Much is expected of you, and you have the talents to provide the quality leadership that we will need. A 1967 graduate of the Ole Miss law school, Abbott enjoyed the experience of having his son, Guthrie T. Abbott Jr., among the 175-member class to whom he was speaking. It is not about machines and transmitting information at the speed of light. Much of the practice of law involves disputes. Working out problems through personal interaction is part of the daily process of practicing law.
Technology is a crutch.
Never forget that it is your relationship with people that makes life and our profession worthwhile. The overwhelming majority of attorneys that you will meet and deal with through your career are fine, courageous upstanding professionals who are also the pillars of their communities throughout the United States. You are the guardians of the Constitution and the Republic. The torch is passed to you today from Guff Abbott, from your faculty and from others who represent the best of our profession. You cannot allow the torch to be dropped or the flame extinguished.