Judge Edward T. Gignoux — A Personal Appreciation

Most occasions for encomia about judges occur when the subject has departed the scene of his accomplishments. Happily, the subject of this issue of the Maine Law Review is still with us and likely to be so for a long time. He also happens to measure up precisely to the overused word "paragon." I use it in the original Latin sense of "whetstone," something to sharpen against or to compare oneself with. My thesis is that Judge Gignoux gives observers of any age, but particularly the young, an inspiring role model. This volume is felicitously dedicated. The ever-present problem is how to avoid excessive generality or banality on the one hand and excessive length and detail on the other; how to convey succinctly the essences that ought to be recognized and cherished. My method shall be to sketch a number of facets, hoping that one or more shall strike the reader with particular sparkle.