Celebrating Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.
By Luis J. Rodriguez
President, State Bar of California
The beauty of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is that
anyone – regardless of political affiliation, race, gender, ethnicity, religion
or sexual orientation – can draw inspiration from his words. This quote rings
true to our profession: “The function of education is to teach one to think
intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the
goal of true education.”
From the first day that we stepped into a law school class
to today when we sit down and analyze the legal issues before us, we are
summoned to use our critical thinking skills in a somewhat intense mind frame. The
next step is just as critical. This is the articulation and materialization of our
analysis for the benefit of our client or a cause. Unfortunately, some lose
sight of the fact that character is also a critical ingredient to this whole
equation.
Our profession has been criticized, ridiculed and
undervalued at times. As a profession, we rise to admirable heights when we
embrace the value of character. This strength in character plus our level of
intelligence help us make a valued impact in our communities. This year, the
State Bar continues to forge ahead to move our profession to those admirable
heights. The Task Force on Admissions Regulation Reform, chaired by former
State Bar President Jon B. Streeter, is looking to better prepare new attorneys
as they enter the profession. I have the honor of chairing the Civil
Justice Strategies Task Force that will look at the need for civil legal
assistance for low- and moderate-income Californians and the resources available
to meet that need, commonly known as the “justice gap.”
Dr. King talked about justice; he talked about respect; he
talked about hope. His words describe the potential that the legal profession
holds as catalyst for action. When we are able to point to our actions, then we
have moved beyond rhetoric. We are then able to prove our respect for the
community. This is when we start nearing the goal of true education. Maybe this
is one of the dreams that Dr. King had for our society. I like to think that it
is.