b'Mydadalwayssaid,YoushouldbeaHisaideswouldtravelbackandforthTonySpilotro, lawyer, because I like to argue and get myfrom the Bahamas to clip his fingernails,and Frank Lefty way with any particular issue, says Harris.washhishair,saysHarris.HehadntRosenthal.Later, So, I set my sights on becoming a lawyerbeen seen in years. Theyd share with meGoodmanwent on dads recommendation. how the old man was doing. Tell me howontobecomea grumpy he was. three-termmayor And when Harris sets his sights on a goal,ofLasVegas;hiswife, time has shown that he is apt to let nothingAfter graduating from BYU, Harris tookCarolyn,waselectedmayor distract or discourage him from achievingthe next step in his life plan and attendedafter him and is currently in her third term.it. It is a mindset he first began to developUniversity of the Pacific, McGeorge School whileembarkedonatwo-yearmissionof Law in Sacramento. A strong academicHarrisstayedwithGoodmanfor18 toEnglandthathetookaspartofhisrecord in law school led to his selectionmonths. It was an exciting time for a fresh-Mormonfaith.Theexperienceprovidedas a law clerk intern to Chief Justice Johnout-of-law-school attorney with big plans valuable leadership opportunities and heMowbray of the Nevada Supreme Court. and ambitious aims.learned to focus on setting and achieving objectives. Initially, Harris thought he might combineOne thing Oscar Goodman told me was: hisinterestinbroadcasting,loveofYou know what, Rick, my clients hug me I came off my mission really disciplined,music and the law to become an agent orthrough the bars. Think of that. Hes lost nottobedistractedbyanythingorentertainment lawyer, but he excelled inthe case but he gets a final hug. That always anybody, he says. I kept my eye on thehis tort classes and realized he had foundregisteredwithme.Whatclientswant ball during college and law school to makehis calling. is effort. They want to know that youre sure I got through it without distraction. committed,yourepassionate,youre I understood the ability to get points in awilling to work hard. And they know that AtBrighamYoungUniversitycase, he says. not every case is winnable, but what they inUtah,Harrisstudiedexpectisthatyouregoingtotryyour communications and majoredGraduatingfromMcGeorgein1980,hardest. And that has stayed with me over in broadcast journalism. HeHarris successfully took the California Barthe years. We really try hard to do our best workedatseveralradioand the Nevada Bar in the same week. on every case, win or lose.stations and for a while had hisownrocknrollradioIntending to open his own personal injuryHarris went solo after leaving the Goodman show at night. The exposurepractice,Harrisinsteadtookoneofthefirm, taking any cases that came in the door andexperiencewouldservefew detours in his life when an offer fromas he built up his personal injury practice.himwellyearslaterwhenhetheprominentcriminaldefensefirm turned his attention to marketingGoodman, Oshins, Brown & Singer provedI learned early on to listen andhis fledgling law firm. too alluring to pass up. not be so dominant in therelationship with clients thatOn college break in the summer of 1975,When I got the offer from the GoodmanI missed out on the importantHarrishadtheopportunitytoworkasfirm,Isaidthatissortofaone-waythings the clients were trying toacorporatesecurityguardforHowarddoor, recalls Harris. That opportunity istell me, he says. They areHughess company, Summa Corp. He tellsprobably never going to happen again. looking for you to solve thisthestoryofmonitoringalarmsystemsproblem and youd better exude aonthegraveyardshiftandtalkingwithOscar Goodman was a renowned criminalcertain amount of confidenceaides of the eccentric billionaire businessdefenseattorneywhooftenrepresentedand trust and empathy tomagnate,whobythenwaslivingatdefendants thought to be associated withbe able to take that casetheXanaduPrincessResortonGrandorganizedcrime,suchasMeyerLansky,and bring it home.Bahama Island. 3'