CBA Record July-August 2020

our oaths to defend the United States Con- stitution if we are unwilling to speak out when its principles are blatantly violated? Principles and values are not measured by a sliding scale. We cannot be protectors of justice and then turn a blind eye towards those who are denied it. Lawyers and judges are uniquely qualified to remedy injustice, and many of us work in areas of the law that can materially advance the quality of life of others. So how can we help remedy these enor- mous problems? We can start by making a difference in our own respective corners of the world, however you define that corner. I am asking every member of the Chicago Bar Association to join me in recommitting to and focusing on the principles inher- ent in the name Chicago Bar Association: Chicago, the Bar, and Association. I am asking that you make a difference in your corner of Chicagoland. Dedicate yourselves to using your legal skills to assist Chicagoland residents. Our organization bears the city’s name, and its residents need us now more than ever. Give a free

virtual seminar that’s open to the public. Give a workshop at your place of worship or at a community center in your areas of practice. Provide pro bono legal assistance, small or large, because not all pro bono work requires a long-term commitment. Begin by taking a tangible step by using your legal acumen to improve the life of just one Chicagoland resident. I am asking every CBA member to re- commit to our Bar, by making a difference in your corner of the legal profession. Law- yers are lifelong learners. The pandemic has materially changed the legal profession; use your CLE in a meaningful way to stay cur- rent. Or, improve the Bar by teaching what you know to others. Law is an apprentice profession; bring other attorneys along by facilitating their growth. Invest your time and talents into less experienced lawyers the way you would have liked someone to have invested their time and talent in you. I am asking every CBA member to re-commit to the principle of association. Make a difference with your relationships in your corner of the world. If we have

learned to appreciate anything from the pandemic, it is the importance of human contact. Join me in re-establishing personal alliances and professional contacts and in building new relationships across diverse lines. In addition to the relationships you have already established, extend your hand in friendship to others beyond your prac- tice area and beyond your racial, cultural, or religious background. I am encouraged by the vast numbers of diverse people who have flooded streets across the globe after the murder of George Perry Floyd. Our nation is greatest when we diligently work together for everyone to have access to the opportunities that ensure life, liberty, and happiness. I will work tirelessly on behalf of the Chicago Bar Association to advance each principle espoused in its name. In the words of the late United States Represen- tative Shirley Anita Chisholm, “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” So, CBA members, let’s go!

Good with Words Writing. Editing. Persuasion.

Patrick Barry is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan Law School and a visiting lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School. His teaching accolades include the Wayne Booth Prize for Teaching Excellence, the Provost’s Innovation in Teaching Prize, and an Outstanding Research Mentor Award.

Four online courses in:

Word Choice and Word Order Structure and Organization

Drafting Revising

Enroll now at online.umich.edu/go/goodwithwords

CBA RECORD 7