A gentleman and a lawyer surveys 60 years in the business | Local Columns

Every time I sit down with an attorney, I’m impelled to tell a lawyer joke. It’s a great way to break the ice — or in some cases, shorten the interview.

This time, the joke was on me.

David Walther offered none of the affectations, emitted none of the stereotypes, that cling to members of his profession like lint to a thousand-dollar suit. His eyes didn’t bounce around the room. His cellphone didn’t buzz. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure he wasn’t surreptitiously thinking about another case, a juicy fight to pick, an affront to avenge.

All he did was sip his coffee, tell stories from a life well-lived — including 60 years of practicing law, 60 — and enjoy the morning.

Given that he’s 84, you’d think Walther would be sort of an emeritus presence at his downtown Santa Fe firm, Walther, Bennett, Mayo, Honeycutt.

But Walther, a divorce attorney, by no means is a delegator.

“I’ve got maybe 10, 12…

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