• Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

(317) 639-4511

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Harrison Moberly LLP

Law Firm in Indianapolis, IN

  • HOME
  • PRACTICE AREAS
    • Appellate Law
    • Bankruptcy & Debtor-Creditor Relations
    • Business Services
    • Construction Law
    • Employment Law
    • Environmental
    • Estate Planning, Wealth Transfer and Tax
    • Family Law
    • Insurance Services
    • Law Practice Succession Planning
    • Litigation Services
    • Mediation Roundtable LLC and Alternative Dispute Resolution
    • Real Estate
    • Tax Controversy and Dispute Resolution
  • ATTORNEYS
    • A-K
      • Lisa M. Adler
      • Thaddeus R. Ailes
      • Stephen E. Arthur
      • Ashley A. Butz
      • Raeanna Carrell
      • William “Jay” Hancock
      • Natalie Hatfield
      • Lee L. Heyde
      • Don Hopper
    • L – Z
      • Patricia Polis McCrory
      • James J. McGrath
      • Tamie Jo Morog
      • Rory O’Bryan
      • Chad E. Oswald
      • Mark W. Pfeiffer
      • Fred D. Scott
      • Martha T. Starkey
      • David J. Theising
  • NEWS, EVENTS, & BLOGS
  • BILL PAY
  • LOCATIONS
  • Attorneys
    • A – K
      • Lisa M. Adler
      • Thaddeus R. Ailes
      • Stephen E. Arthur
      • Ashley A. Butz
      • Raeanna Carrell
      • William “Jay” Hancock
      • Natalie Hatfield
      • Lee L. Heyde
      • Don Hopper
    • L – Z
      • Patricia Polis McCrory
      • James J. McGrath
      • Tamie Jo Morog
      • Rory O’Bryan
      • Chad E. Oswald
      • Mark W. Pfeiffer
      • Fred D. Scott
      • Martha T. Starkey
      • David J. Theising
  • Practice Areas
    • Appellate Law
    • Bankruptcy & Debtor-Creditor Relations
    • Business Services
    • Construction Law
    • Employment Law
    • Environmental
    • Estate Planning, Wealth Transfer and Tax
    • Family Law
    • Insurance Services
    • Law Practice Succession Planning
    • Litigation Services
    • Mediation Roundtable LLC and Alternative Dispute Resolution
    • Real Estate
    • Tax Controversy and Dispute Resolution
  • Bill Pay
  • Locations
  • (317) 639-4511

Career spans 70 years

April 10, 2008 //  by Harrison & Moberly

Michael W. Hoskins mhoskins@ibj.com

At age 93, James D. Harrison still makes a daily appearance in the law firm he co-founded more than a half century ago. Make no mistake: it’s not for show. The Indianapolis attorney remains an active part of the legal landscape he’s been navigating since before World War II, and he’s reached a 70-year milestone of practicing law that puts him into a rare league of legal elite who’ve been practicing longer than many firms stay together or attorneys stay in practice.

His adventures yield more stories than he knows how to tell, stories that now include a recent reception in March where he was designated an honorary secretary of state by Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita. But many in the Indianapolis legal community know him best as a founding member of law firm Harrison & Moberly, where he maintains the of counsel title and every practicing attorney there has come to expect to see his wave or hear his voice in the office each day.

Those who know him best say Harrison has kept a sense of humor and maintains modesty in everything he does, which was evident during an Indiana Lawyer lunchtime interview when he wanted to chat about the law instead of talking about his past – since "there’s not much excitement to write about there."

"He’s got a wonderful wit about him but doesn’t like to be in the limelight and doesn’t make a big to-do about himself," said Flora Crain, a receptionist at the law firm who’s been working with Harrison for 35 years. "Really, he’d just prefer to go unnoticed."

The beginning
After graduating from high school in 1932, the Logansport native spent time traveling between coasts by freight before returning to his hometown. He was about 20 at the time and started working at a Shell filling station to save money, eventually earning enough by pumping gas and cleaning windshields to start law school. A friend who wanted Harrison to "do something with his life" brought him to Indianapolis where they visited three educational institutes Harrison could possibly attend: chiropractic, embalming, and law school.

The young Harrison started at Benjamin Harrison Law School in Indianapolis in 1934, which later became part of Indiana Law School and then absorbed by Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis. He has a degree from all three.
"I got along with the law school dean best, and he called the next day and said he had a prospective job for me if I’d come to school there," Harrison said. "That was enough for me."

That job as an insurance claim filing clerk helped Harrison pay for law school, and he eventually worked his way up to claims adjuster and attorney for a big Indianapolis insurance company after graduation.

Harrison recalled how the tough, Depression era before World War II meant a unique law school experience for students at that time.

"In ordinary times, you wouldn’t have the best lawyers in town teaching you," Harrison said. "But things were tough in those days and everyone needed money, so we had the best lawyers in town in those classrooms."

