Personal Injury ATTORNEY
“Light In Your Lamp”
“Truth” is a mythical beast in a Police Station, for no one there believes it to exist. You may find the odd white-haired officer with Mark Twain eyebrows and mustache who claims to have actually had a “Truth” sighting once or twice in his long, law enforcement career, but these stories are dismissed as the folklore of a Grandparent testing out tall tales for their grandchildren… From the person taking your fingerprinting you, to the photographer of your mug shot, most of the people you will encounter during your booking believe that “dishonesty” is literally a religion with congregation members starting out as young as elementary students lying to their parents, to elderly politicians lying to the public – and there need be any archaic religious conversion tactics here; proponents of the Church of Dishonesty won’t be passing out fliers, knocking on your door or doing any missionary work: dishonesty, as any cop will tell you, is an intrinsic quality to all human beings.
So, now you sit in the interrogation room with judgmental eyes watching you. Regardless of what you say everyone around you believes you’re lying…until you confess; and even then they think you might be holding back. You called your brother who called his girlfriend who asked her BFF if she knew of a good Criminal Defense Attorney, and just as the “Good Cop/Bad Cop” vaudeville act is about to begin, Atty. Ray Feldman enters the room with his trademark “KCET-Mister Rogers” smile. You think, “This guy looks way too nice to help me – I’m up for armed robbery!” But kindness is not a weakness, and as any Taoist will tell you, strength and weakness is subjective and relative. Believe it or not, this optimistic, idealistic man sitting across the table smiling at you and listening to your story is the best chance you have if you’re able to do the one thing nobody around you thinks you’re capable of: speak the truth.
My Mister Rogers comparison isn’t very far off the mark, because Atty. Ray Feldman is also a man who loves to sing, but you won’t find him singing “It’s a wonderful day in the courthouse” to the jury. You can listen to his compositions at www.rayfeldman.com. There’s one song Ray has written that epitomizes his commitment to his clients: I’ll Be The Light In Your Lamp. The lines in the third verse of this song couldn’t illustrate this more: "When all the odds seem to be against you/And you are there fighting the champ/Just know I'll always be one who defends you/I'll Be the Light in Your Lamp."
HW: “Where did you get your musical sensibilities?”
ATTORNEY RAY FELDMAN: “Both my parents were lovers of music. I attribute the lyrical part of myself to my father, who was a poet, a voracious reader and a librarian. I learned the art of melody from my mother, who plays the piano, so I was raised listening to all those great Broadway songs from the great American songbook.”
HW: “Did you play the piano growing up?”
ATTY. FELDMAN: “No, both my older brother and I played violin, and I also played the cello.”
HW: “Now, I know your younger brother, Gene, is a comedian, an actor and a writer. What was it like growing up in your home with all these performers?”
ATTY. FELDMAN: It was very fun. We were always putting on shows for each other and the family.”
HW: “And on the phone you said your first exposure to being a lawyer came from watching Perry Mason with your brothers.”
ATTY. FELDMAN: “Yes, we loved watching those shows. And my music has always grown parallel with my career, because I learned how to play the guitar in law school.”
HW: “On your own?”
ATTY. FELDMAN: “Essentially. I think had about four lessons, or so.”
HW: “So, after graduating from law school and starting to take real cases, did the Perry Mason romance hold up?”
ATTY. FELDMAN: Well, it was tough at first. I worked as a Public Defender for awhile, before going on my own. I’ve had my own practice for 20 years now. I also do a lot of Civil cases and Personal Injury.”
HW: “What attracts you to a case?”
ATTY. FELDMAN: “I fight for people I believe in. If you trust me, and you’re honest with me, I’ll do everything I can to help you. Anyone can make a mistake, and if it’s a situation where you’ve made a mistake, it’s my job to make sure that you’re sentencing is fair and accurate, and to do that I have to present the most favorable aspects about your case to the judge. But to answer your initial question, I’ve always identified with the underdog.”
HW: “You’ve been very successful in your career; what do you attribute your longevity as an attorney to?”
ATTY. FELDMAN: “Well, I’m very attentive to details my clients tell me, and I also conduct my own thorough investigation, so I’m very knowledgeable about my case before I step into court. I’m also very sensitive to any given situation, and I carefully choose different tactics for various scenarios. Sometimes a little levity and humor is exactly what’s needed, and other times I may need to be firm in my stance. The key is the ability to be flexible.”
HW: “What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in your life and career?”
ATTY. FELDMAN: “Have passion in whatever you do, because it truly makes a difference. Whether I’m singing a song, or talking to a jury about my client’s life, people can feel if I really believe in what I’m saying.”
HW: “Or singing.”
ATTY. FELDMAN: “That’s right… Or singing…”
310.447.3260 Criminal Defense/Personal Injury Attorney RAYMOND FELDMAN