THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, March 29, 1985 25 HOLDING PATTERN IN THE HOT SEAT BY ALAN ABRAMS Special to The Jewish News Acting U.S. Attorney Joel Shere awaits a Presidental decision on his professions future. T o the casual observer, Joel Shere looks both confident and comfortable sitting be- hind his mammoth desk on the eighth floor of Detroit's Federal Building. But in reality, Shere is vir- tually just keeping the chair warm for his soon-to-be-named successor as United States Attorney for the East- ern District of Michigan. Although Shere is widely consid- ered to be a talented and vigorous pro- secutor in his own right, he sits ec- lipsed by the ever-present shadow of a legend, his predecessor and friend, the late Leonard R. Gilman. Undeniably, "Lenny" Gilman is a tough act for any attorney to have to follow, which helps explain Shere's public identity crisis. But that's only half his problem. Vying for space in Shere's office, with Gilman's still-pervasive presence, are the hands of an unseen clock slowly ticking off the remaining days of Shere's appointment. Partisan politics injects itself whenever it is time to name a U.S. attorney. Although Shere oversees the fifth largest district in the country, the selection of his successor is being de- termined in the same political method as if it were any other jurisdiction. A trio of candidates, apparently selected solely on the basis of their loyalty to the Republican Party, are currently under the microscope of Attorney General Edwin Meese, who is expected -to shortly choose one for appointment by President Reagan. Critics have as- sailed the three finalists as lackluster, citing their virtual inexperience in criminal law. Shere's name, of course, is not on the list. Indeed, a Detroit Free Press story earlier this week on the jockeying for his position never even mentioned his name. Republicans defend the abilities of their nominees and point out that the appointment process has always been political. "The Democrats have done the same," one G.O.P. official said. Is Shere disappointed? If he is, he doesn't show it. From the standpoint of experience, Shere who has twice served as assistant U.S. attorney, would appear to clearly overshadow the combined credentials of the politi- cal partisans who want his job. But Shere apparently is also a realist. The up-to-date biographical sketch he hands a reporter bears a heading read- ing "Resume". Does Shere want to retain the job he's held since Gilman's sudden death Feb. 12? "I'd welcome the opportunity to stay and carry on the tradition," he says, adding, "I'd be honored to do it — if I were asked." Just what is the "Gilman tradi- tion" and why did the death of the 43- year-old Jewish lawyer unleash a tor- rent of public praise and eulogies? Perhaps it was because Gilman captivated the media's attention with his newsmaking winning streak of courtroom victories including the Vin- cent Chin civil rights case and the Vista bribery trial. Everybody loved a winner, and everybody agrees that definition fit Lenny Gilman. But to the man who now sits at Gilman's desk, surrounded by the same framed photographs that must have caught Gilman's eye from time to time, the reason is much more personal. "Lenny was a mensch in every sense of the word," recalls Shere. "He was open. He was honest. He had a playful side. He was warm in personal relationships. What you saw is what you got. There wasn't a pretentious bone in his body. He was just the kind of person you wanted to be around. "It was amazing — we used to walk down the street and it was just like walking through the streets of New York with Mayor Koch. Every- body knew him. Once I asked him, - 'Lenny, who was that? You just greeted him like an old friend.' He said he wasn't that sure. People knew him, or thought they knew him, and to everyone he was Lenny. "But beyond his friendliness, warmth and openness, he was a tre- mendously effective attorney, both as a trial lawyer and as a U.S. attorney. He had the best instincts for people and for solving problems of anyone I've known. He really had a commitment to public service, and his word could al- ways be depended on. Even if you dis- agreed with him, you knew that you had gotten a fair shake and you under- stood where he was coming from. He was an upfront person and he had greatecredibility with everyone." Shere first met Gilman in De- cember 1981 shortly before Gilman of- fered him the position as his chief assistant. "It was love at first sight," recalls Shere. "I really liked him." Although Shere served as an assistant U.S. attorney under Lawr- ence Gubow in 1964-67, he had spent the following 15 years as a member of the Southfield law firm of Shere and Klein. From the beginning, Shere and Gilman really hit it off. Both native Detroiters, they soon found they had a lot in common, especialy their great respect for the responsibilities of pub- lic service. "Lenny said we would be partners when I came to this office," remembers Shere, "and we wvre. He was the senior partner and he brought me in on all the important decisions in the office. I was well trained by him for this position. We consulted on every major issue — the door was always open." Shere learned his lessons well. He quickly made his mark with his pros- ecution of Detroit-area "prescription mill" operations, which were supply- ing illegal prescription drugs, con- Continued on next page