to help, 谁比我聪明. 在我两届任期结束时，我们有了20美元.2 billion of new investment in Detroit and thousands of new jobs. I was the last mayor before bankruptcy to have a balanced budget, 未雨绸缪基金, and a budget surplus in each of my eight years of service.
During my eight years in office the pension funds for police, 火, 和将军都被过度资助了数百万美元. 我们建了两个新体育馆, one for the Detroit Tigers (Comerica Park) and one for the Detroit Lions (Ford Field). 我们还受益于全州范围内的投票，支持在底特律开设三家私人赌场.
[编者按:在阿彻市长任期结束后, 随后的政府努力保持经济基础，并于2013年申请破产.]
The business community never turned its back on the city of Detroit. 他们总是继续支持我. Even before Detroit emerged from bankruptcy, it was clear the city was on the uptick.
年轻人开始在这座城市投资. 年轻人开始回来了. Now if you were to come to downtown Detroit and you want to lease space for your car, 您将被告知没有可用的空间. In downtown Detroit you can rent, lease, or buy an apartment, loft, or home. 如今，底特律市中心的情况也是如此. 伟大的事情是建造新的住房，以容纳那些想要出租，租赁或购买. 自从底特律摆脱破产后，开业了各种各样的新餐馆和商店.
2001年，你启动了丹尼斯. 阿彻奖学金基金，并捐赠了超过一百万美元给底特律或卡索波利斯的高中毕业生去韦恩州立大学或西密歇根大学. 你能告诉我们更多关于这个奖学金的情况吗?
It was started to help students who have at least a 2.5 honor point average and have to work at least 20 hours per week to make ends meet. 我想给他们最多5美元,所以也许他们可以辞掉工作, or at least work less in order to get better grades and graduate.
阿彻学者们非常成功. 我还在劳伦斯理工学院为那些需要钱买书和其他急需的学生提供了一笔小额奖学金.
有可能退休吗??
No. When you find something you love, you never work a day in your life.
