A case study:
Traveling on West's tab, deciding its legal fate
West Publishing Co. is a $600 million enterprise that has dominated parts of the
legal publishing industry for decades. With matters before them that could affect
West's bottom line, numerous federal judges -- including seven U.S. Supreme Court
justices -- have accepted the Minnesota-based firm's largesse, including lavish
trips to exclusive resorts and case awards. Here's a look at West's dealings with
one justice:
The invitation
Lewis Powell, who served on the Supreme Court until 1987, accepted an offer in
1984 to help choose the winner of the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to
Justice Award, a $15,000 prize sponsored by West. At Powell's suggestion, West
held the meeting at Caneel Bay, an exclusive resort in the Virgin Islands, and
picked up the tab for the justice and his wife, Jo.
A suggestion
Soon after the Caneel Bay trip, Powell recommended where the committee should
meet next. In an October 1984 letter to Devitt (excerpted above) Powell suggested
a hotel in Palm Beach, Fla.
The second trip
In January 1986 Powell and his wife headed to Palm Beach; West paid their travel
and lodging expenses. After the trip, Powell wrote West's chief executive, Dwight
Opperman: "It was obvious that Jo and I enjoyed the gathering."
The cases
During this period Powell participated in three decisions involving West. In each
instance, the justices, meeting behind closed doors, declined to review
lower-court rulings that favored the company.
Sharon Schmickle and Tom Hamburger
Washington Bureau Correspondents
