John Hyde’s love for the law blossomed in dusty Abilene, where he grew up in the 1950s. And he’s not kidding about the dust; the dirt in the air of the drought-gripped town was so thick, it was hard to see, he says.

“A lot of dust blew in the ’50s, and people drove in the daylight with their headlights on. That drought didn’t break until ’57 or ’58. And I was in high school before that drought broke,” Hyde says.