Lerach's gardener, whose letter was translated from Spanish to English, says Lerach makes "a big pot of coffee" for his workers each morning, and puts out cookies, fruits, juices, and pastries, and sometimes pies baked by his wife.

The lawyer's secretary of 30 years writes that he gave her his Nissan Maxima when he bought a new car, and treated her to a trip to Venice when he married his third wife.

His driver, Frank Cucinotta, writes that Lerach loaned him money to buy a home, "assisted" him in sending his daughter to a private Catholic school, and allowed him to use Lerach's vacation home in Hawaii, offering his frequent-flier miles for an upgrade on the plane. "It may sound corny, but to put it simply—he is the nicest guy I have ever known," writes the driver.

Lerach seems to have a particular affinity for those tending to his aqua life. He loaned $100,000 to the man who services his aquariums so that he could launch his own business.

The 55-page document lists Lerach's many accomplishments, among them the creation of a new verb—to be "Lerached"—a verb not found in Webster's, but very much part of the vernacular of corporate executives, especially in Silicon Valley, where Lerach was known for filing "strike suits" with lightening speed after a company's stock dropped.

"I know of many instances where the fear of being 'Lerached' has motivated a board of directors and/or corporate managers to take a more prudent and responsible course," according to a letter from C. Hugh Friedman, a professor at the University of San Diego School of Law.

There are several letters from lawyers at the Regents of the University of California, the lead plaintiff in Lerach's mammoth class-action suit stemming from the Enron fraud, lauding him for the $7.2 billion he has recovered for the Enron victims.

Several defense lawyers from prominent corporate firms have weighed in. "Defense lawyers across the country may delight in Mr. Lerach's downfall, but we, and the bar, have lost a magnificent adversary," writes Ralph Ferrara of Dewey & LeBoeuf.

Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, and consumer advocate Ralph Nader have also stepped up. But more than a dozen letters were filed under seal, and several media outlets are seeking to open those records.

Lerach's lawyer, John Keker, urged the judge to sentence Lerach to just six months at a minimum-security prison in Lompoc, California, followed by six months of home confinement "fashioned so as to permit Lerach to play an active role in the University of Pittsburgh School of Law's educational program beginning in January 2009."

It looks as though Lerach's teaching career, where he is set to participate in a course on ethics, of all subjects, will have to wait.

"I pleaded guilty in this case because I was guilty," Lerach said before the sentencing, according to the A.P. "It was, as they say, a stupid felony."

Perhaps the opening of his first law lecture? He will have plenty of time to craft the lesson plan.