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( Photo above: Library of
Congress Call Number: LC-BH82- 5225 C
James Topham
Brady was the son of Irish immigrants who first settled in Newark, NJ and then
in New York City. Brady received a privileged education and, in 1831 while
still a student, he aided his father, a lawyer, in various trials. Brady gained
admittance to the New York bar in 1836. His first case dealt with the
controversial topic of slavery, and "though he was unsuccessful his
handling of the matter was masterly . . . He was endowed by nature with a
facility of speech, which, assiduously cultivated and molded by long study, and
embellished with felicitous classical quotations, became well-nigh irresistible
with a jury, whilst his arguments, clear, logical, never verbose, were put with
a force and sincerity which always impressed the court" (Knott).
Over the
next two decades Brady came to be known as a leader of the New York bar. He was
connected to almost every important case of the time, either as the defense
attorney or the prosecutor (Knott). He became New York District Attorney in
1843, and he was later asked to be the United States Attorney-General, an honor
that he chose not to accept. Brady was fascinated by issues of insanity, but he
was beyond proficient in all areas of the law. In one memorable civil case, he
won an unbelievable $300,000 in damages for his client. He also represented
Mrs. Edwin Forrest in her divorce from her husband (Wilson & Fiske 355).
As a
criminal defense attorney he won fifty-one out of fifty-two murder trials; four
of those acquittals were won during the same week. Brady's prowess in the
courtroom was unmatched: "It has been said that he never lost a case in
which he was before a jury for more than a week; in that time they saw
everything through his eyes" (355)…
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