Lawyer of the Day: Michael Lukehart
A California defense attorney has earned a spot in the ATL Lawyer of the Day hall of fame. Michael Lukehart didn’t let a weak heart stop him from defending his client. From KERO-TV:
Lukehart said he woke up at 5 a.m. on Monday with massive chest pains.
A normal non-ATL-Lawyer-of-the-Day would head to the hospital at that point. But not Lukehart.
Even though he knew something was seriously wrong, he said he was in denial. So instead of going to the hospital, Lukehart said he went to the courthouse to deliver his closing arguments on a case he was on.
Michael Lukehart’s website says he’s “passionately committed to your defense. When you hire Michael Lukehart, you hire a fearless warrior who is passionately committed to you and your case.”
In the case of Lukehart, that’s not hyperbole. Massive chest pains are no obstacle for this legal warrior. So when he finally went to the hospital, what was the diagnosis?
Lukehart actually suffered a major heart attack.
Finally around 11 a.m., Lukehart drove to his office and had his secretary take him to the hospital.Lukehart had to get a stent put in one of his major arteries.
Lukehart is now recovering in the hospital.
If you’re a serious attorney, you’d do the same thing, according to Lukehart:
“You get focused if you’re a real serious litigate, and at some point nothing gets in the way of finishing the trial or doing your job and it’s not bright,” Lukehart told the television station.
No word yet on whether he won the case.
(44) 
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First by a heartbeat!
Kash is Kute. Any doubt about that can be put to rest with the photo at the bottom of this page.
http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/3649
no wonder women are more likely to die from a heart attack. guys just go on with life until a woman takes him to the hospital while we (men) just let her sit there dying saying nothing more than, i'll pass
it'll, not i'll
sorry #3
Don't you go dying on me!
"i'll pass"???
Are you gunning for Mystttal's job? I think you meant, "it'll pass."
Hey 1 - Nice job.
2 - are you trolling the internet for images of Kash? that's a little creepy.
Frankly, he breached his fiduciary duty to his client by proceeding with the trial KNOWING he was physically comprimised.
Sorry #2.
Kash looks like she is 50. I guess that's how white women age. Past 25, it's a downhill train wreck for most (but not all).
Nah. Creepy would be tracking her to 1110 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Apt 104, Washington, DC, taking the Red Line to work each morning at 8:25am.
(Of course, she's a blogger, so she works from home, in pj's.)
11- Isn't ATL in NYC? Wouldn't she live there rather than DC?
#5- nice avatar.
Good for him. A true professional.
Have to disagree with 9. If his client loses, he just handed him a 6th amendment claim (assuming it's a criminal case). This guy is always thinking ahead.
BTW, Kash is hot.
The guy is an idiot.
If you die during closing arguments, can your heirs be sued for malpractice?
Comment removed by moderator.
Sorry Kash, you are adorable, and maybe even law school cute, but you are not hot.
I am a fan of yours and I don't want to bash you, but enough already with the "Kash is hot" comments.
And that's why lawyers are the ultimate losers. They'd rather die defending their clients than having a life of their own.
2 - Maybe I am blind, but Kash has the face on a 45 year old cougar. I am not saying she is ugly by any means, she just looks twice her age.
Kash = young Amy Fisher.
If she's a cougar, I want to be mauled. Or, channeling Mystttal, I want to be malled.
Enh. My dad was a lawyer whose third heart attack killed him at his desk. After his first heart attack, he kept working until he had a second heart attack before going to the hospital.
When are we going to stop applauding this machismo bullsh*t? We need to stop teaching men that ignoring their health is the 'manly' thing to do.
What kind of people name their daughter "Kashmir" anyways?
WTF kinda name is that?
"OOOH, 'Kashmir' that's original and exotic. She'll be all special and precious and unique. Everyone will want to be her friend."
People, save your Kash comments for another post. This one is about an idiot lawyer that risked his life for his job. Now, before you respond that many people do exactly that every day (ie policemen, firemen), everyone knows there are expected hazards in those professions. But a court date could be easily postponed. And what if he dropped dead of a heart attack while in court - it would be a small blurb in the local paper, nothing more. Not the way I'd want to go.
I assumed it was pronounced "cash." She is cute. The lawyer who had a heart attack is lucky and a dope.
25 has probably the most generic, ordinary name because his parents were too lazy to spend more than 5 seconds to pick a better one.
Bitter much?
19 (see Kash? I take with one hand but defend your honor with the other).
26--Lukehart is a pompous ass. I think we all agree he could have gotten a delay, and I hope his wife (if he still has one) kicks him in the nuts for being so reckless with his health.
25--Kashmir is not in the top 1,000 names according to SSA. She's unique, and she's ours here at ATL.
Where is the "guys in my high school used to deliver closing arguments all the time immediately after having heart attacks. It was no big deal" comment?
#28, ok clown, what's your name then? Mo'nique? Asiatica? Sahara? Thucydides? Moron.
And I can't believe some of you are attacking this guy for having a sack and fighting for his client. I do like the comment from the original article:
"The same thing happened to someone I know, except instead of delivering a closing argument at trial, he went in and finished his document review project and went to the hospital when he was done, two weeks later."
Heh. You'd never see this kind of dedication from a biglaw associate. It's all just "ME ME ME. I'M TIRED. I'M SICK. I WANT A BETTER LIFESTYLE."
31 - a name is just a name. I find people who make fun of names to be quite frankly, retarded.
19/28
haha, ok whatever. $5 says you have a goofy name too.
guys in my high school used to deliver closing arguments all the time immediately after having heart attacks. It was no big deal
Mr. Lukehart, by failing to immediately seek medical attention due to your massive chest pains you have almost certainly caused more damage to your heart muscle than was necessary, and thus lowered your life expectance.
Congrats.
what's life expectance?
What a stupid man! He's lucky to be alive. Most attorneys I know would put their own health first.
You see, young and future associates, this is the level of commitment we expect from you here at the firm.
There is no ‘I’m suffering a severe cardiac episode’ in the word ‘team’.
Thanks, 7. All good things come to those who wait.
--1
1) Lawyer is an idiot
2) Kash is super-hot, seemingly pleasant, and any of you losers would be lucky to have such a girl give you directions, much less go on a date with you.
that is all.
"lawyer of the day" ? what a stupid stupid decision this guy made, and you give him an award, however meaningless ? i hope this behavior is not actually admired. agree with point above about the guys who REALLY risk their lives day in and day out for the public, not an overweight unhealthy lawyer who is now probably causing undue stress on his doctor and nursing staff.
40 = Kash's slightly more attractive friend who only hangs out with Kash to boost her own confidence
I will say it again: Kash is the cuteness. And that, good sir, is a fact.
As for the douche saying that she looks old, Kash is gorgeous and looks her age. Furthermore, she seems to be one of those women that will look like she looks in her twenties for the next 35 years. And that, good sir, is well-founded speculation.
The Kash-loving commenters are pitiful. And to use 2's pictures as a basis for arguing she is attractive, the best I can say is sure, McDonald's looks edible if you're starving and options 2-4 are dog shit. But don't go lying to yourself saying it's not McDonald's. Unsurprising to find that we have a lot of starving people here.