by Lei Lei Wang Ekvall Recently, I attended a California State Bar Admissions Ceremony for new lawyers. It has been (dare I say it?) 17 years since I attended mine and the ceremony brought back some fond memories. The subsequent years of practicing law and seeing first hand the beneficial contributions by lawyers and judges made me rather proud to call myself a lawyer when welcoming these new admittees to our profession. When some of the speakers mentioned the likes of Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln as examples of the legal profession’s incredible contributions to our country and our society, it made me wonder who else in our country’s history was a member of the legal profession. (I have to confess that my mind wandered a few times in my efforts to start naming them in my head.) After the ceremony, I realized that while I very much enjoy meeting other lawyers and talking shop, I often find myself somewhat sheepishly admitting to being a lawyer in a social setting containing non-attorneys. I then decided I would spend some time researching U.S. Presidents who were also lawyers. The exercise could help me emphasize the importance of the legal profession in an attempt to counteract the negative image that seems to hound the legal profession. (Of course, throwing out names of lawyers who presided over our country in response to a lawyer joke could suggest that I have absolutely no sense of humor. After enough of these incidents and the invitations stop arriving, I may not have future opportunities to admit to my lawyer status, whether sheepishly or proudly.) Interestingly, the result of my research was a bit like Adam Sandler’s Chanukah Song. There were some presidents that I would have named as lawyers while they were not and vice versa. I was surprised that James Madison, who was responsible for the Bill of Rights, studied law from time to time but was never admitted to the bar. Theodore Roosevelt, the namesake of the teddy bear, also studied law but did not complete law school or proceed with a legal career. (I wonder if the teddy bear connection would have helped with the public’s image of lawyers.) With the exception of George Washington, our most popular presidents, Thomas Jefferson (I’m not sure if Jefferson really is one of the most popular presidents but I listed him because we both share a love for wine), Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, were lawyers. Abraham Lincoln, of course, is often cited as the embodiment of a legal professional, an individual with the highest level of integrity, honor, and respect for others. An overwhelming number of our presidents were lawyers. The tally totaled over 60%, although since 1901, only 44% of our presidents were lawyers. Recent presidents who were lawyers include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. (I realize the recent list of lawyer presidents may undercut my argument in some circles.) My research led me to learn of a couple of tidbits of personal interest. My husband, who is an electrical and software engineer from Sweden, often fails to appreciate and understand the value and contributions of the legal profession. Next time I get a complaint about how he can’t buy hot coffee because of lawyers, I will have to tell him that Herbert Hoover, one of our less popular presidents, was an engineer. Also, as a business bankruptcy attorney, I found it interesting that Harry Truman, who was not a lawyer, did have to utilize the bankruptcy system for his business. Finally, in seeking further inspiration and validation, I want to give a shout out to the following local lawyers who preside over or chair our Affiliate Bars as they tirelessly lead their organizations in serving the legal profession and our community. . . .
• ASSOCIATION OF ORANGE COUNTY DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS President: Babak “Bobby” Taghavi • CELTIC BAR ASSOCIATION President: Scott B. Well • FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION, ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER President: Daniel Sasse • HISPANIC BAR ASSOCIATION OF ORANGE COUNTY President: Carlos X. Colorado • J. REUBEN CLARK LAW SOCIETY Chair: Glen Nuttall • LEX ROMANA President: Janice M. Vinci • ORANGE COUNTY ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION President: Cherri Tsai • ORANGE COUNTY DEPUTY PUBLIC DEFENDERS ASSOCIATION President: Jennifer Ryan • ORANGE COUNTY TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION President: Anne Andrews • ORANGE COUNTY WOMEN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION President: Ashleigh Aitken Now, inspired and armed with my research and interesting tidbits (at least to me), I am looking forward to my next social event where I can proudly proclaim that I am a lawyer. After this column, I wonder if I will be invited anywhere.
_____________________________ Lei Lei Wang Ekvall is the 2010 President of the Orange County Bar Association and a partner of Weiland, Golden, Smiley, Wang Ekvall & Strok, LLP, where she specializes in representing debtors, creditors, and litigants in business reorganizations and workouts.