Why Jim Thompson’s Law Firm is Not Billing George Ryan for Its Services

I must confess I was stumped this morning when I read in the Sun-Times that Big Jim Thompson who has never met a fat retainer he disliked is allowing his ace partner Dan Webb to defend George Ryan pro-bono with the meter running up to $10 million so far. He who would charge the late Mother Teresa is doing this out of the milky kindness of his heart for George? I exhausted the possibilities but now comes along Rich Miller in his newsletter Capitol Fax to opine that (a) Mayor Daley’s people are cheering along Thompson (which is not bad for business) and (b) believe that if Ryan is acquitted or escapes with a mild sentence, they Daleys can apply the same legal techniques. Makes sense. All of which proves the old adage which asks the question “what do lawyers and sperm have in common?” Answer: Each has a one-in-a-million chance of becoming a human being.”