Young Lawyers Division 2000-2001
My View
By Henry Hamilton III
Improving Our Image
Public Service and Professional CompetencyThe children in my church were recently asked to share their future aspirations with the congregation. I waited eagerly, peering across the pews, to see which children would boldly stand and proclaim their desire to become a lawyer, a judge, or, perhaps, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. One by one they spoke, approximately twenty in all. "An electrician," said one. "A doctor," said another. "A librarian, . . . a teacher, . . . a police officer, . . . a pastor." I shrugged my shoulders in disappointment as the last child took his seat.
To my complete dismay none of the children stated a desire to become a part of our profession. I looked in astonishment at the other lawyers present that Sunday. Sure, several occupations were denied honorable mention. However, I expected at least some recognition of our profession. After all, life in this country would be a lot different, if not for lawyers. I will not go into a lengthy discussion of contributions lawyers have made throughout history, but anyone with enough sense to tie two laces in a knot, surely must know that lawyers have been and continue to be an indispensable part of the nation's development. I naively assumed that several children would profess a desire to become a lawyer. I always dreamed of being an attorney. I was inspired by our family lawyer. The pursuit of that dream has had long lasting results. I have met a lot of interesting people; I have had many wonderful experiences; and I have been able to help people. Are our youth being robbed of that dream? How can we instill it in them anew?
The restoration of this dream must begin with lawyers. We must take an active role. We must rebuff the arguments of those who make pejorative remarks and jokes concerning our profession. We must continue to emphasize professionalism and civility. The professionalism and civility we express in adversarial matters set our profession apart from other professions.
We must continue our commitment to public service. As Roscoe Pound once stated, "[A] profession is a group of [individuals] pursuing a learned art as a common calling in the spirit of public service." Children have little contact with the legal profession. Their assumptions about it are a product of their environment. Had their parents complained about the service of their attorney (present company excluded, of course)? Had they been misled by media attacks? Were they unaware of the many services lawyers provide?
The exact cause may never be known. However, the result is that they did not wish to become lawyers. The problem is, how well do they know us? We must do a better job of defining "us." We must define who we are. Young lawyers help define the nature of our profession by actively pursuing the YLD's dual goals public service and professional competency. We must work together to maintain our position as the leading advocate for public service and equal access to justice. At the same time, we must continue our commitment to addressing the professional responsibilities and needs of young lawyers.
We are professionals committed to providing service to the public. We are a profession whose members are dedicated to maintaining competency in their practice areas. We are individuals who engage in adversarial relationships with our colleagues, yet have the tenacity to advocate in a professional and civil manner. This is our message, we must proclaim it each day.
Each lawyer must take an active role. We are in this together. An unjustified assault on one attorney is an assault on all attorneys. Likewise, the incompetency, unprofessionalism, or incivility of one attorney reflects poorly upon all attorneys. As youths we were inspired by the attributes of a noble profession public service, competency, civility. We have worked diligently to achieve our dream. We have an obligation to insure the longevity of these attributes, so that others may also be inspired to greatness.
