Boone Reed, 37, is a fifth-generation attorney and a seventh-generation Paducahan. His heritage is nothing short of colorful. His dad, Judge David “Snead” Reed, is an original Buzzard Brother. His mom, the stunningly beautiful Ginger Usher, turns heads wherever she goes. Lucky for his clients, Reed inherited the best of both, and has established himself as one of Paducah’s leading defense attorneys. It's a shame justice is blind when your lawyer is the exceptionally handsome Boone Reed!
Boone Reed, you are cute, cute, cute, no doubt about it! Tell us about growing up in Paducah!
I loved growing up in Paducah. I had a lot of great friends, and we all lived within bike riding distance of each other. That was back in the day before kids had to wear helmets. Friends from college and law school used to ask what it was like to grow up in a small town. Paducah feels pretty big to a 10 year old.
But you went away for a while?Yes, during my high school years I went to The McCallie School, which is a boarding school in Chattanooga.
Because you were bad?
No, not me. I'm an angel! My dad presided over juvenile court, among other things. He became judge during my last year of middle school, which was also the time some of my classmates were getting into trouble and had to go before him. That had potential for some problems. I really enjoyed it. It was like a long summer camp with schoolwork.
And where did you go to college?
Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. I later moved to Louisville for four years where I worked in restaurants and completed two years toward a master’s degree in philosophy.
Philosophy?Yes, my thesis was entitled, "John Paul Sartre and the Phenomenology of Consciousness."
Well Boone Reed, fah-fah-fah-fah-fah-fah! What does all that mean?
It's the study of how we perceive the outside world. We filter experiences through our own consciousness and project those back out onto the world.
Ah-ha! Then what did you do?
Then I went to the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich. I finished law school in 1999. I worked for Bryant and Kautz for one year. Than I worked in the public defender's office for two years before opening my practice in 2003.
Now your daddy, Judge David Reed, is very famous. Yeah, Dad is the Man.
How did he get the nickname, Snead?
I think his mother gave it to him. When I was growing up, he was a farmer. He would have graduated law school in 1966, but he farmed when I was a kid until he became judge in 1983.
He has a tremendous knowledge of the outdoors and just about everything else. he would always take me and my friends on great trips to places like the Current River, Six Flags, South Carolina or hay rides on the farm.
The best part about it was that he would just let us loose, which is another thing you can't do these days. When I was about 8, he let me help him blow up beaver dams on the farm using dynamite. I'm not kidding. He used to pack up my sister and me, perhaps some of our friends, put us in the back of the pick up truck and just ride around. Fun times.
How did he become a Buzzard Brother?Dad and Louis Kirchhoff were the original Buzzards. I specifically remember helping him cook at the West Kentucky Kennel Trials from when I was 4 until I was about 10. Back then they made pits out of concrete blocks. It was a lot more work, and you couldn't cook as much as they do now. I think they cooked 7,000 pounds of meat last year at BBQ on the River. I spent a lot more time with Louis and dad hunting and fishing. When you get those two guys together, they revert back to their childhood.
You know, they started barbecuing when they were students at Vanderbilt, specifically to meet women.
That better not be why they're still doing it.
Hah! Good one, Boone! Did he inspire you to pursue law?
When I would come back to Paducah for the summers during college, people would always tell me how much they liked my dad because of some experience in court. He was a different kind of judge. I think that was when I really started to think about becoming a lawyer. People really have a lot of respect for him. Looking back, everyone did before he became judge. It was just on a much larger scale. They were just really thankful and appreciative of the way he treated them. I changed my philosophy major to pre-law during my junior year.
Now Boone, your mom, Ginger Usher, is gor-geous! Did you recognize her beauty when you were growing up?
Mom is the best. I knew my mom was thought of as attractive when I was growing up, but it never hit me until I was in college.
What happened?I was a pledge in my fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. Every year we had a parents' weekend party. One of my frat brothers was the type of guy who would proposition each and every girl he came across. Everyone knows somebody like this. Not only did he hit on my mother, but he talked about her all week. The other members were in full agreement. The first time I really understood how attractive my mother is, it turned into a bad week for me.
Oh no!
What made matters worse was that I was a pledge, so I had to keep my mouth closed. But yes, many people have told me that my mom is beautiful. And she is!
Too cute! OK, so tell us about a typical day.
My typical day starts with black coffee. All right, every day starts with that. There really aren't too many typical days. I usually have court at least four times a week. I do a lot of criminal and family law. That puts me in court a great deal, and I like that. Then it's usually back to the office for a few meetings and phone calls.
And you specialize in personal injury, criminal defense, divorce cases and estate planning. Do you have any sorts of cases that you prefer over others?
There's not really one case I enjoy more than others. My favorite thing to do is help my clients. There are cases where you really can't do all that much. But even in those situations you can still stand up there and tell a client’s side of what happened and stand by them. If you really want to be appreciated, get someone out of jail. They almost think you are a god, which I know I'm not. But it does feel good.
It's not that I get a whole bunch of cases thrown out. I'm just able to convince the right people that a client has been in jail long enough, or that they don't belong there in the first place. Jury trial work is both excruciatingly stressful and exciting at the same time. I'd say less than 5 percent of attorneys are involved in such work.
What do you do when you’re not lawyering up?I play guitar and golf, but not at the same time. Last year I went to a few Widespread Panic concerts and saw Tool as well. I also BBQ as "Junior" member of the Buzzard Brothers.
Excellent! The next-generation Buzzard! Now Boone Reed, you are so very handsome, no doubt about it. Do women just flock to you?
Well, the truth is, my love life would be considered flat. Maybe I need to get better shoes.
You have nice shoes.
OK, well I think the main problem is that it takes a little while to open up to people sometimes. Once I get to know someone, no problems at all. I have this inability to walk right up to people and look for what they want to hear. I'm not complaining, though. I like who I am. But I'm not the kind of person who is going to sing my own praises when I describe myself.
What kind of gal are you looking for?
It's hard for me to describe what kind of woman I'm looking for. It's an "I’ll know it when I see it" kind of thing. I don't really look for any one thing. About the only thing I can say for sure is that I'm looking for someone nice who enjoys having fun.
After handling so many divorce cases, are you even open to getting married?
Probably everyone in my situation would say the same thing. I would settle down if I found the right person. All I can say for sure is that it's not my intention to be single forever. I actually want settle down more and more as time goes by.
Well Boone Reed, you are just darling. I suspect women will actually go out now and break some laws just so they can hire you to defend them. Buzz on, young Buzzard!
