On November 12, the Detroit Bar Association hosted its first Virtual Admission Ceremony for Lawyers. The effort was successfully collaboration of the Third Circuit Court, the Wayne County Clerk’s Office, and the Detroit Bar Association.
Chief Judge Timothy M. Kenny opened the special session of court for the 38 bar passers to be admitted. Detroit Bar Association President Dan Shirey delivered greetings. The local law schools had various representatives in attendance and the families and friends rounded out the audience. The chat box was filled with best wishes and congratulations. One remark of note: “Congratulations to Priscilla Ghita for passing the Bar Exam 2 days after giving birth! Proud Dad.”
Judge Mariam Bazzi from the Criminal Division of the Court accepted the Detroit Bar Barristers motion for admission on behalf of the candidates and administered the Lawyer’s Oath.
Judge Noah P. Hood delivered the following welcoming Speech to the newly minted lawyers:
“Good afternoon.
“I am Noah P. Hood, and it is my honor, on behalf of the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan, to welcome you as the newest members of the bar.
“For many of you this is a great achievement. A culmination of years – and, more recently, months – of hard work and preparation.
“For all of you this also represents the start of many more months and years of hard work and preparation. Today is not so much an endpoint, but an embarkation point.
“Like the start of any journey, particularly one where the destination is not necessarily known to the traveler, you may feel both excitement and apprehension.
“Each of you is about to do something you have not done before.
“Some of you are starting as the most junior person at your law firm. Some of you will be newly minted prosecutors and defense attorneys, where the stakes are immeasurably high. Others of you will start your own firms and partnerships, which carries its own sense of uncertainty and adventure. And some of you may not yet know what you will do, but the possibilities are infinite.
“If, today, you feel a bit excited and a bit nervous, that’s okay.
“I will offer you a bit of unsolicited encouragement and advice. It is advice that has always served me well. And it is a common thread and mandate in the oath you just took.
“Always. Always. Always. Operate in good faith.
“If you do this, two things will happen.
“First, in the words of Cormac McCarthy, nothing sets your mind at ease like waking up in the morning and not having to decide who you are.
“Second. Regardless of who you are. How smart. How talented. How hard working. How lucky. Eventually, in this profession, each of us will make a mistake. If you are like me, it will happen more than once. And you will have to explain this mistake to a client, to a colleague, to a supervisor. To an opponent. To a judge. When that happens, you will need that person to believe that your mistake was honestly made. That only works when you consistently operate in good faith.
“Playing it straight: this is an easy thing to do. But you have to do it every day. Starting with today. Day One.
“Ours is an honorable profession. But it is also self-policing. It is up to each of us – each of you – to make sure that it stays honorable. That it is honorable.
“Finally, I will leave you with the words W. Haywood Burns, an iconic civil rights lawyer and scholar, a mentor to my mentor, W. Mack Faison. He spoke of our profession in economic terms. ‘The problem is not the overproduction of lawyers. The problem is the distribution of lawyers. Where they are, and whose interests they serve.’
“As you embark on this journey – this new career – let the oath you just took serve as your lodestar. And you will find your way back each time you get lost.
“I congratulate you on your achievement. I welcome you to this honorable profession. And I wish you good luck on your journey to come.”
The program concluded with a reception with several judges including Chief Judge Pro Tem Hon. Patricia M. Fresard, Hon. David J. Allen, and Hon. David A. Groner. The Detroit Bar Association offers a one year complimentary membership to the attorneys who were sworn in during the ceremony.
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