Mark Fruehauf is a great guy, and an impressive legal thinker.
During the past two years of my undergraduate career, I have had the privilege of working closely with Fruehauf as both a collegiate mock trial participant and as a research intern at his firm.
During my time working for Fruehauf and under his tutelage in mock trial, I have been able to make several key observations of him that I believe makes him especially fit for the district attorney role here in Douglas County.
First and foremost, he is one of those special people who, in his role as a litigator, you can rely on without hesitation to separate his personal feelings and those of others from the law. More impressive, though is his ability to, in the same role, be a thoughtful community member and victim’s advocate who is compassionate enough to understand and empathize with people’s problems. Fruehauf has this great ability to get to the bottom of what is going on through dedicated and thorough examination of both sides in a case. He is always seeking a fair and equitable resolution.
While I was writing this piece, I couldn’t help but start thinking about what it would be like to be an alleged criminal prosecuted by Fruehauf.
Even though I know him personally, I don’t think he would cut me a break I didn’t deserve. I don’t think he would “pull punches” if I decided to fight a case with clear evidence of wrongdoing. At the same time, though, I think if I had a really good, supportable reason, he would at least empathize, and I think he would do the same for any member of this community.
I believe Fruehauf is the type of person who loves the law. I can remember the first time he lectured the mock trial team on the “rules of evidence,” a subject that to most people - even those with legal interests - is groan-worthy. During that lecture, Mark seemed (almost bizarrely) to glow with happiness. On old adage proclaims: “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.” If this is true then Fruehauf has never worked since becoming an attorney; I want to be like him one day.
Randy J. Bender,
Superior
