CBA Record

You’re either honest or you’re not. You have integrity or you don’t. To say that someone is “honest most of the time” is not a compliment. Attorneys are officers of the court; we must have integrity; we must be honest all of the time. There are no degrees of honesty. I grew up in Kentucky. You grew up in Georgia. I’m not used to the winters here yet. Are you? I am! Although I’m from the South, I had several military assignments in cold places. My first assignment was in Upstate New York in January. My first week, the wind chill dropped to 70 degrees below zero every night! And it didn’t get above freezing for the first month I was there. So, yes, yes- terday was chilly in Chicago [12 degrees], but I’m pretty adaptable.

were discussed. I was walking back to his office with General Powell. We approached an Army major who had a Joint Staff badge and he was with what appeared to be his parents and grandmother. Rather than walk by, General Powell stopped, shook their hands, and thanked them for their son’s service. I could tell that was a moment they would always remember. It was a nice gesture, the type of thing leaders should do to show appreciation for the work of their staff. You also told the graduates that “there are no degrees of honesty.” What do you mean by that? It’s funny, I got that message one day in a fortune cookie. I was hoping for a joke or some cute saying from Confucius. But I thought about that message, and it’s true:

Profession; (3) Eliminate Bias and Enhance Diversity; and (4) Advance the Rule of Law. Everything we do at the ABA can and should relate to our goals. Have you had a chance to engage with the Chicago legal community? Do you have any impressions of the attorneys here? Yes, and I am very impressed. First of all, the City of Chicago is magnificent. It’s a beautiful city, with a lot to do, and the people are friendly. I’ve gotten to know many local attorneys, and they represent the best of our profession. Our ABA staff includes about 180 attorneys, and they have a real passion for their work. During your commencement address at your alma mater, the University of Georgia School of Law, earlier this year, you told the graduates to “always treat everyone with dignity and respect” and noted that General ColinPowell, the Chairmanof the Joint Chiefs of Staff, knewthenames andbackgrounds of security guards at the Pentagon. The ABA is headquartered at 321 N. Clark. Do you know the security guards there? I do, actually. I chat with [them] at the Clark Street entrance when I come in to work most days. I’m appreciative of the work people do for us, from security guards to our cleaning crew. I tell the ABA staff that I have three expectations of them: (1) to do their best; (2) to do what’s right; and (3) to treat everyone with dignity and respect, always. You worked with General Powell. Can you giveus anexampleof howhe treatedpeople? One day, I had been in a meeting with General Powell in “the Tank,” a highly secure facility where some classified matters A PERSON OF INTEREST “A Person of Interest” is the CBA Record’s new column profiling someone we think you will enjoy getting to know. If you have an idea for someone we should feature, we’d love to hear from you! Send an email to publications@ chicagobar.org.

The Chicago Bar Association CLE in Barcelona, Spain April 7-10, 2015 Plus extend your travel with pre-conference extension to Madrid and post-conference extension to Seville.

Chairs: Judge Thomas R. Mulroy, Circuit Court of Cook County Aurora Abella-Austriaco, Austriaco & Associates, Ltd. Questions? Send an email to Tamra Drees at tdrees@chicagobar.org or phone 312-554-2057. Experience the excitement of Barcelona, Spain while earning 4 hours of Illinois continuing legal education (including 4 PR/MCLE credits, subject to approval) and making countless connections with fellow attendees!

Headquarters Hotel: Majestic Hotel & Spa http://www.hotelmajestic.es

CBA Administrators, Inc.

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