By Roberta M. Gubbins
Legal News
"Ethics, integrity and credibility are the keys to successful public service whether appointed or elected and is the key to being an outstanding lawyer," said former Justice Dennis Archer, speaking to a large group of lawyers, students and professors gathered in the Cooley Center Lobby.
"Education, leadership, respect for ethics and diversity is also the key to a successful global economy."
His topic for the speech, held on May tenth, was the "Foundations of Success: Professionalism and Integrity."
Justice Archer explained that he didn't start with all the titles he has earned over the course of his life. Born in Detroit, he was raised in Cassopolis. His parents had little education but they made "clear to me that education was the absolute key for success. I knew that if I wanted to live better, if I wanted to have things, I needed an education."
He went on to graduate from Detroit College of Law where he attended night school while teaching during the day. It was in law school that he "began to appreciate the power and the majesty of law."
A leader himself, he spoke of the demands of leadership. Leaders must be disciplined, "make excellence your goal. Inspire others to reach their full potential by consistently operating at or near the peak of your own abilities."
"Lawyers," he said, "must live by high professional standards, set by the State Bar and the Michigan Supreme Court. The goal is to avoid even the appearance of wrong-doing or conflict of interest."
Justice Archer continued, addressing the value of a legal education.
"There is so much you can do with a law degree," he said. "Those who obtain the best grades are always going to have opportunities, are going to receive scholarship to help with expenses. Others, like me, had to work their way through."
"However," he explained, "by your own hard work and sheer initiative," you can be exceedingly successful at what you choose to do.
"You have every opportunity before you to help serve the public and people in corporations, to be prosecutors, defense attorneys, to do almost anything you want to do if you are willing to work at it."
However, he emphasized, "ethics at the end of the day is going to be the key to whatever happens to you in your life."
Justice Archer noted that lawyers are judged not only on what they do in their practice but also what they do in life. He urged the audience to be aware of this and to be ethical in all their activities both in and out of their practice.
Justice Archer responded to questions as follows:
What can society do to enhance education at the lower K-12 levels?
The administration of the City of Detroit is facing two problems, Justice Archer noted. One is the lowering tax income for the city due to the recession and the other is a population that is almost 70% functionally illiterate. The city needs to change.
"The change that is occurring", he said, "is that public schools are coming back stronger and there is a recognition that there is a place for charter schools." While the burden of funding the schools is falling on the local governments, Justice Archer said that it is not too late to make a difference and volunteers can help.
"Personally, I have never turned down a school that asked me to speak. You can spend some time with the students, speak at career day when asked, encourage the students. It (support of the schools) doesn't take titles or money, it takes time."
How do you distinguish ethics and morality for us as future attorneys living in different times?
"We do live in different times, but if you steal something you still steal it, it doesn't matter whether it was then or now. We may live in different times but values don't change." Today we know much more about each other meaning we should be aware that what we do can affect us long into the future.
Justice Archer earned his Bachelor of Science degree in education from Western Michigan University. He taught learning-disabled children in Detroit Public Schools from 1965 to 1970. Archer earned his J.D. from the Detroit College of Law in 1970. He served as a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court from 1986 to 1990. In his last year as a Michigan Supreme Court justice, he was named ''most respected judge in Michigan'' by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. He was Mayor of Detroit from 1993 to 2001.
Justice Archer is Chairman and CEO of Dennis W. Archer PLLC and Chairman Emeritus of Dickinson Wright PLLC, and former American Bar Association President.
The event was sponsored by the Davis-Dunnings Bar Association, Thomas M Cooley Krinock Fund, and the Center for Ethics, Service, and Professionalism.
Published: Thu, May 16, 2013
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