Kirk Watson: “the public may now know Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., as a high-profile, superbly dressed, superstar attorney with a…”

“the public may now know Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., as a high-profile, superbly dressed, superstar attorney with a signature smile that swayed everyone he met, including many of the multi-million dollar clients that he represented. However, as a personal friend of Johnnie's, I saw another side. Yes, he did everything with class, style, dignity and extreme care; but in addition he was a warm, loving, caring, attentive friend and community leader. Johnnie Cochran was a brilliant attorney whose untimely death is a loss to the world. His legal genius was compared to Justice Thurgood Marshall, his hero and his idol; Clarence Darrow; F. Lee Bailey; Professor Charles Ogletree and other legendary legal scholars. Johnnie Cochran was an incredible human being who really cared about the plight of the poor and disadvantaged regardless of race, color, creed, or religion. Johnnie was often fond of saying, ``The clients I cared about the most are the No Js, the ones who nobody knows.'' Attorney Cochran truly believed in justice for all. Even after death, Johnnie's legal legacy was larger than life. His funeral last week in Los Angeles, entitled ``Johnnie's Journey To Justice,'' was a celebration of his incredible life. The A-list of celebrity clients were among more than 5,000 admirers saying good-bye to their hero who fought for civil rights, police reform, and basic human rights for everyone.…”