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More than a year ago,
Fred Ursery, then President-Elect of the Arkansas
Bar Association, contacted me on one busy afternoon
and invited me to Chair the Board of Governors of
the Association. I had two immediate thoughts, neither
of which I expressed to Fred: 1) Why me? and 2) Why
would I want to preside over meetings that typically
involve a couple of dozen lawyers charged with the
responsibility of conducting the business of an Association
that has almost 5,000 members?
Fred did not simply
extend the invitation, he enthusiastically encouraged
me to accept the invitation. I told him, "Let
me think about it."
I decided that it really
didn't matter to me why I was invited, the real question
was whether I should accept the invitation.
In determining whether
I should donate the time and energy necessary to fulfill
the responsibilities that would go along with accepting
the invitation, I reminded myself that sometimes opportunity
for improvement carries with it greater responsibility
than we might prefer to accept.
Greater than half of
my term as Chair of the Board of Governors has now
been completed, and I am pleased to report that the
Governors have done an admirable job of attending
to the affairs of the Association. I have been particularly
impressed with how a group with such diverse clientele,
backgrounds, and interests have been able to resolve
disagreements and focus on making decisions that place
priority on the best interest of the Association and
the legal profession. They have managed to disagree,
without being disagreeable.
During my tenure as
Chair, Association President Ursery extended a second
invitation to me: He invited me to write an article
for The Arkansas Lawyer. I asked him, "About
what?" He told me that I could decide. I told
him, "Let me think about it."
In preparing to write
this article, I have reflected on my past 25 years,
or so, as a lawyer and a member of this Association.
It has occurred to me that there is cause to celebrate
the state of the Association and the Arkansas legal
community in 2005 as compared to 1978, when I became
a lawyer.
In 1978, the topic of
diversity generally only arose among Association members
in connection with discussing whether diversity of
citizenship existed in a particular case and thereby
allowed suit to be filed in Federal court. Now, the
topic of diversity is discussed within a different
context. The Association recognizes that we are bound
by the desire to see the profession thrive and that
collaboration among many often results in better ideas.
Diversity is not limited
to race or gender or ethnic background; rather, it
is the face of anyone who looks, thinks, or acts different
than me. It might mean physical appearance, age, disability,
lifestyle preference, or social class.
I am excited about the
progress the Association is making in becoming more
inclusive, and I invite and encourage all members
of the legal profession to commit to making a genuine
effort to overcome the obstacles that divide us.
As we reach out and
comprehend and appreciate the differences in our backgrounds
and subcultures, we will learn along the way and become
better suited to represent a broader range of clientele.
We are better educated
in the area of critical thinking skills than any other
group in society. We have chosen to be leaders by
virtue of the fact that we chose to become lawyers.
Someone looks to each of us for leadership. We decide
the quality of that leadership.
I invite you to utilize
every opportunity to foster understanding and acceptance
of all people. Each person's positive effort is important,
no matter how insignificant the effort may seem. Although
opportunity is sometimes challenging, take time to
make the effort and it will make a positive difference
in the image of the legal profession.
It is a privilege to
be a lawyer. The Association, through its meetings,
seminars, and training sessions, better equips lawyers
to deal with everyday legal problems and procedures
and also provides opportunities for interaction between
persons who otherwise might never come in contact
with each other.
I invite the seasoned
members of the Association to encourage less active
members to share in the leadership of the Bar. I invite
less active, new, and potential members of the Association
to exhibit a willingness to accept leadership roles.
We should pat ourselves
on the back and be proud of what we have accomplished;
however, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the
journey is far from being completed.
You are invited to take
the time to visit with someone who you perceive to
be different than you; you might be pleasantly surprised.•
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