Affairs of the heart: Mr. Romance Hero and the Frog Prince are lawyersAuthor(s): Wes SmithSource: ABA Journal, Vol. 70, No. 7 (July 1984), p. 39Published by: American Bar AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20757228 .

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Affairs of the heart Mr. Romance Hero and the Frog Prince are lawyers

Brian King is probably the most reluc tant romatic hero since Rhett scorned Scarlett on the staircase.

The 30-year-old Idaho attorney was

recently named one of five finalists in a national Mr. Romance Hero contest

sponsored by Waldenbooks. But when it comes to being a white knight, he'll take armor over amour any day. "I wish I

could make this whole thing disappear," he moaned.

It's not that King isn't a gallant guy around the house in Boise, but pulp romances go against the grain of his

standing as an expert in environmental

law for Boise Cascade. "I'd really hate

for my colleagues to take this thing too

seriously," he said. "It could cause me

pain for many years."

King's wife, Nowell, entered her spouse of seven years in the contest "as

a lark." But now they'd both like to emulate ostriches. "It has grown to pro

portions neither of us expected," said Nowell, a psychiatric social worker.

The couple's efforts to hide from a romance-starved media have been

unsuccessful. "He turned down the local

newspaper and the 'Portland Today Show.' But when the network 'Today Show' called, it was too big a piece of bait," said Nowell.

Not to damage King's credibility as

a serious corporate attorney, Nowell

claims he is considerate, warm and pos sessed of a wonderful sense of humor.

We hesitate to mention the romantic sur

prise that caused Nowell to nominate him for the Mr. Romance Hero contest, which ends in September. But, in case the guys at Boise Cascade are reading, that champagne trip over Paris in a hot air balloon was really a business trip to inspect the treetops of France. He'll

have a brief in a day or two. Let's see,

Nowell, there were conifers, some

maples, a ginko biloba. . . .

Jerry Lipkin has a "yin" for lawyers, but he doesn't think the legal profession is ready for him. A former public defender and criminal lawyer in Oakland, Calif., Lipkin is cofounder of the Frog Prince Conspiracy, a human development group devoted to removing warts from relationships.

Lawyers, in particular, can benefit

from his Real Men/Real Women work shops, said Lipkin. whose wife (now ex wife) gave him the nickname Frog Prince. He left his law practice in 1982 after 13 years to devote more time to his avocation in human development.

"I got interested in developing human potential about 10 years ago and I began to notice that if I used my yin. or softer

Frog Prince Conspiracy founders, Jerry Lipkin and Bliss Kalet.

side. I got more favorable treatment

from the district attorney for my cli ents," he said. "Most legal work is push

push. There is not a lot of heart there."

Workshop participants pay $175 for three days of yin-yang give-and-take.

The workshops attempt to break down the sexual barriers and help men and

women understand each other better by

exposing their soft sides rather than being defensive.

"The last day, when each side pres ents the other with a list of questions, is a very profound scene with laughter, emotion and tears," he said.

Lipkin would like to hold special workshops for lawyers but he said the legal profession "just isn't conducive to romance or softness.

"It would be like walking into a lion's den right now. Many lawyers don't like the fact that a lawyer might do better by showing a soft side."

For those who would like to deliber ate the merits of Lipkin's theory, his next workshop is Aug. 3-5 at Mills Col lege in Oakland. Those who would rather contemplate

less ethereal matters might look to Lipkin's other workshop. His Frog Prince Conspiracy holds monthly meet ings for good-looking people who dis cuss the burden of beauty.

"It's not the biggest problem in the world, but some people have difficulty with being attractive." he explained.

?Wes Smith

July 1984 Volume 70 39

Mr Romance Hero finalist, Brian King, and his biggest fan, Nowell._

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