President's Message
| Publication year | 2011 |
| Pages | 06 |
| Citation | Vol. 80 No. 4 Pg. 06 |
That Thing You Do
When was the last time you contemplated why you became a lawyer? Was it after a particularly tough day, a negative verdict, harsh words from a judge, opposing counsel that was beyond difficult, or the client that simply could not be pleased? I have had all of those kinds of days plus a host of others that made me question my choice of career. Recently, an old song came on the radio that got me thinking about this decision to be a lawyer. The song was "That Thing You Do," which was also the title of a movie produced by Tom Hanks about a band called The Wonders. The movie and the song had nothing to do with the law but the title made me wonder why attorneys do the things (practice law) they do.
Some people become lawyers because of the opportunity to make a good living, others use it as a gateway to a political career, some may desire to become the next Perry Mason, and a few want the ability to exercise power over others. We all know lawyers who were motivated by one or more of those reasons. Recently, I attended the ABA midyear meeting, which gave me the opportunity to associate with attorneys from across our country. We shared experiences and discussed common problems. During these conversations, it was remarkable how often the talk turned to how each of us ended up in law school and engaged in this profession. While each story was unique, there seemed to be a common thread; I realized that the majority of lawyers entered the profession for the joy of helping people solve problems. The satisfaction of helping others was the driving force in choosing a career path, whether it took the form of defending a criminal case, putting together a real estate deal, serving as a guardian ad litem for an abused or neglected child, or crafting an estate plan.
... that he will neither delay nor deny any man his right through malice, for lucre, or from any unworthy desire; that he will not knowingly foster or promote, or give his assent to any fraudulent, groundless, or unjust suit; that he will neither do, nor consent to the doing of, any falsehood in court and that he will discharge his duties as an attorney and counselor of the Supreme and inferior courts of the State of Kansas with fidelity both to the court and to his cause and to the best of his knowledge and ability ...
It has often been said that no higher purpose exists than to...
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