In coverage and defense fights, the contest sometimes becomes personal and the warring advocates, insurers and lawyers alike, trade verbal barbs, often later regretted. Trading snarky remarks rarely advances the cause of either side and often brings down the wrath of the judiciary.  This unfortunate practice has spawned countless articles and continuing education courses, typically styled “Civility in the Practice of Law.”

Perhaps the best example of civility under stress comes from Ulysses S. Grant who, at the courthouse in Appomattox, treated Robert E. Lee with respect. In fact, before discussing the terms of surrender, Grant and Lee chatted about old times at West Point.  Not only was Grant a model of civility, his Personal Memoirs, published posthumously, is one of America’s great non-fiction literary works.  Grant’s prose, honed by the countless orders he wrote to men in the field, is simple, direct and moving.  And it is a book I recommend to all aspiring writers.  Grant’s account of meeting Lee at Appomattox touches me each time I read it:

“I was without a sword, as I usually was when on horseback in the field, and wore a soldier’s blouse for a coat, with the shoulder straps of my rank to indicate to the army who I was. When I went into the house I found General Lee. I had my staff with me, a good portion of whom were in the room during the whole of the interview…

“What General Lee’s feelings were I do not know. As he was a man of much dignity, with an impassible face, it was impossible to say whether he felt inwardly glad that the end had finally come, or felt sad over the result, and was too manly to show it… General Lee was dressed in full uniform which was entirely new, and was wearing a sword of considerable value. In my rough travelling suit, the uniform of a private, I must have contrasted very strangely with a man so handsomely dressed, six feet high and of faultless form. But this was not a matter that I thought of until afterwards.”

And that’s it for this This and That. If you have any thoughts on civility in coverage and defense litigation, please call or email Dennis.