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"The only thing that doesn't abide by majority
rule is a person's conscience"
- Atticus Finch, To
Kill a Mockingbird
During a recent interview,
I asked the law student sitting across from me what
made her choose law school. Without hesitation, this
young woman proudly told me about her passion for
helping others who were disadvantaged and underprivileged.
She said when she really thought about it she found
that what the majority of disadvantaged people needed
most was legal relief. Sometimes that relief came
in the form of changes in the law, she explained,
and sometimes it came in the form of legal representation.
Either way, she said, what they needed most was a
voice to be heard. She told me she chose law school
so she could help, whether it be by getting laws passed
or amended or by being someone's voice in a courtroom.
As I stared at her in wonder, all I could think was:
Wow, this person is amazing!
I left that interview
truly inspired; something I had not expected to happen
during a day filled with law student interviews. This
young woman, however, had a spirit reminiscent of
Harper Lee's unforgettable character, Atticus Finch,
in To Kill a Mockingbird, and her passion for
the law was infectious. She made me proud of my profession,
and she made me think about the things we as a young
lawyers section should take pride in and value as
a whole.
Not all of us chose
the legal profession as a result of some deep profound
desire for social change. Take me for example. I chose
law school primarily because as a 21-year-old soon-to-be
college graduate I didn't really know what to do after
college, and law school seemed reasonable. I know
many lawyers who floated into this profession in much
the same way. How we got here, however, is not the
point. Regardless of why we chose our profession,
the reality is as lawyers we have more of an opportunity
than most to make a real difference in people's lives.
As the often touted
"public service arm of the Bar" the YLS
has several projects and volunteer opportunities that
directly benefit our community. Whether it's reading
to a fourth grader at a local elementary school, coaching
a team of high school students for the mock trial
competition, or distributing copies of the award-winning
DVD, Parent Wars, and its companion handbook, the
YLS, in its own way, is trying to make a difference.
I realize this is an
unusual way to begin a quarterly YLS column, but my
purpose is to try and inspire those of you who, like
me, have a tendency to get wrapped up in the day-to-day
chaos that is the lot of most of us young lawyers.
I know what it's like to juggle work, kids, and everything
else. But, being active in the YLS is one of the best
ways to give back to the community without having
to devote huge blocks of time out of your day.
Below is a list of all
the current service projects being pursued by the
YLS this year. Each project can use more volunteers.
In agreeing to help, you can determine how little
or how much time you devote to a project. There are
multiple projects that at a minimum require only a
few hours a year! Projects such as Mock Trial (judging
a round of competitions only takes a few hours once
a year); Law Day (spend an hour or two talking to
a class about our jury system-again, only once a year).
Just helping out here and there on any given project
can potentially make a huge difference.
Consider this a challenge
to all YLS members, i.e., anyone 36 or younger or
in practice for less than 6 years (whichever allows
you to be a "young lawyer" longer), to join
a committee. Just one. As YLS Chair, I intend to recognize
each and every YLS member who rises to this challenge
at our next Annual Meeting in Hot Springs. And, speaking
of the Annual Meeting, let me be the first to announce
that the YLS Executive Council is working on some
serious re-vamping of the YLS meeting and activities
at the Annual Meeting, and you won't want to miss
it this year! There will still be champagne punch,
but we are working on "shaking it up" a
little bit. More on that to come in my next column
. . .
In the meantime, if you are interested in learning
more about any of the following YLS projects and committees,
please contact me at Mcauley@mwsgw.com.
•
Handbook Revisions
Statute
of Limitations,
Consumer
Law, and
Emergency
Preparedness
• Bridging the Gap
• Disaster Relief
• Parent Wars
• Newsletter
• Mock Trial
• Law Day
• Annual Meeting
I hope to hear from
you, and stay tuned for more information on those
changes to the YLS meeting and activities at the 2007
Annual Meeting! •
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