John Slate

John Hampton Slate (1913 – September 19, 1967) was an American aviation lawyer and founding partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Early life and education Slate was born in Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, in 1913. His father was a civil engineer who worked in South America and left Slate with the wife's parents, who taught him Welsh before he spoke English. The family moved to Pittsburgh and Brooklyn, where he graduated from high school. Slate received an A.B. from Columbia College in 1935, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and as salutatorian of his class.

He joined the board of Jester of Columbia, where he worked with Ralph de Toledano, Ad Reinhardt, Herman Wouk, and Robert Lax. He also befriended Thomas Merton, who hired him as legal advisor.

Slate turned down a partial scholarship from Harvard Law School and received a law degree from Columbia Law School in 1938. He was an editor of the Columbia Law Review and was admitted to the New York State Bar the year he graduated from law school.

Career In 1938, he became an associate of Root, Clark, Buckner & Ballantine in New York. Skadden won a coin toss with Slate and had his name become the shorthand of the firm.