After law school, Harrison continued his work as an insurance claims attorney and eventually ventured into the Indiana Attorney General’s Office in 1943. As a deputy attorney general for four years, he handled cases that included matters such as insurance and bank mergers.

He spent a little less than two years away from the law when serving the U.S. Navy in Guam, enlisting with a fellow deputy attorney general who later went on to become a judge in Peru. After returning to work at the AG’s office, Harrison became Indiana’s traffic safety director under Gov. Ralph Gates in 1947.

Those were interesting times because no official speed limits were in place; only "reasonable speeds based on the circumstances" were to be followed, he recalled. The Indiana State Police was in a state of disarray and the motorcycle police had been dubbed "the riding peacocks of the highway," he recalled.

The governor appointed him to help establish a variety of traffic safety missions, Harrison said, which brought not only plaudits from the National Safety Council and AAA organizations but also a public war of words with the Indianapolis mayor over traffic control and arrest laws.

Harrison resigned in 1948 when a new governor from the opposing political party won the election – even though Gov. Henry Schricker was a Sigma Delta Kappa fraternity brother of his.

"I put my resignation in immediately, politics being politics," said Harrison, a lifelong and ardent Republican. "To save him from having to fire me for a Democrat."

After that, Harrison practiced briefly with Rinier Thayer & Harrison before teaming up in 1950 with an attorney he knew from local political and legal circles – Warren C. Moberly – and two friends with a trucking law practice. They formed Boyce Guenther Harrison & Moberly and kept that name until the first two entered semi-retirement. They had various other permeations of the name but eventually settled on Harrison & Moberly because "two names are better than 20."

Each of them served as president of the Marion County Republican Veterans Association, a powerful and influential group for years following the war that had a lot of influence in the legal community, Harrison said.

Now, the sole living founder is proud of the firm that he sees as rating as high as any of the top firms in Indianapolis. That is a result of intentional moves in hiring attorneys the pair liked and who were high-rated on the Martindale-Hubbell listings, he said. He knows Moberly, who died in 1989, would also be proud.

"We’re small, but have the same ratings as a big firm," Harrison said. "We did something deliberate that other firms our size might not have, and that means lawyer for lawyer those firm don’t have the percentage basis of top-rated (attorneys)."

Not chiropractics – remember?
Harrison didn’t make the choice for chiropractic school earlier in life, but the intersection of that field and his chosen profession have played a significant part in his legal career. He spent more than 50 years as general counsel for the International Chiropractors Association.

Colleagues recalled how he’s been a staple in that organization, traveling to board meetings in Iowa and Washington, D.C., and spending hours on the phone each day with ICA leaders and individual chiropractor members. Some saw him as the "Merlin behind the throne."

"He was simply indispensable, and when they measured prospective counsel against Jim Harrison, they found no one measured up," said Brian Niederhauser, who worked with Harrison for years on the ICA and sees him as a mentor. "It didn’t take long for each new administration to realize that no matter how clean they wanted their new broom to sweep, it couldn’t and shouldn’t sweep away Jim Harrison."

Early on, his work involved representing unlicensed chiropractors that were being sued for practicing without a license, Harrison said. He had about 30 clients at any given time and had dozens of $25 fines lodged against the chiropractors – a sympathetic and kind punishment for his guilty clients, Harrison admitted.

One of the highlights of his time representing the ICA came in a 1976 federal suit against the American Medical Association – one that lasted 14 years. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, the federal antitrust suit of Wilk v. AMA, 671 F. Supp. 1465, N.D. Ill. 1987, involved chiropractors suing the AMA for conspiring to destroy the profession of chiropractics. The federal judge issued a 101-page opinion that ruled the AMA had done this by organizing a national boycott of chiropractors by medical doctors and hospitals using an ethics ban on interprofessional cooperation. The decision was ultimately upheld by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States in 1990.

Harrison was the one who’d spent a year trying to find an attorney to take on the unpopular task of representing the chiropractors against an army of AMA attorneys in litigation that could last several years, he said. That person was a Notre Dame law school graduate, who Harrison keeps in touch with and is now an antitrust lawyer in Chicago.

"(Almost) Sixteen years it took, but we beat ’em," Harrison said, an energized gleam in his eye and a grin on his face. "I thought it would take about six, but it was 10 more than that to get a federal injunction to stop the AMA from bad-mouthing chiropractors."

He still represents the organization’s Indiana affiliate, but he pointed out that is mostly just for fun.

Still going strong
Those in his law firm describe Harrison as an inspiration to everyone and not only because he’s 93 and still coming into the office where his colleagues describe him as "the epitome of esquire."

Outside the law firm office west of Monument Circle a block from the Indiana Statehouse, Harrison’s work on the Indiana Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness has helped shape the state’s legal community since 1976. He’s one of more than 300 lawyers who personally interview all applicants to the bar, and in that role he frequently offers advice to young attorneys entering the field.

