▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁Lil ient hal ▁assist ed ▁criminal ▁defense ▁law y ers ▁Clar ence ▁D arrow ▁and ▁Arthur ▁Gar field ▁H ays ▁in ▁their ▁successful ▁defense ▁of ▁Dr . ▁O ss ian ▁S weet , ▁an ▁African - American ▁phys ician ▁tried ▁in ▁Detroit ▁for ▁killing ▁a ▁white ▁man ▁who ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁mob ▁that ▁attacked ▁S weet ' s ▁home . ▁After ward , ▁Lil ient hal ▁wrote ▁about ▁the ▁case ▁and ▁issues ▁of ▁self - def ense ▁in ▁an ▁article ▁published ▁in ▁The ▁Nation . ▁ ▁Lil ient hal ▁left ▁Rich berg ' s ▁firm ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁to ▁concent rate ▁on ▁public ▁utility ▁law . ▁ ▁He ▁represented ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Chicago ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Smith ▁v . ▁Illinois ▁Bell ▁Tele phone ▁Co ., ▁ 2 8 2 ▁U . S . ▁ 1 3 3 ▁( 1 9 3 0 ), ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁decision ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁ref und ▁of ▁$ 2 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁tele phone ▁customers ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁over charg ed . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁Lil ient hal ▁also ▁edited ▁a ▁legal ▁information ▁service ▁on ▁public ▁util ities ▁for ▁Com merce ▁Clear ing ▁House . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁Wisconsin ' s ▁reform - mind ed ▁Republican ▁governor , ▁Philip ▁La ▁Fol lette , ▁asked ▁him