By Kira Rysiewicz
In a family line of lawyers, Judge Eagleton has carried on the tradition and went on to become a 10th Circuit Court judge and a central Illinois U.S. attorney. In retirement, he and his wife travel nationwide to attend annual conferences with the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys.
From inside the courtroom to conferences across the country
When his plan to be a Naval intelligence officer didn’t pan out, Eagleton decided to go to law school.Pursuing a law career may not have been his first choice, but retired Judge Richard Eagleton has certainly made the most of it.
That decision led him down a path of success, with titles including U.S. attorney, circuit court judge and chief judge, to name a few. Eagleton is a third-generation lawyer, and he experienced law from an early age when his father taught law at the University of Chicago.
“It kind of runs in the family,” said Eagleton. “I guess you would say that as a child I always thought that judges had important positions, and I probably wanted to be a judge all along.”
After three years of active duty in the Navy, Eagleton attended the University of Illinois Law School, where he graduated in 1958. As a new lawyer, Eagleton took whatever jobs he could, which he says included many interstate auto-theft cases. He spent about 10 years as a lawyer and as U.S. attorney for central Illinois before being elected to 10th Circuit judge in 1970.
Eagleton remembers his first day as a judge well. He was sworn in at the Peoria courthouse at about 9 o’clock in the morning, and by 9:30 a.m., he had performed his first divorce.
Most of Eagleton’s most interesting or influential memories seem to come from his days as a lawyer and as U.S. attorney.
“I was the only person ever to be appointed U.S. attorney from Peoria,” he said.
Becoming a U.S. attorney made a big impact on Eagleton, he often gets to share his experiences with others as a member of the National Association of Former United States Attorneys, or NAFUSA.
One such experience remains vivid in Eagleton’s memories, although it managed to escape newspapers. While serving as U.S. attorney, he was contacted by a lawyer he knew well who represented a client who owed the IRS.
“The internal revenue put a lien on his mail at the post office, and they would have an agent get his mail every morning,” he said. “If it looked like it had any money in it or a check, they’d open it up, take the money out, and apply it to his tax obligation.”
Eagleton says he managed to keep the story out of the papers and used his connections in Washington to figure out what was going on.
“That was the nice thing about being U.S. attorney. These top guys in Washington would answer your phone calls. It turned out he very rapidly found out what happened and got it stopped.”
The case was crucial in determining whether or not a person’s mail is considered property, and if they could put a lien on it just like someone’s home or car. It turned out to be illegal, and Eagleton said the IRS, “didn’t do it again ever as far as I know.”
Though his work was often interesting, Eagleton doesn’t miss his days as a judge. He spends his time in retirement carrying on the family law profession, working with the Chicago-based firm Hinshaw and Culbertson at the Peoria office.
“I’m enjoying what I’m doing,” he said.
After 20 years as a judge, Eagleton still speaks highly of the 10th Circuit.
“The bar association is a very friendly bar, both the Tazewell and Peoria, so the lawyers socially get along quite well together, and that shows up in court. [They’re] a pretty civilized group.”
In addition to working at Hinshaw and Culbertson, Eagleton enjoys golfing, attending Cubs spring training and traveling with his wife. They attend annual NAFUSA meetings throughout the country, where he says he enjoys visiting different locations and socializing with younger attorneys.
“I’m probably not necessarily the oldest member,” he said, “but of those that attend the annual meetings, I’m the only one that comes from way back at the Kennedy-Johnson from the 1960s.”
NAFUSA is a way of staying connected to other former U.S. attorneys, listening to renowned speakers and continuing education. In a room full of lawyers, however, he says it’s hardly noticeable that politics are involved, even though most have “deep political roots.”
“Some of my best friends are Republicans, and I’m a Democrat in that organization, and I have a hard time figuring out who’s what. You kind of go by, when were you U.S. attorney? And then you know.”
In a family line of lawyers, Eagleton has certainly upheld the tradition and remained active in the law community. His children, on the other hand, have not.
“I’m sorry to see it happen,” he said.
So while Eagleton’s children won’t be U.S. attorney or chief judge, he’s happy to have filled the shoes of his father and grandfather.
“It’s a nasty job sending people to the penitentiary, but somebody has to do it, and it’s better if somebody does it who has experience in that field of law than bringing someone in with no experience and having them struggle through.”
Around the nation with NAFUSA
As one of 53 lifetime members of the National Association of Former United States Attorneys, Eagleton has traveled to many cities across the country for conferences each year. According to nafusa.org, “The National Association of Former United States Attorneys was founded in 1979 to promote, defend and further the integrity and the preservation of the litigating authority and independence of the office of the United States Attorney.” Eagleton says he really enjoys traveling and meeting with younger attorneys. The conference features continuing education programs, speakers like Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Mayor Rudolf Giuliani, and presentations from people like the attorneys for both Presidential candidates in the 2000 election dispute in Florida and the prosecutor and defense in the Oklahoma City bombing case. This Google Map shows the locations of the conferences for the past nine years where the conferences will be held this year and next year, according to Eagleton and nafusa.org.