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From Good to Great: The Greatest Lawyer I Know
By Donald F. Carey
We may often hear or even say, “They are a good lawyer,” when speaking of one of our colleagues in the bar. Have you considered what qualities or behaviors make someone a good lawyer? Does being a good lawyer include full compliance with the rules of professional conduct? A person who is knowledgeable in the law and capable? One who is diligent, courteous, and, above all else, honest and trustworthy? I think we could all agree that these qualities are at least a good starting point for one to be considered a good lawyer.
So, what does it take to be a great lawyer? Or maybe a better question to ask is: What does it take to stand out among very capable lawyers? I want to suggest that to stand out as a great lawyer one should develop a legacy of service outside the practice of law. Using a legacy of service as the criterium, I conclude that the greatest lawyer I know is Paul Harris.
Harris was born on April 19, 1868, in Racine, Wisconsin.[i] Twenty years later he moved to Des Moines, Iowa and began his apprenticeship in law. After completing his apprenticeship, he studied law at the University of Iowa. He graduated with a Bachelor of Law in June 1891.[ii] Harris began his law practice in 1896 in Chicago’s main business district. After establishing his law practice, Harris began to consider the benefits of the formation of a social organization for local professionals. So, in 1905, Harris organized the first Rotary Club with three clients and local businessmen, Silvester Schele, Gustavus Loehr, and Hiram Shorey. The initial goal was to create a club of professionals and businessmen for friendship and fellowship. Not long thereafter, Harris realized that Rotary needed a greater purpose.
In 1907, Harris’s Rotary Club initiated its first public service project, the construction of public toilets in Chicago. This step transformed Rotary into the world’s first Service Club. By 1910, at least 15 new clubs had begun in major cities. That August, the existing 16 Rotary Clubs held a national convention in Chicago. There, they unanimously chose to unify as the National Association of Rotary Clubs. Eventually, the organization became the International Association of Rotary Clubs, now known as Rotary International.
Rotary’s focus areas include:
Promoting Peace; Fighting Disease; Providing Clean Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene; Saving Mothers and Children; Supporting Education; and Growing Local Economies.
Today, Rotary has over 35,000 clubs worldwide and over 1,200,000 members.[iii] Its focus is on service, as defined broadly within six distinct areas of focus. The needs are profound. For example, it is estimated that 6,000 people die each day, more than 2.2 million each year, from waterborne pathogens. (We take potable water for granted, and even use it to flush our waste.) Rotary works to construct clean wells and filtration systems, both fixed and portable, to prevent at least some of these unnecessary deaths.
One of Rotary’s greatest achievements, and what remains a bit of unfinished business, is the fight to eradicate the wild poliovirus worldwide. In 1988, Rotary and the World Health Organization launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for the eradication of polio worldwide. At that time there were an estimated 350,000 cases of polio worldwide, in 125 endemic countries.[iv] In contrast, there were only 33 new cases of polio reported worldwide in 2018, and now there are only three endemic countries – Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. It is estimated that 88% of children ages one year or older have now been vaccinated against polio, with over 2.5 billion children worldwide having been immunized to date.[v]
In Idaho, there are Rotary Clubs in almost every town. These clubs serve their local communities with any number of service projects and they participate in international projects by way of boots on the ground and financial contributions. Rotarians are some of the busiest people you will ever know. We are fortunate to have many lawyers and judges who are current members of Rotary. They serve their communities, their state, their nation, and the world quietly, effectively, and without fanfare.
Circling back, because Paul Harris had a vision, “Service Above Self,” which is the Rotary motto, and because of the legacy of Rotary International and all the good work it does, Paul Harris is the greatest lawyer I know.
What will be your legacy of service? Rotary is only one avenue to serve and certainly isn’t for everyone. Still, I encourage you to find a way to serve your Bar, your town, your state, and indeed, your world in a consistent and meaningful manner. I trust you will find more joy in those acts of service than you can imagine. Live well!
Donald F. Carey is a 1991 graduate of the University of Wyoming College of Law. He is a founding partner in the Idaho Falls-based law firm of Carey Romankiw. He is a certified mediator. His practice includes general litigation and alternative dispute resolution. When he is not in the office you may find him running ridiculous distances in the mountains of eastern Idaho and western Wyoming.
[i] Rotary’s Founder – The Paul Harris Story.
[ii] Wikipedia – Paul Harris
[iii] Rotary International web site.
[iv] World Health Organization web site.
[v] Contagionlive.com
Last Mobile Monday Session is November 25!
Mondays in November – via teleseminar
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (MT) / 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (PT)
1.0 CLE Credit per session
$35.00 per session
Join the Idaho Law Foundation every Monday in November for the Mobile Monday CLE Series. The series provides an outlet for distinguished Idaho practitioners and jurists to present an array of diverse topics. The convenience of joining from your computer, mobile device or toll-free teleconferencing allows attorneys to participate regardless of their hectic schedules or location. Traveling? No problem – join us from the hotel lobby or airport lounge. All you need is a telephone and one hour to experience this continuing legal education opportunity.
You may purchase individual sessions by clicking on the course links below.
Monday, November 25: Considerations for Attorneys Serving on Nonprofit Boards – Cathy R. Silak, Hawley Troxell Ennis & Hawley, LLP – NAC – .5 Ethics
Your support of the Idaho Law Foundation CLE programming provides the necessary resources to fulfill the Foundation’s goal of enriching the public’s understanding of and respect for the law and legal system.
