Hartford — A Connecticut attorney is still defending clients at age 99.
Morton Katz serves as a special public defender in Hartford Superior Court, working on a contract basis with the state.
Katz became a lawyer in 1951 after serving in World War II. He is a magistrate for small claims cases, does free legal work on civil cases for Statewide Legal Services and provides free legal assistance to other veterans.
He does almost all of his work in person and over the phone, rather than using computers. But he impresses far younger colleagues with his sharpness of mind and recall of detail. And he has no plans to retire.
He says he dedicated himself to public service after an uncle, who put Katz through college, refused his offer to pay him back.
Superior Court Judge Omar Williams says Katz is an exemplary public servant and a "fine example of what humankind has to offer."