The American Inns of Court
| Publication year | 1996 |
| Pages | 41 |
| Citation | Vol. 25 No. 11 Pg. 41 |
1996, November, Pg. 41. The American Inns of Court
Editor's Note:This article describes the advantages of belonging to the American Inns of Court. It is written by its current Foundation president, Judge Patrick E. Higginbotham of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Dallas, Texas, who was a featured speaker at the Colorado Bar Association's recent convention in Vail, Colorado.
Do you recall the last time a lawyer was held up as a benchmark of ethics and professionalism, the last time someone publicly professed a love for the practice? Do you enjoy your work as a lawyer, or have you lost the reasons for becoming a lawyer in the current sea of lawyer-bashing?
Dean Howard T. Markey, former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, once stated, "I believe the day will come when our total society will accept as a given and use daily as a measure the phrase, 'Ethical as a lawyer." But, in the face of such popular negativism toward the legal profession, what would cause someone to have such optimism?
When Dean Markey made this statement, he was chair of the American Inns of Court Foundation. He believes that the American Inns of Court can collectively succeed in raising the standards of practice in this country. And many others believe the same. There are now nearly 300 American Inns of Court in forty-nine states, with nearly 20,000 active members. In Texas, there are eight Inns (one each in San Antonio, Austin, Beaumont and Fort Worth, and two each in Houston and Dallas).
I am willing to spend the time and effort required to serve as President of the American Inns of Court Foundation because I think the work is so very important. As I have stated on more than one occasion, the phenomenal Inns of Court movement reflects more than a crying need for technical competence in courtrooms throughout the country. This movement is carried by a felt need to save our professional souls.
Other legal organizations have felt this need, as well, and are looking to the American Inns of Court as a real solution. The Conference of Chief Judges of the United States recently unanimously endorsed the American Inns, urging judicial participation. Chief Justice Rehnquist is a strong supporter and member of an Inn of Court, as was Chief Justice Burger. Several other...
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