I remember raising my right hand, excited and nervous, ready for the next step. “I do solemnly swear,” I said, we all said, as we took our lawyer’s oath and set off on our careers. I was ambitious and idealistic, exhausted from law school, yet eager to change the world. We raised our hands as graduates with a dream and lowered them as lawyers, ready to fight for what is right, to serve as officers of the court, and to uphold the rule of law.
We are living in a moment of challenge and of change — not only in our profession, but within the broader fabric of our society. Rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and public confidence in our institutions are being tested in ways few generations have experienced.
The reality of these challenges makes me think a lot these days about our oaths. I think of our communal commitment to defend the rights of all people and to promote justice. I square my shoulders and remember that with our pledge we must always remain committed to upholding these fundamental principles, not just in words, but in practice.
The good news? We are not alone in our fight. We have each other, we have history, and we have the State Bar of Michigan on our side.
BUILDING ON HISTORY
Each of us brings our own unique perspective and lived experiences to our work. I am the proud daughter of Palestinian immigrants, raised by my widowed mother, who scraped by with help from family, government assistance and our church. Federal student loans made it possible for me to go to college and I became the first woman attorney in my family.
I serve as a municipal attorney, committed to making our communities better and stronger. I serve as president of the State Bar of Michigan, committed to protecting the public, the profession, and the rule of law.
This is my story, but all 46,000 members of the State Bar of Michigan bring their own unique truth to our work. We are black, white, and brown; we are rich and poor; we work in high rises downtown and in Main Street storefronts.
Our differences make us stronger. But no matter who we are or where we are we, as attorneys, are uniquely positioned to be a powerful force — no matter what challenges we or our country face.
We always have.
Our work today carries on the legacy of those lawyers who penned the foundational building blocks for our American society: Common Sense (Thomas Payne), Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson), U.S. Constitution (James Madison et al), and The Federalist Papers (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay).
We also continue the work of those attorneys who created the change needed to make our country and our world a better reflection of those ideals the rule of law supports: Reconstruction Amendments, the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Obergefell v. Hodges to name a few (all of which involved too many attorneys to name individually).
We stand on their shoulders. As we took our oaths and as we continue our work, we had and we have both a collective and an individual commitment to uphold.
WORKING TOGETHER
The State Bar of Michigan is our partner in this work. Our mission is to promote the professionalism of lawyers; advocate for an open, fair and accessible justice system; and provide services to members that enable them to best serve their clients.
The bottom line: We protect the public.
As our founding president Roberts P. Hudson said (and which has long served as the State Bar’s motto): “No organization of lawyers can long survive which has not for its primary object the protection of the public.”
Protection of the public inherently includes upholding the rule of law in ways both large and small. Here are just a few examples:
The State Bar of Michigan works to improve the justice system and protect an independent judiciary. This includes leading efforts to pass a Judicial Protection Act in Michigan, lobbying for and against proposed court rules as needed, working with partners to combat legal deserts, and advocating reforms to ensure our laws reflect the ideals of our Constitution (e.g. juvenile justice and indigent defense).
The State Bar of Michigan works to improve the legal profession. This includes developing ethical rules and guidelines, addressing attorney mental health and well-being issues, prosecuting the unauthorized practice of law, and leading efforts to improve professionalism and civility within our profession.
The State Bar of Michigan works to educate the public about the rule of law. This includes educating high school and college students about the legal profession through our Face of Justice programs, partnering with the Michigan Center for Civic Education to offer immersive mock trial and legislative experiences, and offering educational resources (michbar.org/ruleoflaw is a personal favorite).
THEN, NOW, AND ALWAYS
Our oath was more than words we spoke. It was more than a day we celebrated. Our oath is our pledge and our bond.
Our oath comes with both privilege and responsibility. We must speak for those whose voices are unheard. We must uphold justice. We must always remain committed to and working under the rule of law.
Our oath reminds us we are stewards of a system that derives its legitimacy from public trust. That trust is eroded when the law is inaccessible, when justice is unevenly administered, and when ethical standards yield to pressure or convenience.
We took that oath. We must stand together. We must stand for justice — then, now, and always.