It is as if history is flashing by in the blink of an eye. For sure there have been many memorable events over the last 100 years in the courtrooms of the nation. In fact the acceleration of the number of significant trials occurs at almost a dizzying and sometimes disturbing rate. Likewise the contribution which the organized bar has made to the improvement of the administration of justice and the legislative and executive branches of government is impressive. No other profession is called upon to make greater sacrifices for the common good than the legal profession.
Lawyers are truly the technicians of democracy.
Day in and day out it is the lawyer who makes a difference in the order of our communities. And the legal profession is expected to and does provide free legal services to the poor. Yet there continues to be general dissatisfaction with lawyers and courts. The pollsters point to persuasive evidence that public trust and confidence of courts, and the legal profession, is at an all-time low. We are in a period of great transition.