by David Chapman
Staff Writer
On the 50th celebration of Law Day, it was back to the basics.
That was the overriding theme during the Jacksonville Bar Association’s annual Law Day Luncheon on Monday, when guest speaker Judge William Sessions spoke to the crowd of almost 500 judges, lawyers and other members of the legal community.
However, Sessions wanted to draw specific attention to the new lawyers sworn in at Friday’s ceremony. Five of the 24 lawyers were in attendance, and Sessions said the new lawyers will bear the responsibility of representing the next legal generation.
“It’s the five members who represent the 24 that represent the almost 2,300 (of the Jacksonville Bar Association),” said Sessions. “Take what you’ve learned about rule of law and make it understood.”
Sessions discussed some of his history in the profession while stressing the importance of upholding the legal oath, regardless of the client, and what a lawyer’s jobs entails.
“That oath will not go away,” he said. “You would do well to take out that book, put it on your desk and look at it every day.”
Sessions also addressed a couple dangers of the profession he has seen appear over time, ones that divide associations and make involvement in the law difficult.
Boutique firms, smaller specialized firms and even subsections within larger firms can lead to loosened cohesiveness within an association and often a failure to uphold the legal obligations of the oath, he said.
Innovations that were meant to help with communications and everyday tasks can also sometimes become burdens.
“Technology is the bane of us all,” he said, before holding up a Blackberry.
With it, he said, anyone in the world can contact him and anyone else at any time – creating 24/7 lawyers and a lack of order.
“Even Abraham Lincoln had time to sit back and think,” said Sessions. “Obligations to the family, churches, communities... we’re deprived of it.”
Sessions then touched on the importance of having independent judges, noting that “we’re lost” without them. He said lawyers should support the judges and Bar association.
He ended with a request to see more members of the legal community say what they feel rather than what they think, and he encouraged them to write opinion pieces and editorials to get their voice heard and further fulfill obligations to educate the public.
“Stand up and make it known,” he said. “Just go on and do it.”
Other news and notes from the Law Day Luncheon:
• The Jacksonville Bar Association now has more than 2,000 paying members — enough to qualify the group for a seat at the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates, the policy-making body of the association. “Now we’re finally there,” said Jacksonville Bar Association President Caroline Emery. “This is huge.”
• Foley & Lardner attorney Bob Rhodes was presented the 2008 Lawyer of the Year Award by Jim Bailey, president of Bailey Publishing. “I’m honored, privileged and deeply moved,” said Rhodes during the presentation. “I intend to continue on and I assure you that this is not the end.”
• Speaking of Bailey, he received the 2008 Liberty Bell Award. The award is given to a non-lawyer who has fostered a greater understanding and appreciation of “the rule of law.” Bailey also won the award in 1983.
• According to Salvador, the “Lawsuits” Professional Clothing Drive netted “six SUVs full of clothes” that were recently dropped off at the Sulzbacher Center. During the month-long drive, members of the JBA donated used professional clothing that went to the center’s residents.