A Profile
in pro f e s s io n ali s m
n November, the Texas Board of Law Examiners announces the new lawyers who have passed the Bar. In my firm, as in many others, we open champagne and congratulate our new attorneys. Because I am the office Managing Partner, I make the toast – and it begins with welcoming them to the greatest profession in the world. Our “sacred calling” is thousands of years old. In every society, in every time – law and lawyers have formed the building blocks of civilization. From Moses’ Ten Commandments to Hammurabi’s Law Codes, every society has sought a system of laws and a means of accomplishing justice. Ancient Egyptians thought legal instruments were so important, they preserved them in their tombs! As American lawyers, we continue the proud tradi-
tion of John Winthrop, Margaret Brent, John Adams (my favorite), Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Webster, Abraham Lincoln, Thurgood Marshall and other great lawyers who have built our country. Although we may not write a constitution or challenge a king, each of us can, with honesty, candor and fairness, aid the system of justice and walk in the shoes of our professional ancestors. Our transactional lawyers negotiate deals, grow companies and strengthen America’s economy. Our litigators enforce rights and litigate disputes so that our citizens can obtain redress and achieve justice. In cynical times, we can forget the magnificent record of our profession. It’s incumbent upon all of us to remember our history and to rise to Cicero’s challenge “to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
thehoustonlawyer.com
September/October 2015
The Houston Lawyer
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Lisa Pennington Managing Partner, BakerHostetler
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