14
Friday, January 4, 1985
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
RETIRING
H
BY CARLA JEAN SCHWARTZ
Special to The Jewish News
Jason Honigman is a quiet hero.
He never boasts about his legal, politi-
cal or communal accomplishments.
Pomp and circumstance is not his
style. But this private, low-profile at-
torney has made an indelible mark on
Michigan society.
Laws he drafted govern us. Attor-
neys follow his written rules in court.
His awards could fill albums; his
charitable donations could bail a
major corporation out of bankruptcy.
And he is the patriarch of the silk-
stocking law firm of Honigman, Mil-
ler, Schwartz & Cohn.
One measure of his successful
career is his longevity: At 80 years old,
he has been practicing law for almost
six decades. This new year marked his
official retirement.
A silver-haired Honigman behind
his desk with hands clasped speaking
softly about his life. Dressed in a con-
servative blue suit with a powder blue
shirt and silk tie, his voice never fluc-
tuates. He is calm and controlled dur-
ing a two-hour interview.
Honigman's office is elegant but
understated for one of the wealthiest
lawyers in Detroit. There are a few
pieces of crystal, some fresh flowers, a
simple sofa and a few chairs on plush,
cocoa-colored carpeting. The wood
paneled walls are void of his scholastic
achievements and awards. Although
his wooden desk is bare, the book-
shelves are filled with law tomes,
many written by Honigman.
In his outer office, where his per-
sonal secretary works, there are some
plaques on the plain white walls. A
1967 University of Michigan "Ses-
quicentennial Award" honors Honig-
man as a "lawyer, scholar and public
servant." There are several framed
letters from Supreme Court justices
acknowledging his work on legal
committees.
In honor of Honigman's recent
80th birthday, he received two gifts
that are displayed in the outer office.
One is a tribute from the Jewish Wel-
fare Federation beginning with a
quote from Genesis: "And they shall do
justice in charity." The other plaque is
a colored-pencil sketch of Honigman,
drawn by someone in his office. In the
drawing he is behind his desk reading
the Wall Street Journal, surrounded
by his hobbies — tennis, cards and
dancing.
Although he has a slight build and
is only 5'5", there is no doubt that he is
an intellectual giant. He explains
cases with detailed facts without hesi-
tation. When the phone rings, he
glances to see what line the call is on,
but never pauses even while giving
exact dates.
"He is the smartest lawyer I have
ever come across," says Milton "Jack"
Miller, Honigman's partner for 48
years. Miller states that Honigman
has the ability to analyze lengthy legal
presentations without taking notes. In
cases that represented months of work
by several lawyers, Honigman found
faulty logic and led them to a brilliant
solution in moments. Lawyers often
walked out of meetings shaking their
heads in disbelief.
It was 11 o'clock one evening in
the late 40's when Honigman and Mil-
ler were at their offices on the 23rd
floor of the Dime Bank Building,
which is now the Comerica Building.
Honigman was busy writing the
Michigan Court Rules, the procedures
attorneys must follow in court. Miller
was doing research in the library.
"Suddenly, I smelled smoke," said
Miller. "I opened up the door to the
corridor that leads to the elevator and
it was black with smoke." That was the
only exit; there were no fire escapes.
Miller ran back to Honigman's
office. "Jason, I want to show you
something right now," shouted a
frightened Miller. "No, no I'm occupied
right now," said a disturbed Honig-
man.
Miller had to insist before Honig-
man would budge. He took Honigman
to the door and opened it. By that time
there were flames. "Close the door,
you're letting the smoke in," yelled
Honigman.
"Well, what are we going to do?,"
asked Miller. "We have a lot of work to
do," said Honigman. And he went back
to his office, to finish his work.
A nervous Miller, who thought
the end was near, went to the library.
"Then, I heard fire engines. I. heard
glass breaking. I couldn't concentrate
not knowing whether I was living or
dying," explained Miller.
Honigman worked through the
fire. When the firemen came, Honig-
man was still sitting at his desk, work-
ing diligently, writing the Michigan
Court Rules. In the suite next door,
everything was burned down to the
masonry.
Honigman doesn't believe in
wasting time. He is intense, objective
and calm. He could work under any
circumstance. "I was a workaholic in
my day," admits Honigman. He has an
inner force, like a Jedi warrior believ-
ing in himself, that leads him to vic-
tory. He has traveled an unfathomable
journey from a small village in Russia
to head a prestigious law firm, giving
legal advice to moguls like Henry Ford
and Max Fisher, and Fortune 500
companies like General Motors and
Burroughs. Tracing his path is like
reading a bestselling novel by Stephen
Birmingham.
Jason Lester Honigman was the
eldest son of Louis and Sarah Honig-
man. He was born in 1904 in a small
village near the town of Turov, in east-
ern Russia.
Honigman remembers that his
small home had a dirt floor. Since the
village often flooded, the family some-
times traveled by rowboat.
A pregnant Sarah Honigman was
busy sewing for the mayor's wife when
she heard that all the men in the vil-
lage would be inducted in the Russian
army the next day. Her husband had