BarTalk April 2000
Volume 12, Number 2

Observations on the Importance of Lawyers

by Barry Cavanaugh

I am proud to be a lawyer. I am proud to belong to the profession of thinkers, of philosophers, of public servants. I am proud to be part of a long tradition of lawyers, who shape and alter the way our society lives, lifting the oppressed, heartening the defeated, enlightening the ignorant, and making real the very notions of democracy and civilized co-existence. Lawyers are the peacemakers, the intercessors who forestall violent conflict and chaos, and who build consensus among people about conduct and the way we will live together. Lawyers set down and interpret the terms of the social contract, and make it possible to resolve grievances and settle conflicts without force. Lawyers have given us the Bill of Rights, the Charter of Rights & Freedoms, and our Human Rights Codes. Lawyers stand beside the victims. Lawyers stand with the persecuted. I am proud to be a lawyer.

What do lawyers do? Who are we? Why should we be proud? The BC Branch’s campaign to educate the public about the role of lawyers spells it out:

They said he was too old to know what to do. A lawyer says he isn’t. He’s worried about the future. A lawyer helps him plan. His health plan denies him coverage. A lawyer helps get what he’s due. The doctors won’t talk to his advocate. A lawyer makes sure they will. They tried to take away his dignity. A lawyer gave it back.

The doctors say they can’t have a child. A lawyer says they can adopt. The counsellor tells them three years. A lawyer tells them one. They’re finally approved for adoption. A lawyer puts it in writing. A judge signs the order. A lawyer makes it final. They said they couldn’t have a child. A lawyer said they could.

Her father takes his anger out on her. A lawyer has him stopped. The family doesn’t want to pursue charges. A lawyer makes sure they do. The province puts her in a foster home. A lawyer finds a permanent one. Her father almost killed her. A lawyer saved her life.

They said she’d never start her own company. A lawyer says she can. The bank denies her loan. A lawyer helps her get one. The agent wants too much for space. A lawyer secures a fair lease. She needs a business identity. A lawyer incorporates her company. They said she’d never succeed. A lawyer helped prove them wrong.

She was persecuted in her home country. Her lawyer helps her stay here, safe. Her child was left behind. A lawyer reunites them. Her employer tries to pay a substandard wage. A lawyer ensures she is paid her due. A landlord refuses to rent to immigrants. A lawyer finds her a home. She was a stranger in her adopted land. A lawyer helped her find a new life.

That’s what we do. That’s why I am proud.

This article was published in the April 2000 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2005, all rights reserved.