A righteous indignation
But in some ways, it's a place--and a case--that he's been looking for his whole life. Wilner had children early and began working at elite law firms as a way to support them. Even though he was representing a diverse roster of clients, he says he wasn't always satisfied. "You go to law school, but you get the feeling you're just selling your talents, arguing cases to make money," he says. But this case has inflamed Wilner's considerable passion. Friends know Wilner as a man who's not afraid to debate a point to death. "At a certain time in the evening, Tom gets pretty feisty and fired up about things," says Carter Cafritz, a Washington developer who uses Wilner as his personal lawyer. "It's hard to find a guy as concerned about the Constitution and the laws of this country."
Born: July 7, 1944.
Family: Married, wife Jane. Three children.
Education: Yale Univ. B.A., 1966; Univ. of Pennsylvania LL.B., 1969.
Current job: Managing partner, international trade and government relations, Shearman & Sterling LLP.
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