Law Day Gives Lawyers Chance to Reflect
By Dan Murdock

Sometime during the past year, I was at lunch with Anna Jordan, a secretary and friend who works in the Office of the General Counsel. Her husband, Jeff, is a lawyer. She and Jeff and their three children had just returned from a vacation in Kentucky, where they showed their children the farmland that had been in Jeff’s family for over 100 years. Anna belongs to the Kiowa Tribe and sang at the dedication of “The Guardian,” the statue that sits on our State Capitol dome. For that special occasion she wore full Kiowa dress, which was made by her grandmother. She is rightfully proud of her heritage.

I guess I was feeling a little down that day and told Anna that I was nothing. No family history like Jeff’s. No ascertainable Native American blood. No real identity of ethnicity. Nothing with which I could really identify. Nothing. Anna, as friends do, disagreed but I still wasn’t convinced. Lately, I have thought about that day. I have thought more about that issue. While it is true that I cannot claim the heritage that others might, I have created an identity for myself. I am a lawyer, a member of the legal profession, and share in that great heritage and take pride in our profession.

At this time of year we observe Law Day. We reflect on our legal heritage, on the rule of law in our society, and on the rights and duties that are the basis of our country and our way of life. What greater heritage can one have? So, as we approach May 1, 2004, remember your heritage. Remember the hard work of those members of the legal profession who laid the ground work for the many rights and privileges that hopefully all citizens will enjoy.

Let us remember and appreciate the sacrifices and share the sorrow of those who suffered past injustices. Remember that as we appreciate and celebrate our profession, there is still much work to be done. Only by identifying with our heritage can we create our own identity as we lead the legal profession into the future.

Be proud of your heritage. You are something. You are a lawyer.