51 RI Bar J., No. 2, Pg. 17 (September, 2002). Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams Annual Address to The Rhode Island Bar Association June 14, 2002.

AuthorChief Justice Frank J. Williamas

Rhode Island Bar Journal

Volume 51.

51 RI Bar J., No. 2, Pg. 17 (September, 2002).

Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams Annual Address to The Rhode Island Bar Association June 14, 2002

Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams Annual Address to The Rhode Island Bar Association June 14, 2002Chief Justice Frank J. WilliamasIt is truly an honor and a pleasure to stand before this gathering of the Rhode Island Bar Association once again. When we last met in this forum, I reported to you on my first 100 days as your Chief Justice. At that time we were facing many challenges and a number of pressing concerns. Although we have accomplished much in the past year, we now face new challenges.

Seeing all of you here today reminds me of when Alfred Emanuel Smith, Governor of New York, visited Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. All of the prisoners were assembled in the yard to hear him and he began his talk with, "My fellow democrats." Advised that some of the inmates may have other political allegiances, the Governor then said, "My fellow citizens." When told that many had lost their citizenship due to long prison sentences, Governor Smith finally greeted them with, "It is so nice to see so many of you here!"

As I stand before you today, I am more confident than ever that the Rhode Island judicial system (and I include the members of the Bar) is on the way to receiving the respect we so richly deserve as a separate branch of state government. The transition has not been easy, and we still have a long road ahead. However, I am equally confident that the progress we have made and our vision of the courts for tomorrow will continue to earn the respect and affection of the Bar and, hopefully, the public we serve.

Believe me; I have not forgotten what it was like to practice law and the struggles that face you all. In a state with a population of approximately one million, we have over 5,000 members of the Bar who practice law. For the bar exams in July 2001 and February 2002, 203 of the 307 applicants passed the Bar. With this yearly influx of new attorneys, the market has become increasingly more competitive. Despite these tough conditions, the Bar can be proud of the support the Judiciary has received from its members and the efforts of many of you who have worked to accomplish our shared goals and objectives. After all, our attorneys are an integral part of our judicial system.

In many respects, the teamwork and camaraderie among the Bar, the Judiciary, and court staff that has so greatly contributed to our recent progress reminds me of a fable by one of Abraham Lincoln's favorite storytellers, Aesop. In this story the farmer called his family together and told them to lay a number of sticks before him. Then, after laying the sticks parallel to one another and binding them, he challenged his family, one after another, to pick up the bundle and break it. They all tried, but in vain. Then, untying the bundle, he gave them the sticks to break one by one. This they did with the greatest of ease. Then the father said, "Thus as long as you remain united, you are a match for anything, but separate and apart, you are undone."

Let me briefly share with you a progress report of the activities of your Rhode Island Judiciary over this past year. I am very pleased to report that our Judiciary, despite the state's difficult fiscal situation, more than held its own during the budgetary process. Our success is due in no small measure to the unflagging efforts of our administrative staff - or as I call them my cabinet sitting at that table - over the...

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