Shakespeare, Lincoln and Lawyers: Protecting the Rule of Law

By D. Kenyon Williams Jr. 

“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” – Dick Butcher to Jack Cade in William Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 2, Act 4, Scene 2, Lines 71-78

In context, Jack Cade was describing to his henchmen all of his plans for England if he could overthrow and replace the king. Some of Mr. Cade’s ideas were for the king to set the prices for basic necessities – like food (cheap bread) and beer (making it illegal to drink small beers) – to do away with the existing monetary system and to dress all the people in the king’s mandatory clothes (so all the people would be like brothers and worship the king). Mr. Butcher’s statement about killing all the lawyers was either 1) a comedic quip to the effect that getting rid of all lawyers would be another benefit to the citizens of the revolutionary kingdom of which Mr. Cade wanted to be king or 2) a serious suggestion to Mr. Cade as a way to advance his revolution by removing supporters of the existing legal system. My interpretation is that Shakespeare intended for his audience to understand that Mr. Cade was making a joke with a core concept that everyone disliked lawyers, which tells me that lawyers have had public relations problems for a very long time!

However, Shakespeare’s discussion of the concept of attacking lawyers as a way to attack the rule of law recognizes that lawyers are defenders of the legal system, and one way to undermine the existing legal system is to attack lawyers. It is also an early reminder that lawyers are critically important in defending the rule of law and helping educate the public about the very important role the rule of law plays in every level of life and government.

Young Abraham Lincoln was a staunch advocate for the rule of law. Here is an excerpt from his address to the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, on Jan. 27, 1838:

Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of this country; and never to tolerate their violation by others. As the patriots of '76 did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor – let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the character of his own, and his children’s liberty. Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe, that prattles on her lap – let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges; let it be written in primers, spelling books, and in almanacs – let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars.

The future President Lincoln’s words seem to me to be an expanded version of ancient wisdom for a people and a country to remember principles upon which their way of life was founded and protected: “Teach them to your children; talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up; tie them as symbols on your hands and attire; write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

In a 2022 survey by the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania,[1] findings showed that:

• Less than half of U.S. adults (47%) could name all three branches of government, down from 56% in 2021 and the first decline on this question since 2016.
• The number of respondents who could, unprompted, name each of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment also declined, sharply in some cases. For example, less than 1 in 4 people (24%) could name freedom of religion, down from 56% in 2021.

Thursday, May 1, is Law Day, and the 2025 theme is “The Constitution’s Promise: Out of Many, One.” Please consider reaching out to schools and organizations in your community to speak on civics and the rule of law. Many of us remember being called upon regularly to speak at public schools or chambers of commerce on the role of lawyers, civics and government. Somewhere along the way, those calls stopped for me. Maybe you never had the opportunity. Now is a great time to reengage with young and older members of our communities.

Another opportunity for you to get involved in supporting the rule of law occurs this month. In my February message, I mentioned that the Board of Governors and many of our members will meet on March 25 for this year’s OBA Day at the Capitol. It’s a great opportunity for you to reach out to your local legislators and offer your area of expertise on upcoming legislative issues.

Your time is precious, and the days seem to fly by. I understand the time you invest in volunteerism in your communities, local bar associations and the OBA is sacrificial. Thank you!

D. Kenyon “Ken” Williams Jr. is a shareholder and director at Hall Estill in Tulsa.

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ENDNOTES

[1] https://bit.ly/4gHaz5o.

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Originally published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal – OBJ 96 Vol 3 (March 2025).

Statements or opinions expressed in the Oklahoma Bar Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oklahoma Bar Association, its officers, Board of Governors, Board of Editors or staff.