Vol. 30, No. 2 #1 (April 2007). FROM THE PRESIDENT.

• Author: By Joseph B. Bluemel

Wyoming Bar Journal

2007.

Vol. 30, No. 2 #1 (April 2007).

FROM THE PRESIDENT

WYOMING LAWYER Vol. 30, No. 2 (April 2007) FROM THE PRESIDENT . . . By Joseph B. Bluemel

When I was a child growing up in the railroad town of Carter, Wyoming, nestled in its sage brush valley, and attending what was then called junior high school in Mountain View, I wanted to be a lawyer. I thought all lawyers were trial lawyers. Our class had a very abbreviated version of a moot court competition without the input or involvement of a single lawyer. It was structured entirely by our teacher, Mr. Hamblin. I clearly recall the sting of losing that first "trial." Since I was not easily dissuaded I was wrong, Mr. Hamblin repeatedly had to explain to me that I failed to convince him of the position I advocated and therefore I lost. After repeated explanations I still could not comprehend, and if I could comprehend, I could not accept how a position that was so clear to me and so clearly "right" was not just as clearly understood and accepted by my teacher who acted as the judge and decider. I was certain then if I had a jury I would have won. As the years passed and my education continued, I grew more passionate about pursuing my dream of becoming a lawyer. While the dream itself remained, it changed in complexion from time to time. At one time I thought I wanted to become a "Wall Street" lawyer, but as I matured and began to define my values, the allure of possible financial gain and power could not overcome what I perceived would be the great loss of the "Wyoming" lifestyle with which I grew up. That lifestyle includes the personal contact with friends, neighbors and acquaintances in small communities in a close-knit state. That Wyoming lifestyle I grew up with and still have is one where neighbors can and do rely on each other, and people in the community help each other in times both good and bad. That lifestyle is personal to each of us and is encapsulated in the words of Abraham Lincoln when he said "I am a firm believer in the people." As a high school student I tacked a poster of "Honest Abe" on my bedroom wall. He was seated in his majestic chair framed by the white marble columns of the Washington Monument with those words prominent on the black background of the poster. Little did I know and realize when I selected that poster and carefully...