Over one hundred years ago, a young man named William C. Gebhardt was admitted to the bar and began the practice of law in Clinton, New Jersey. He almost immediately gained prominence as an aggressive young attorney who took delight in doing battle against large corporations. His professional successes led to considerable local fame and then to politics. He served three successive terms in the State Senate, was a statewide leader of prohibition forces, and was appointed Clerk to the Supreme Court by Governor Woodrow Wilson. As his children, Reading, Philip, and Elinor, came of age, they joined him in the practice of law and ultimately formed the firm now known as Gebhardt & Kiefer.
William C. Gebhardt's career as an attorney was a monument to legal professionalism and dedication to his clients. These attributes led the Hunterdon County Democrat to editorialize on his death in 1929:
"In the legal field, Senator Gebhardt established a reputation that was statewide. He illustrated to a remarkable degree that the small town lawyer need by no means confine his clientele to a small field or cases of little moment, although he was as careful in dealing with the affairs of the small client as with the big one."
In its history spanning three different centuries, Gebhardt & Kiefer has had its offices at four different locations. It is thought that William C. Gebhardt's original office was in the upstairs of the small frame building which still exists at the southwest corner of Leigh and Main Streets in Clinton. He later moved to the upstairs of the building which is on the northwest corner Leigh and Main Street then known as the Clinton National Bank. In 1954 the firm moved to 19-21 Main Street, Clinton. In 1988 the firm relocated to its present facility at 1318 Route 31, Clinton, New Jersey.