The advice he gives: "Be a straight arrow, like the Indians. We, as lawyers, have to be on a high road." Then, he starts describing ethical or moral dilemmas they could get into and what the legal profession would say about it.

Harrison has no plans to slow down or stop practicing. He admitted, though, the legal world has changed and he’s not quite sure for better or worse.
He doesn’t recognize many of the attorneys or staff in the courthouses each week, nor many on the street corners of Indianapolis, Harrison said. More settlements were made on the street in his early days, and he noted that a handshake deal made on a street corner today probably wouldn’t hold up in court or even until the attorneys returned to their offices.

"We have an entirely different way of doing things now," he said. "There’s just too darned many of us. We’re no worse or better as lawyers, just different."
He doesn’t have any immediate plans to retire. In fact, he’d originally planned to retire at age 65, but compatibility with the people in his office kept him from that, he said.

"It’s too much fun," Harrison said. "If I stayed home, I’d be miserable. The secret is staying active, being a part of it all."

You May Also Be Interested In:

Estate Planning Considerations for New Parents

David Theising to Speak at 2021 Annual Meeting of ABA Forum on Construction Law in New York City

Execute Documents Remotely

Parenting Time During Governor Holcomb’s Stay at Home Order

Estate Planning During Coronavirus & Social Distancing

Virtual Estate Services

Estate Administration During Coronavirus & Social Distancing

Harrison & Moberly proudly sponsors 2019 APABA-IN Central Regional Conference

Hopper Appointed as Member of the Probate Code Study Commission

Previous Post: « Rusnak elected to tax organization
Next Post: Iconic lawyer passes torch »

Primary Sidebar

Twitter

26 Sep 1574502378233122816

HM is excited to announce that Lisa M. Adler and Ashley A. Butz, members of the firm’s estate planning practice, have been named members to the Estate Planning Council of Indianapolis.

Reply on Twitter 1574502378233122816Retweet on Twitter 1574502378233122816Like on Twitter 15745023782331228161Twitter 1574502378233122816
30 Aug 1564625082563137548

Harrison Moberly is proud to recognize and congratulate its 2023 Best Lawyers!

Twitter feed video.
Image for the Tweet beginning: Harrison Moberly is proud to
Reply on Twitter 1564625082563137548Retweet on Twitter 1564625082563137548Like on Twitter 15646250825631375481Twitter 1564625082563137548
25 Feb 1497260344577867776

Harrison & Moberly, LLP is proud to recognize and congratulate its 2022 Super Lawyers and Rising Star!

https://t.co/dtMUm1Bzfk

Twitter feed video.
Image for the Tweet beginning: Harrison & Moberly, LLP is
Reply on Twitter 1497260344577867776Retweet on Twitter 1497260344577867776Like on Twitter 1497260344577867776Twitter 1497260344577867776
1 Jun 2021 1399791212056530945

Harrison & Moberly is pleased to officially return to the Downtown office today and celebrated the occasion with a Taco Tuesday lunch to catch up with each other in person!

Twitter feed video.
Image for the Tweet beginning: Harrison & Moberly is pleased
Reply on Twitter 1399791212056530945Retweet on Twitter 1399791212056530945Like on Twitter 13997912120565309451Twitter 1399791212056530945
18 Nov 2019 1196439093527416833

For the 3rd year, H&M Attorneys Mark Pfeiffer and Fred Scott attended the 2019 Tippecanoe County Veterans Stand Down event on November 2, 2019, to provide pro bono legal advice on issues that routinely impact Indiana veterans! We are so grateful for their dedication and service!

Twitter feed video.
Image for the Tweet beginning: For the 3rd year, H&M
Reply on Twitter 1196439093527416833Retweet on Twitter 1196439093527416833Like on Twitter 11964390935274168331Twitter 1196439093527416833
Load More...

Recent Posts

Estate Planning Considerations for New Parents

Starting a family involves preparation and thinking ahead. …

David Theising to Speak at 2021 Annual Meeting of ABA Forum on Construction Law in New York City

Harrison & Moberly attorney David Theising has been invited …

Execute Documents Remotely

We will soon be able to assist clients in executing their estate …

Parenting Time During Governor Holcomb’s Stay at Home Order

During the current World upheaval, parents are looking for …

Estate Planning During Coronavirus & Social Distancing

During this frightening time, we are all reminded of life’s …

Footer

INDIANAPOLIS
(317) 639-4511

8335 Keystone Crossing
Suite 220
Indianapolis, IN 46240

CARMEL
(317) 639-4511

760 S Rangeline Road
Suite 164
Carmel, IN 46032

LEBANON
(317) 639-4511

114 South Meridian St.
Suite A
Lebanon, IN 46052

Site Footer

The information contained on this website is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. No recipients of content from this site, clients or otherwise, should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in the site without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from an attorney licensed in the recipient’s state.

Copyright © 2023 Harrison and Moberly LLP · All Rights Reserved ·