The Oklahoma Bar Journal January 2024

L itigation & T rial P ractice

Do Right, Fear Not

By Justice Steven W. Taylor Professionalism and the Oklahoma Lawyer

I HAVE SOME VERY STRICT VIEWS ABOUT ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM, and as an old, retired justice, I continue to voice them. I believe the license to practice law is a public trust. Admission to the bar should be strict, strenuous and exacting. Discipline for ethical violations should have one goal: strict, unbending protection of the public and our system of justice.

in American history – the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation – was the dream and the work and the craft of lawyers. Lawyers were there at every advance in social justice, civil rights and human rights. Lawyers were there at every advance in our nation’s history. And today, you are needed more than ever. The courts have become more important than ever in resolving disputes; the courts and lawyers have become the adults in the room on so many occasions. When all other institutions fail, the people rely on lawyers and judges to solve all problems. Our nation is divided on almost every subject: right vs. left, Democrat vs. Republican, MSNBC vs. Fox, urban vs. rural. It has become 50% vs. 50%. It seems that anger has become more pervasive than optimism. We have forgotten how to disagree with one another.

Your law license is not a busi ness license. Your admission to the practice of law is not a commercial opportunity – it is a sacred public trust granted upon your oath before the Supreme Court that allows you to walk inside the bar of courtrooms all over this state to represent clients during some of their most difficult times. You hold a public trust. You are an officer of the court. Your law license is granted with one primary mission, and that mission is to uphold the rule of law. Our country is the only coun try on Earth that exists because of ideas – the ideas of democracy, freedom and the rule of law. Our nation represents ideas – not a race, not a specific religion – and we must never forget that because we are one of the front-line guard ians of the rule of law. And I ask that you remember history. From the founding of our country, lawyers were there at every step. Every great document

In addition to advocacy skills, judges and lawyers are called to use mediation, settlement and compromise abilities. The courts and lawyers are being called to service more than ever – to repair the breach we find in our commu nities. Who does your community call upon in times of need, turmoil or problems? It is usually lawyers. Repairing the breach, from the Book of Isaiah, is a part of our calling. Sometimes, we are called to encourage good communication and recognize, as George Bernard Shaw wrote, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” And in that journey, we must never forget the teaching found in the Book of Micah to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly. I ask that you remember your clients – those who entrust the most important matters of life to you – they expect and deserve excellence from you. You have no

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.

JANUARY 2024 | 7

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL