By Allen Howard
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Old habits are like old soldiers. They never die, they simply fade away.

William A. McClain in his downtown office. (Craig Ruttle photo)

Former Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge William A. McClain, 90, who retired Wednesday after 65 years as a jurist, found himself following an old habit and was back in his law office Thursday.

"I went back in to clear out a few cases and to attend a reception the office gave for me," McClain said.

And guess what. He said he would be back in the office today for awhile.

"I still have a few things to clear out," he said. Spending more time at home means he'll be able to get more familiar with electronic gadgets, including his computer.

"I plan to get busy learning how to operate my computer, sometime today, next week and as long as it takes. My wife will just have to put up with me hanging around the house," McClain said.

McClain attended Wittenberg University in Springfield in the early 1930s, when he was the only African-American student there.

He received his law degree from the University of Michigan School of Law. Over his 65-year career, he worked as a trial lawyer, assistant city solicitor, and in 1963 became the first African-American city solicitor of a major city.

He was an acting city manager and became the first African-American common pleas judge in Hamilton County in 1975.

He retired from the law firm of Manley Burke & Lipton, where he had worked since 1980.

He and his wife, Roberta, live in O'Bryonville.

E-mail ahoward@enquirer.com