Skip to main content

John Adams' Descendants

As an officer of the Boston Bar Association, this week I had the profound privilege of addressing the newest members of the Massachusetts Bar as  they took their oaths to defend the Massachusetts and United States Constitutions and to observe the high standards of ethics and professionalism expected of Massachusetts lawyers.  The ceremonies take place several times in the span of one week, twice a year, at Faneuil Hall, perhaps the most historic building in the City of Boston.  (The Great Hall, where the ceremony takes place, is pictured here.)  The ceremony is entertaining and informative (thanks to the outstanding work of Supreme Judicial Court Clerk Maura Doyle), and inspirational (thanks both to Clerk Doyle and to the inspired remarks and calls to public service of the various Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court who take turns presiding over the Court session).  This year the occasion has been a little bittersweet, as many of the new lawyers either have been unable to find jobs or have had their jobs deferred well into 2010.  But all of the new lawyers should feel proud of their accomplishments and hopeful for better times ahead.  This year was also special for another reason, described in the following, closing passage from my remarks:

Finally, I want you to know that you are being admitted to the bar on a significant anniversary, though one that has gone largely unnoticed.  According to biographer David McCullough, John Adams was admitted to the Massachusetts bar on November 6, 1759. This year marks the 250th anniversary of the bar admission of our second president.  Adams not only had a major role in securing our nation’s independence, but also in writing the Massachusetts constitution, which became a model for the United States Constitution.  The Boston Bar Association also claims him as one of our own founders and past presidents.  By our admission to the Massachusetts bar, we are all, in a very real way, Adams’ descendants.  None of us are likely to achieve anything close to Adams’ accomplishments in our lifetimes.  But all of us, like Adams, can aspire to put our talents to use not only for our private gain, but also for the public good.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Eight Simple Words

During my junior year in high school, I sat in the back of our auditorium listening to our drama teacher, Ruth Bair, attempt to persuade a large group of students to try out for the school play.  With me, at least, she was successful.  I auditioned for a part in Archibald MacLeish's "JB," a modern day drama based on the Book of Job.  All I garnered that time was a walk-on part; better roles awaited me my senior year.  But Mrs. Bair's little speech was enough to get me in the game.  And the experience of  performing in the school plays was the highlight of my high school years. What she said that I remember is this:  "If you don't extend yourself, you haven't lived."  Some memory of biology class made me think that this was both literally and figuratively true, though I'm not sure about the literal part, and it's only the figurative that matters to me.  But through the years and decades that followed, whenever I was unsure about participatin
Post a Comment
Read more

"The Upswing" and Our Problem with Masks

 I have begun reading the book "The Upswing" by Robert D. Putnam. In the first chapter, the author calls for balance in two vital yet conflicting characteristics of the American identity. Because these characteristics underlie our great national divide over the wearing of masks in a pandemic, I wanted to post the following insightful passage now: As Tocqueville rightly noted, in order for the American experiment to succeed, personal liberty must be fiercely protected, but also carefully balanced with a commitment to the common good. Individuals' freedom to pursue their own interests holds great promise, but relentlessly exercising that freedom at the expense of others has the power to unravel the very foundations of the society that guarantees it. I believe Mr. Putnam has captured the heart of what is afflicting us at this time of crisis; some Americans' fierce devotion to personal liberty as a supreme virtue, without regard to the collective good. I look forward to
Post a Comment
Read more

Memorial Day 2016

I am not even close to worthy of the sacrifices our men and women in uniform have made to protect my freedoms. Nothing I have done in life begins to hold a candle to their service.  So let me begin by simply saying "thank you" to any of them who may read this post.  My country, my family and I are forever in your debt.  I cannot ever emphasize that enough. Although I never served in the military, I am a patriot.  I deeply love my country and what it stands for.   I proudly served a term as President to a bar association that launched a program to provide free legal advice to military veterans.  I recited the Pledge of Allegiance when I was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, and repeated it every time I participated in admissions ceremonies for new lawyers.  I get teary-eyed when I think about the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner as it is being performed and try to imagine the setting in which Francis Scott Key penned them.  My father served in the Army during World War II
Post a Comment
Read more