Love of the Law
| Publication year | 2013 |
| Pages | 5 |
In and Around the Bar CBA President's Message to Members
Love of the Law
BY W. Terry Ruckriegle
I am blessed, truly blessed. I am proud to be first an attorney, then a judge. Now, I am honored to serve as President of the Colorado Bar Association. It's no easy matter following Mark Fogg-who calls being CBA President (and means it) the best experience of his career. It is somewhat formidable, in fact, to be stepping onto the same path that he trod with such ease.
This account is part and parcel of the development of my love of the law. I hope it will conjure your own personal recollections of how and why you became a member of this most honorable profession. Just as being a spouse or a partner, or being a parent or a best friend, has its challenges, being a lawyer or a judge is not always easy. It is all about relationships in progress.
My Brief Reminiscence
In the seventh grade, on a weekly basis, my exchange teacher from Tasmania had us present snippets on current affairs. That, along with my Gettysburg battlefield diorama project, almost kept me out of trouble! Okay, I'll be honest, I talked too much in class. Then, when I was in the eighth grade, I learned that I liked the law. I became fascinated by it through my interest in history and the political figures around me. Of course, I didn't really know what it was about-but do we ever? Later, at 13, I got to be mayor for a day, and that (along with my neighbor, who was on the county commission) really launched me on an adventure in learning about local politics. At that age, I usually read the local and state political stories first, then the world affairs. That was 1960, when the election of John F. Kennedy gave hope to the young, and those who felt disenfranchised changed politics.
From the Press to Political Science to Business to Insurance to Law-A Winding Path
On November 22, 1963, everything seemed to come crashing down. The President of the United States was assassinated. At the time, I was involved in "freedom of the press" for both the school newspaper and yearbook. We soon experienced race riots and turmoil at home while getting entangled overseas. College brought greater exposure to divergent views and pressure to be "on one side or the other."
It all seemed confusing, so I switched from political science to business; I wanted to be able to get a job if my law school dream didn't work out. But business law concepts and accounting principles were hard to get through my thick skull, so I switched majors again-this time to insurance. After all, everybody needs...
To continue reading
Request your trial