YLS
YLS Update A Service Profession BY CHARLES W. KIERPIEC McSHANE & BOWIE
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e work in a service profession. Many of us joined in part to use our abilities to help others in pursuit of a just cause. We took an oath: “I will never reject, from any consideration personal to myself, the cause of the defenseless or oppressed.”
passions. We operate at a pace where very few, if any of us, is asked to make an all-consuming commitment to our employer, as can happen in big cities with global firms.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the
And there can be no question service often benefits the giver as much as the But the daily grind, especially for young recipient. Scores of research studies have lawyers in the new economy, can quickly found connections between improved ~ Mahatma Gandhi make us lose sight of those aspirations. In mental and physical health, on the one a stronger economy, other young lawyers hand, and activity in volunteer and I knew were focused almost single-mindedly on honing service projects, on the other. Also, pro bono work is one their craft and trying to keep an imposing workload from of the best ways for a young lawyer to develop a skill set she commandeering other personal goals. Now, we should be can use to develop and specialize her practice. so lucky. We have to work just as hard for much more One easy way for a young lawyer to commune with modest goals, like simply finding a job after graduation. others in community service projects is to become However, the current climate enables us -- almost more involved in the Young Lawyers’ Section. In demands us -- to focus more on how we can use our just the last eighteen months, YLS has established talents to help others. More people are in need of mentorships for over 20 young lawyers; raised at basic legal assistance; for proof, just walk into a least four cargo vans full of clothing and over district courtroom during an eviction session. $2,000 for needy families through its Horn of More lawyers are in need of mentors and Plenty program; had scores of young lawyers employment opportunities. participate in volunteer projects with Habitat for Humanity and Kids Food Basket; and At the same time, most of us have more offered substantial donations to other Grand time to give to pro bono or volunteer projects. Rapids charitable organizations such as More Perhaps because of the recent downturn, Self-Less. Americans are increasing their commitment to volunteering and civic engagement. In 2011, the While ample opportunities are out there for number of volunteers reached its highest level in five all of us to help others in need, I’m not writing years. 64.3 million Americans volunteered in a formal this because it’s always easy to be conscious of it. organization, devoting 7.9 billion hours of time with a Given all of the competing demands on our time value of $171 billion. and livelihood, it can be difficult to remember. But if we do our best to be mindful of what we can So, while each of us is vulnerable to the contribute, hopefully we can be a generation of macroeconomic conditions beyond our control, none of young lawyers that did not just survive a recession, us is a cog. One benefit of practicing in Grand Rapids is but became something better in spite of it. To that it’s easy to see in a relatively short amount of time paraphrase another historic quotation about service, that one person can make a meaningful community each of us can be great because each of us can serve. impact. It doesn’t take long in a town our size to find other lawyers or service-oriented people with the same
service of others.”
grbar.org
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Mar/Apr 2013
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The Grand Rapids Lawyer
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