In 1956 Harper's magazine profiled the cream of America's lawyers, the partners of large firms (fifteen or more partners) who oversee the legal affairs of corporations, financial institutions, and wealthy individuals. Most large cities had at least one of these firms, but more than half of them were located on or near Wall Street, New York City's financial district. These lawyers were the most highly paid in the country, and they wielded considerable influence for such a small segment of society. As Harper's reported, "Graduates of Wall Street firms are presently Secretary of State, Ambassador to Great Britain, Chairmen of U.S. Steel and Chase-Manhattan Bank. Among the present crop of partners in Wall Street law firms are men who were recently Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force, our Special Negotiator in Korea, head of our delegation to the United Nations General...