(Photo: San Francisco attorney Marvin Lewis, 1970s)
An excerpt from Marvin Lewis’s 1992 obit: “Former San Francisco Supervisor Marvin E. Lewis, one of The City’s greatest trial lawyers and the driving force for the creation of BART, died Saturday. He was 84.
“Renowned for his eloquence, persuasive powers and a touch of flamboyance, Mr. Lewis pioneered the legal concept of psychic injury.
“‘This was one of the exemplary lawyers, not only in San Francisco, but around the country,’ said his old friend and colleague Melvin Belli. ‘He had the warmth and spirit of the law in him.’
“Mr. Lewis’ most famous case was dubbed ‘The Cable Car Named Desire’ when he convinced a San Francisco jury to award damages to a young dance teacher who allegedly lost her mental balance after a cable car accident and became a nymphomaniac….”