President's Message, 1021 UTBJ, Vol. 34, No. 5. 9

Authorby Heather L. Thuet
PositionVol. 34 5 Pg. 9

President's Message

Vol. 34 No. 5 Pg. 9

Utah Bar Journal

October, 2021

September 2021

Cats, Lawyers, and Zoom

by Heather L. Thuet

"I'm not a cat," said the sad eyed kitten: a lawyer having Zoom difficulties in the midst of the pandemic in February 2021. Courts usually don't let cats argue cases, and oral arguments rarely go viral. But the video was shared widely and brought joy to many. The kitten, err, lawyer, Rod Ponton, said he was happy people got a much needed laugh.

While lawyers may not always be seen as soft cuddly kittens or puppy dogs, we can and should take steps every day to enhance the experience of those around us and ourselves.

Love Your Lawyer Day is November 5,2021.

Yes, it is a made-up holiday created in 2001 by a Florida lawyer named Nader Anise, a legal marketing specialist, who wanted to create a day designed for the simple purpose of honoring and respecting lawyers. In 2015, the American Bar Association made it official, declaring the first Friday in each November "Love Your Lawyer Day."

It couldn't have come quickly enough for Anise. "Lawyers are basically vilified in society and by society, mainly for just doing their job," he told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I just wanted to create a day to say to lawyers, 'Thanks, for doing a good job,' especially those who give access to justice."

So why should people "love their lawyers"? What is it that makes lawyers, and what we do, loveable? And how, exactly, does one celebrate "Love Your Lawyer Day"?

Lawyers have been embedded in the fabric of society since the beginning. Of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence, twenty-five were lawyers. The fifty-five framers of the Constitution featured thirty-two lawyers. Of the forty-six presidents of the United States, twenty-seven were attorneys. Clearly, this nation of laws had at its foundation some of the greatest legal minds ever known.

You won't find an arena in which lawyers do not participate. Lawyers are entrepreneurs, politicians, and statespeople. We are members of the media, professional athletes, farmers, and religious leaders. Oh, yeah, we are also neighbors, friends, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, parents and grandparents. In short, attorneys have a lot going on. We deserve a day.

The ABA suggests celebrating "Love Your Lawyer" day by contacting one or more lawyers and telling them you appreciate them, making a...

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