Only one sorrowful exception in which brother bore arms against brother, the Civil War, exists in our history. The legal profession has safeguarded and nurtured the freedom born at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, protected by the system of checks and balances codified in the Constitution, broadened by the Bill of Rights and later made applicable to all citizens through constitutional amendments. Attorneys serve freedom and society in so many capacities that collectively keep our nation strong and peaceful. Attorneys have continued to play an integral role in the creation of our laws. Many state legislatures, as well as the United States Congress and local boards of aldermen, have a substantial number of attorneys among their membership.
Attorneys serve in the executive branches of national, state, and local government.
Many attorneys serve the public interest as prosecutors and public defenders. Prosecutors protect the peace and together with law enforcement agencies, endeavor to insure public safety, ferret out and bring to justice those who betray the public trust as well as those who commit crimes against individuals. Public defenders have the same role as criminal defense attorneys in the private sector but their existence is testimony to the law's compelling interest in providing due process and counsel to those who cannot afford private representation. Criminal defense attorneys, public or private, protect the rights of the accused. They also thereby protect the rights of the innocent.