President ’ s Column |
munity of lawyers .
Inspiration abounds when visiting the historic sites in DC . The exhibits at the Library of Congress and National Archives focused on civil rights , poverty , and of course , justice . Standing next to the Constitution and Bill of Rights and reading the steps that our founders took in memorializing how to establish justice and create a fair society was both humbling and inspiring . All of the memorials and monuments were replete with inspirational phrases , together attempting to put into writing the true meaning of liberty and justice . The memorials for Martin Luther King , Jr . and for Franklin Delano Roosevelt were particularly inspiring . Not only was the FDR memorial extensive and eye-catchingly beautiful , FDR quotes were prominent . Two of my favorites in contemplating why I had traveled to DC to begin with were : “ In these days of difficulty , we Americans everywhere must and shall choose the path of social justice ... the path of faith , the path of hope , and the path of love toward our fellow man " and “ The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much ; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little .”
Every lawyer who is admitted to practice must take an oath to be subject to , and abide by , the laws of the United States and to support the Constitution . All lawyers , whether they be corporate lawyers , transactional
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lawyers , patent lawyers , divorce lawyers , trial lawyers , maritime lawyers , or criminal lawyers , must uphold the rule of law . While the concept is broad , the rule of law is essentially what prevents the arbitrary exercise of power , because all powers are subject to established laws . The rule of law for the United States is laid out in the Constitution , setting forth all of the powers , and checks on powers for each branch of government . Justice can be defined as the determination of rights according to the rules of law , or the quality of conforming to law with impartial administration over conflicting claims or rights . Casually , justice means impartiality or fairness , which is decidedly non-partisan .
Thinking about the dozens of state bar leaders who were assembled for ABA day in Washington , I realized there were lawyers from so many practice areas and so many walks of life who were unified with a single purpose . It caused me to reflect upon my involvement with the Vermont Bar Association as part of what I consider to be a community of lawyers . In the animal kingdom , there are many different group names that are considerably anthropomorphic : family , colony , congregation , school , murder , herd , troop , army , coalition , or bevy . Of the hundreds of group names , no animal group is described as a community , however . A community by definition is a group of people linked by a common policy or interest .
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This strikes me as distinctly intellectual , and it fittingly describes those of us who have taken an oath to uphold the rule of law .
While Vermont lawyers , too , have diverse practice areas and practice locations , we are unified by this oath and the never-ending quest to establish justice for all . Though we don ’ t stop and think about it often , every agreement , every contract , every hearing , every claim , exists in the undercurrent of pursuing what is fair and what is true to the rule of law . And while we may fight about the form justice takes in the best interest of our clients , we are all taking tiny steps in the establishment of justice for our society . In that sense , we are all in the same community , united for a single purpose , just as all of the diverse bar leaders were last week . I have often thought about lawyers in the community as so many of us volunteer with town government , school boards or local activities , but now I find it equally inspiring to think of lawyers as a community as we attend social functions , share wisdom online or in person , and unite under the shared purpose of upholding the rule of law . ____________________ Jennifer Emens-Butler , Esq ., is a partner in the Bethel firm of Obuchowski & Emens- Butler and president of the Vermont Bar Association .
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