A Profession of Service

Excerpts from Gov. Brad Henry’s May 13 Commencement Speech at the University of Oklahoma College of Law

A career in law is more than a good profession – it’s a noble profession. It is nothing short of a calling, its brick and mortar being the very foundation of our democracy. And yet, to put it delicately, ours is a profession not always so widely appreciated. Attorneys, at times, are vilified as being contentious and heartless, greedy and deceptive. We are all familiar with the lampooning of our profession. Chances are you’ve heard plenty of lawyer jokes, and chances are you will hear plenty more.

Unfortunately, there is harbored in our popular culture, a negative perception about attorneys. That’s why it is incumbent upon you to recognize your unique responsibility as ambassadors of the legal profession. You cannot be a “little bit” ethical or have “some” integrity. You cannot exemplify professionalism “for the most part.” Attorneys are held to a different standard, a higher standard – and, frankly, that is as it should be.

This may sound a bit exaggerated or high-minded, but I fervently believe that, as attorneys, we have a duty to ensure the sanctity of civil order, the guiding principles of our democratic society. We are the standard-bearers of ideals established and extolled by the likes of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams, John Marshall and others – all of them lawyers, by the way. Liberty, equality and justice are more than buzzwords. They are living, breathing values that exist in the real world precisely becauseof the law – and those sworn to serve it.

When I first began my law practice, I remember someone told me that an attorney really only needs one client – provided that client is rich, mad and wrong. I rejected that sentiment, and I would advise you to reject it, too. Lawyers give voice to the voiceless, power to the powerless and justice to the unjustly treated. Attorneys level the playing field. As Tocqueville wrote in “Democracy in America” in 1835, “I cannot believe that a republic could subsist at the present time if the influence of lawyers in public business did not increase in proportion to the power of the people.”

There are some lawyers, certainly, who deserve the denunciation they get from the public. For them, the profession of law has become the business of law. Sadly, profits – and not the betterment of society – are the bottom line. For them, the phrase “pro bono” is meaningless. I urge you to resist that path. Do not be like those lawyers. You have a responsibility other than to yourself. The true business of law, as Archibald MacLeish wrote, is “to make sense of the confusion of what we call human life – to reduce it to order but at the same time to give it possibility, scope, even dignity.”

If there is one thing I have learned from my years as an attorney, as well as a public servant, it is the importance of finding common ground. Whether in a court of law or the court of public opinion, grandstanding is a poor substitute for grand solutions. Work together when you can, and you will be surprised by what is possible.

I grew up in a family that held public service in the highest regard. My late uncle, District Judge Lloyd Henry, used to call public service “the rent you pay for the space you occupy,” and that sense of responsibility really stuck with me. I hope it sticks with you, too. I think it will. In fact, I am encouraged that so many members of this class donated more than 2800 hours to law-related services. That is a wonderful testament to your level of commitment to public service – to paying rent – a commitment that should, despite your personal success, continue to grow. Regardless of whether you end up practicing in the private sector or in public service, whether you wind up in a big firm in a major city or in a small town as a sole practitioner, you cannot practice law in a vacuum. You must reach out. You must be connected to your community. You must practice a profession of service rather than a business solely for profit. You must pay your rent of service to others.

Stay engaged in the world. Take an active role in it. It will make you a better lawyer – and, more importantly, it will make you a better human being.

If you know of an individual or organization that should be recognized for its pro bono efforts, please let us know. Submissions should be forwarded to probono@okbar.org or Pro Bono Services Subcommittee, c/o Judith Maute, University of Oklahoma College of Law, 300 W. Timberdell Road, Norman, OK 73019-0701.