2008 Law Day Address - Congressman Jim Marshall

• Publication year: 2008

2008 Law Day Addressby Congressman Jim Marshall^*

Dave, thanks for that kind introduction. It reminded me of how supportive my colleagues on the law faculty were of my campaign to become the mayor of Macon. Unanimity among law professors is a rarity. When it happens, you expect they reached the same result for different reasons. I am certain some of my colleagues shared Dave's view of things. But I suspect others backed me because they felt I had overstayed my welcome at the Law School. I will try not to overstay my welcome today.

President Underwood, Dean Floyd, students, faculty, and staff, fellow lawyers, friends, thank you for asking me to be with you today as we celebrate Law Day and honor the Mercer Law School class of 1948.

We honor the class of 1948 today for the extraordinary accomplishments of its members in the practice of law, their contributions to the Bar, their contributions to the administration of justice, their contributions to government at all levels, and their contributions to Mercer University and the Walter F. George School of Law.

I knew nothing of the class of 1948 when I joined the Mercer Law faculty in 1979. But I did know that a Mercer Law graduate, Griffin Bell, was the Attorney General of the United States. Our immediate past Attorney General¹ would have been well-advised to follow Judge Bell's approach to handling pressure for political favors. I understand that Judge Bell, when serving as Attorney General, would readily take calls from politicians. Then he would post their names on his door and encourage the press to ask those politicians why they had contacted the Attorney General. So much for politicians trying to influence Attorney General Bell's prosecutorial discretion.

Most members of the class of 1948 served in World War II before entering the law school. Professor Jim Rehberg recalled that they "were a serious bunch" in their olive drabs and khakis, in surplus uniforms left over from military service. Many were married with young families. Most satisfied their $250 tuition with that historic leveler: the G.I bill. Yes, you heard me right. Mercer Law School's annual tuition was then $250.

All the military branches were represented. John Hemingway, Doug Barnard, Griffin Bell, and even the baby of the class, Baldwin Martin, served in the Army. George Burkhalter and James Wood were Air Force pilots. Lamar Sizemore, Virgil Shepherd, Jim Rehberg, and Cloud Morgan served in the Navy. John Mattox was a Marine.

Members of this Mercer Law class personally knew the horror of violent combat, personally knew the price of freedom, and personally bled to protect the rule of law. And their extraordinary public service as strategists, advocates, planners, logisticians, and active combatants continued following boot camp at Mercer, but now in our alternative form of dispute avoidance and dispute resolution: the practice of law, our blessed, day-to-day substitute for violence and war.

I have mentioned Griffin Bell's service as Attorney General. Lamar Sizemore served as an assistant Attorney General. Seven members of the class were judges: Griffin Bell, Harold Carswell, Roscoe Lowery, Cloud Morgan, Marion Rainey, John Williford, and James Wood. Jim Rehberg was a law school professor...