John William Karr

June 19, 1930 - April 8, 2016

John Karr was born June 19, 1930, and raised on Chicago's West Side. He lived in Washington DC for sixty years. For more than fifty-five years of those years, he tried lawsuits and argued appeals in state and federal courts in the District of Columbia, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. He earned an L.L.B. from Georgetown University in 1958, the capstone of an entirely Jesuit education. Before practicing law, he sold men's shirts, fought forest fires, and served two years in the US Army.

Highlights of his long legal career include landmark gay rights cases, an early medical marijuana rights case, and civil rights cases concerning race, gender, religion, age, marital status, and mental health. Though it was a particular focus and interest of his work, his practice was not limited to civil rights. His clients included those accused of succumbing to an assortment of personal weaknesses - from murder to public disorder - and others whose constitutional and civil rights were threatened or violated, and many others in civil disputes involving contracts, torts, and assorted relational problems.

He represented police officers and those who suffered at their hands. He represented unions, workers and businesses. He represented federal judges, elected officials and bartenders. He represented mothers, fathers and children. He wrote a Constitution for the people of American Samoa (which lost in referendum). He once represented a Pope. He represented a law school and its pro bono law firm attempting to divorce itself from its sponsoring university. He considered this the 'most challenging representation' of his career.

Late in his career, he represented victims of terrorism. Less than two weeks after he died, the Supreme Court ruled in his clients' favor - his first matter and win before the High Court.

During his long career, he also served as a Commissioner of the District of Columbia Law Revision Commission; as a Director of the National Capital Area Civil Liberties Union; as a Master of the Charles Fahy American Inn of Court; and as a member of the Judicial Conferences of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. He was elected for a term as vice-chair of the D. C. Democratic State Central Committee, his only foray into politics.

He described himself as a Trial Lawyer. He was a legal generalist of the kind he often said could no longer exist.

Ever the sharer of knowledge, he taught law as an adjunct professor at Antioch School of Law and at American University's Washington College of Law. He lectured on law and related notions at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, Mount Vernon College (now GWU), Purdue University, Middlebury College, Catholic University, and the University of Wisconsin.

His interests and hobbies were as diverse as his legal practice. He was an avid traveler, eater, drinker, storyteller, collector of stories, and liver of life. With friends and family, he explored the country - and the world - in search of a fine meal, a little something to drink, and a story. A committed fan of the fine, dramatic, and literary arts, he was a voracious reader and lover of jazz, the symphony, plays, and Broadway shows.

From 1971 until 2001, he was the ace pitcher and co-captain of the D.C men's softball team known as the Puttfarkens. During three decades of play, he took the mound in more than 275 games. His games-completed record resembled Satchel Paige's. Thanks to a motley supporting cast, his win-loss statistics resembled those of the Chicago Cubs in the 1950s. On the West Potomac Park baseball diamond, as in life, he charmed his adversaries and cheered his teammates, with wily skill and enduring humor.

He died Friday, April 8, 2016 of the effects of a life well lived (and other natural causes). His final hours were spent surrounded by family, humming show tunes, and sipping a martini.

He is survived by his children, Rosemary and Justin; his granddaughters, Lodivine and Penelope; and a legion of friends, colleagues, and adversaries.

A Selection of his Cases

• Norton v. Macy, 135 U.S. App. D.C. 214, 417 F2d 1161 (D.C. Cir. 1969)
• Tabler v. United States, 2 Cl. Ct. 474 (1983)
• United States v. Montalvo, Crim. No. (Super. Ct. D.C. 1972); Res Ipsa Loquitur, Georgetown Univ., Vol. pp.
• United States v. Randall, Super. Ct., D.C. Crim. No. 65923-75 (Nov. 24, 1976), 104 Daily Wash. L. Rptr. 2249 (Dec 28, 1976), noted, 46 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 273 (1978).
• United States v. Washington, D.D.C. Crim. No. 81-375 (February 23, 1982), 30 Crim. L. Rptr. 2435 (March 10, 1982); 705 F.2d 489 (D.C. Cir. (1983); United States v. Napper, 553 F. Supp. 231 (E.D.N.Y. 1982)
• Welch v.Simon, 498 F.2d 1060 (D.C. Cir. 1973)
• United States v. Hubbard, et al., G.J. No. (D.D.C. 1977); The Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, D. C. v. Kelley, 77 F.R.D. 378; 24 Fed. R. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 1268 (D.D.C. 1977)
• Stacey v. Allied Stores Corporation, 768 F.2d 402; 38 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 773 (D.C. Cir. 1985)
• Bishop v. Bell, 19 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) P9131 (D.D.C. 1979)
• United States v. Clarence Arnold, (D.D.C., c.1961)
• Cooper v. District of Columbia, F. Supp. (D.D.C. 1984)
• Haskett v. Washington, 294 F. Supp. 912 (D.D.C. 1968)
• Tygrett v. Barry, 346 F.Supp 1247 (D.D.C. 1972); 543 F.2d 840 (D.D. Cir. 1974); 627 F.2d 1279 (D.C. Cir. 1980)
• Daniels v. Barry, 659 F. Supp. 999 (D.D.C. 1987)
• National Association of Letter Carriers v. Blount, 305 F. Supp. 546 (D.D.C. 1969)
• Local 2677 v. Phillips, 358 F. Supp. 60 (D.D.C. 1973)
• Martin v. Lauer, 686 F. 2d 24 (D.C. Cir. 1982), on remand, 562 F. Supp. 503 (D.D.C. 1983), after remand, 740 F. 2d 36 (D. C. Cir. 1984)
• Mills v. Penn-Central, 329 F. Supp. 530 (D.D.C. 1971); Aff'd. F.2d (D.C. Cir. 1972)
• Oliver T. Carr Management, Inc., v. National Delicatessen, Inc. 397 A.2d 914 (D.C. 1979)
• Washington v. District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure, Civ. Action No. (Super. Ct., D.C. 1973); Halleck v. Berliner, 427 F. Supp.1225 (D.D.C. 1977)
• In the Matter of Alcee Lamar Hastings, in the U. S. Congress and Hastings v. Judicial Conference of the U. S., et al., 829 F.2d 91 (D.C.Cir. 1987)
• United States v. Larez, Crim. No. (D.Mass. 1976)
• United States v. Frank, Crim. No. (D.D.C. 1978)
• Glendening v. Glendening, 206 A.2d 864 (D.C. 1965); Stephenson v. Stephenson, 221 A.2d 917 (D.C. 1966); Farmer v. Farmer, A.2d (D.C. 1969).
• Chandler v. Columbia Hospital for Women, Civil Action No. (Super. Ct. D.C. 1986)
• Bazemore v. Davis, 394 A.2d 1377 (D.C. 1978) (en banc)
• Greene v. District of Columbia, Civil Action No. (Super. Ct. D.C. 1983)
• O'Hare v. Andrus, 613 F. 2d 931 (D.C. Cir. 1979)
• In re Antioch University, 482 A.2d 133 (D.C. 1984)
• Mousa v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., Case No. 1:00 CV 2096 (WBB) (D.D.C. 2001)