Distinguished Lawyer Memorial Honoree

Sterling Hutcheson

Sterling Hutcheson's distinguished career as a San Diego trial lawyer spanned seven decades. He was born in China in 1919, the son of a medical missionary, and attended Princeton. He saw combat in the Pacific during World War II, and then graduated from Stanford Law School in 1948. He became the 13th lawyer at Gray Cary, a firm that now has over 400 lawyers, and was its Managing Partner from 1976 to 1980. Hutcheson spent his entire 53-year career at the same firm, working there until his death in 2001 at the age of 81. He served as mentor to generations of young trial lawyers at Gray Cary, including six future San Diego judges. He was a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the International Association of Defense Counsel, and the San Diego County Bar Board of Directors. He was married for 57 years to his wife Marilyn and was the father of 5 children.