Essayists Needed for “Democracy Evolved: The Future of American Elections” -Deadline Nov. 20
The University of Idaho College of Law Idaho Law Review is pleased to announce a Call for Papers for a special symposium volume entitled “Democracy Evolved: The Future of American Elections.”
Select essays from this symposium volume will be presented at a symposium conference co-sponsored by the Idaho Law Review and the University of Idaho’s James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research.
We invite submissions in the form of a short essay, 5 to 15 manuscript pages in length, that engage the following thought-experiment.
In 1870, the 15th Amendment was ratified, formally prohibiting vote denial on the basis of race. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, prohibiting vote denial on the basis of sex. In the 1960s, the Supreme Court established the one-person-one-vote-principle and Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act. In 2000, the Supreme Court decided the presidential election in Bush v. Gore. In 2016, the country experienced one of the most controversial and polarizing elections in modern history. On the eve of the 2020 election, we examine American democracy and ask: where are we now, and where might we be – 4 years, 20 years, 50 years, 100 years, or even 150 years from now?
Your submission can focus on any aspect of the American electoral system and adopt any time horizon. Our goal is to facilitate a robust discussion addressing a range of issues concerning national, state, and local elections and reflecting a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum. We encourage authors to “think big” and offer bold new visions of electoral rules and institutions that illuminate the national debate at this critical moment in the evolution of American democracy.
We plan to publish a rich collection of essays in our symposium volume and invite some authors to present their essays at the symposium conference on Friday, April 3, 2020 at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho.
If you are interested in participating, please submit a one-page abstract of your proposed essay to Sydney Sears, Chief Symposium Editor, sear8303@vandals.uidaho.edu, and Audrey Thorne, Symposium Editor, thor9144@vandals.uidaho.edu as soon as possible, but no later than November 20, 2019.
Idaho Supreme Court Order adopting Resolution Designating Idaho Pro Bono Week 2019
Free Web Event – Planning for Positive Change: Strategies for Wellness and Well-Being – Dec. 9
The Arizona State Bar and Supreme Court have invited our members to participate in a FREE 3-part series on navigating through the wellness and well-being challenges that face lawyers today. These classes are available via webcast from the Arizona Bar. Part 3 will take place on December 9th.
Details are on the flyer below.
Registration is available to watch individually or as a group via the Arizona State Bar.
October 21 – Part 1: I Can Stop Anytime: Substance Use Disorder, Addiction and the Opioid Crisis – 11:00 – 12:15 MT
November 12 – Part 2: We Can’t Go On This Way: Lawyer Depression, Anxiety and Suicide – 10:00 – 11:15 MT
December 9 – Part 3: Planning for Positive Change: Strategies for Wellness and Well-Being – 10:00 – 11:15 MT
Public Records & Open Meetings Educational Sessions – McCall, Boise & Nampa
U.S. Courts Bench Bar Conference – Boise, Oct. 25
BOISE, IDAHO – Boise Centre
On OCTOBER 25, 2019, the Idaho federal courts return to the Boise Centre with the annual BOISE FEDERAL COURT BENCH-BAR CONFERENCE. Always the most worthwhile legal conference in the state, this year’s edition will help non-bankruptcy practitioners sleep better at night (A Little Knowledge is a Necessary Thing – What the non-Bankruptcy Lawyer Needs to Know About Bankruptcy Law Issues in non-Bankruptcy Cases); give you useful information about changes in the law and the federal courts (including the impact of the #ME TOO movement upon courts, law firms and your client’s businesses); practical pointers and lawyers’ insider tips about best practices in federal court (Respectful Workplaces in the Field of Law – Employment Practices and Policies in the Federal Courts and Law Firms and an Employment Law Update); learn about (or more about) the important world of CERCLA, Superfund, PRPs and more in a compelling look back – and look forward – at the work of Idaho lawyers and the federal court in the halting and remediation of the heavy metal mining contamination in the Silver Valley and the Coeur d’Alene River basin, a program which fascinated attendees in last month’s North Idaho conference (A Silver Lining in the Silver Valley), and learn about the art and craft of lawyering in federal court, including what experienced federal practitioners do behind the scenes, from a panel of lawyers and a panel of federal judges (The Lawyer as Advocate and Problem Solver in Federal Court – Fundamentals, Craft and Virtuosity) and join us as we honor the service and remarkable career of Judge Mikel H. Williams. Plus, CLE credits, a great luncheon (included in your ridiculously cheap registration fee), good conversation, and connecting with old friends and new acquaintances. No wonder this conference continues to be the best CLE value and most interesting legal conference in the West!
Tell your friends, and REGISTER NOW at the Court’s website!
Pro Bono Week Mix and Mingle -Oct. 18
Comments Sought on Idaho Rules of Family Law Procedure
The Idaho Supreme Court’s Children and Families in the Courts Committee is seeking input on amendments to the Idaho Rules of Family Law Procedure. A copy of the amendments can be found on the court’s website at https://isc.idaho.gov/main/rules-for-public-comment.
Comments on the proposed amendments may be sent to Deena Layne, dlayne@idcourts.net by Friday, October 4, 2019. Thank you.
Lawyer Referral Service Available Online
The Idaho State Bar Lawyer Referral Service is available online at www.idaho.community.lawyer.
The Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) is operated as a public service of the Idaho State Bar. The fee for a referral is $35 unless the cases are personal injury, medical malpractice, or workers’ compensation, which receive a free referral. LRS attorneys are members in good standing with the Idaho State Bar with no pending public disciplinary complaints and carry professional liability insurance. LRS attorneys have agreed to provide their clients with an initial consultation up to a half-hour at no additional fee.