Talk:Mary Beck

Use of Doctor Inappropriate

Mary Beck was a Michigan lawyer. In the United States, lawyers are addressed as Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms., as the case may be, and not as doctor. As was customary in the 1930's, Miss Beck received the LL.B. degree (Bachelor of Laws). By the 1960's, in the United States, most law students were required to have a bachelor's degree as a prerequisite for admission to law school, and it was perceived as unfair to give them a second bachelor's degree. Thus, law schools began issuing J.D. (Juris Doctor) degrees as the first law school degree. Lawyers such as Miss Beck, who previously had received the LL.B. degree, were given the opportunity to exchange the LL.B. degree for a J.D. degree. Thus, it is incorrect to say that she "earned" a J.D. (she earned the LL.B., which was later replaced with a J.D.), and it is not proper to refer to her as doctor, as lawyers in the United States do not follow that custom.John Paul Parks (talk) 17:30, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

Reference to Louis Miriani

Several years after Louis Miriani left the mayor's office, he was convicted of tax evasion and was sent to prison, but there is nothing to indicate that there was any scandal during his time as mayor. Miss Beck, on the other hand, while serving as President of the Detroit Common Council, tried to run her brother as Mayor, who lost, in what was perceived as an effort by her to grab control of the city.John Paul Parks (talk) 15:29, 2 April 2013 (UTC)

Miriani's conviction was for using part of political contributions for personal use, a matter the Miriani contended was common among politicians at the time and done without criminal intent. After he served his sentence he ran for Detroit Commin Council and received thr highest number of votes, making him President of the Council, where he served honorably. 2601:410:8181:960:21BF:E892:C775:2B5E (talk) 17:31, 13 October 2024 (UTC)