Officially Speaking

Leading Through Understanding

In reflecting on my tenure as one of your three Law Student Division delegates to the American Bar Association's policy-making House of Delegates, I thought of writing about the responsibilities that we, as student leaders, have been blessed with. But eventually I decided that a few encouraging words on using understanding as a building block to success would better serve the Law Student Division.

The following story was sent to me as a chain letter. I believe it speaks volumes to the value of understanding, especially to those in the legal profession.

A soldier was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."

"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."

"There's something you should know," the son continued. "He was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."

"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."

"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."

"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know: Their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful or smart as we are.

As we pat ourselves on the back for the work we've done and the goals we've reached thus far in our career as law students, I would like for us to remember a few things:

• Accept others for who they are and use your differences to achieve a greater good.

• Turn every day into "Work-A-Day" by trying to help someone in need; doing so will only increase your self-esteem.

• Remember that each new day is a gift-that's why it is called "the present"-but what are you going to do with it?

As future lawyers, we have the tremendous challenge and opportunity to be social architects. Regardless of what we deem our life calling to be, we should always strive to make a difference in the lives of others. But to meet such a challenge and live up to our potential, we must begin with understanding.

Best wishes in all your endeavors,

Kenya J.H. Smith
University of Wisconsin Law School
kjsmith2@students.wisc.edu