President's Page
| Publication year | 2011 |
| Pages | 0097 |
| Citation | Vol. 72 No. 2 Pg. 0097 |
ALYCE M. SPRUELL
alyce@tuscaloosalaw.net
"Lawyers understand that differences of opinion can be respected without personal attacks and belittlement of the opponent..."
Making a Statement of Service to Improve Our State and Nation
This issue highlights the service of our lawyers who serve in our state and federal legislative bodies. As the daughter of a former member of our state house and senate, I know what a personal sacrifice their choice to serve can be. These men and women have taken on an obligation that takes them away from their families and their "full-time jobs" to be involved in the work of the legislative body to which they were elected, and also in committees and related work. They miss family dinners, ballet recitals and baseball games because they are attending budget hearings or public forums. They arrive late and/or leave early from school plays or honors day to make it to Montgomery or Washington on time. Add in the public meetings, civic meetings and other events where these servant leaders meet with those they represent, and there is no time left. They work at night, on weekends and while traveling, trying to balance their work, their families and the demands of their elected office. And, as members of our profession, they do all of this with honor, with professionalism and with a commitment "to seek the common good" in the representation of their clients. For these men and women, their clients now include the citizens of our state, for what they do in their elected capacities affects us all.
I thought of our Alabama State Bar Lawyer's Creed when I was preparing this message. The creed makes a statement of belief for our bar to strive for the best in all we do and to do it with honor, with collegiality and with respect for one another, as well as those we serve. The challenge facing the lawyers in these legislative bodies is to serve in an environment where honor and integrity are not sometimes valued. These men and women, as lawyers, act as advocates, as mediators, and as facilitators, because that is what they have been trained to do. They understand that differences of opinion can be respected without personal attacks and belittlement of the opponent because they are lawyers. They understand that to treat their adversary...
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