A Legacy of Liberty

By Jon K. Parsley

I want to begin by saying how proud I am of the turnout and the things we were able to accomplish at the OBA Day at the Capitol on March 17.

I put out the SOS, and I was honored that almost 400 attorneys heeded the call to service. The OBA had a great day and let its positions on pending legislation be known. The OBA made clear that it would not stand idly by while the rights of the citizens of Oklahoma are taken away. We advanced the cause of liberty, which began with our founding fathers and which has been refined and guarded by other great Americans such as Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln has always been a hero of mine. That is why I am particularly excited about this year’s Law Day theme. This year Law Day celebrates “A Legacy of Liberty,” the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln — president, pioneer, politician and lawyer. The story of Lincoln, who went from a log cabin to the White House, touches on the many parts of his life — rail splitter, shop keeper, soldier and president. What is often overlooked in these stories, however, is the fact that Lincoln was a very successful lawyer. He was prosperous and popular, practicing law for more than a quarter of a century.

Lincoln made several observations about the practice of law that are still good advice today. In an 1850 lecture on the law, Lincoln acknowledged that he had been moderately successful, pointing out that the “leading rule for the lawyer as for the man of every other calling is diligence. Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today. Never let your correspondence fall behind. When you bring a common-law suit, if you have the facts for doing it, write the declaration at once.”

He urged his listeners to practice public speaking as the lawyer’s avenue to the public. “However able and faithful he may be in other respects, people are slow to bring him business if he cannot make a speech.” At the same time, he cautioned young lawyers not to use speech making as an excuse not to handle the drudgery [his word] of the law.

Lincoln also encouraged lawyers to be peacemakers. “Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser in fees, expenses and waste of time. As a peacemaker, the lawyer has a superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.” As apt as those words were when Lincoln spoke them, nearly 150 years later, they still ring true.

Today, Lincoln is recognized for holding the union together and freeing the slaves. His background for his presidential decisions was formed in frontier courtrooms where he worked hard to do his best for his clients. Lincoln represents the best of the legal profession. It is an honor to recognize
his bicentennial with this year’s Law Day. It is also an honor that the Oklahoma Bar Association work hard to continue the
“Legacy of Liberty.”