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PRESIDENT’S
PERSPECTIVE
AS I WRITE THESE WORDS, THE ELECTION IS BARELY IN OUR REARVIEW MIRRORS. I KNOW THAT ONE CANDIDATE OR ANOTHER OR ONE PARTY OR ANOTHER HAS CLAIMED VICTORY IN ALL OF THE MANY RACES THAT TOOK PLACE, BUT I’D LIKE TO THINK THAT THE RESOUNDING WINNER IN THE RECENT ELECTIONS WAS THE RULE OF LAW. THE EXIT POLLS SHOWED THAT MANY VOTERS REJECTED THOSE CANDIDATES WHO DEFIED A FUNDAMENTAL PILLAR OF OUR DEMOCRACY: THE PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER. RESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW IS IMBEDDED IN OUR MISSION STATEMENT: “THE COLLEGE STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, TRIAL BY JURY, RESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW, ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND FAIR AND JUST REPRESENTATION OF ALL PARTIES TO LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.” LYING ABOUT OR DENYING THE RESULTS OF A FAIR ELECTION DISRESPECTS THE RULE OF LAW, AND IT WAS GRATIFYING TO SEE VOTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES DISAVOW SUCH DISRESPECT.
I’d like to think that voters connected the dots between the political rhetoric that we were hearing and the political violence that we were seeing and the political conspiracy theories that had no factual basis and decided instead that facts matter. Some voters had it easy – the candidates who best reflected their personal views on the issues also respected the results of the 2020 election. But I particularly admire those who voted for a candidate who otherwise didn’t reflect their views on the issues in order to support the rule of law. That vote took strength of character and an abiding respect for the rule of law. In a recent e-Bulletin article, I cited statistics from the World Justice Project, showing that the rule of law declined sixty-one percent between 2021 and 2022. That’s a depressing statistic, but perhaps the recent elections show that there is reason for some optimism – at least in the U.S. Let’s hope so.
Our Committee for Judicial Independence, chaired by John R. Wester, continues to work on an initiative (be- gun under the direction of Past President Mike O’Don- nell) to evaluate recent hearings of the Committee on
the Judiciary for nominees to the Supreme Court. The Com- mittee has been soliciting ideas from Senators on both sides of the aisle in its quest to promote fairness and confidence in the confirmation process and to enhance public respect for both the Senate and the Court. Once it finishes gathering informa- tion, the Committee intends to draft an Open Letter that will be provided to members of the press and the Senate, advancing ideas to raise the discourse and reduce the polarization of con- firmation hearings for nominees to the Supreme Court.
In partnership with the Association of Pro Bono Counsel, our Access to Justice and Legal Representation Committee put on a terrific webinar event, entitled “Doing Well by Doing Good: Enhancing Your Career as a Trial Attorney with Pro Bono Services.” The Committee is already hard at work on its next project—this one in coordination with the Innocence Project. Stay tuned.
In keeping with our mission statement “to improve the stan- dards of trial practice,” the College continues to prioritize the training of the next generation of trial lawyers with our boot camps and our competitions, including the National
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