By Dante J. Martinez
“I am the law” – Judge Dredd
A famous quote from a personal favorite, but as I sat with the ringing of Stallone’s voice, I questioned to myself: what is to be the law?
Does the position you stand in, the chip on your shoulder, or the nice accessories attribute to such power? Or is the moral guidance and inspiring dignity that transcends an individual into something more than our fellow dogmas present…
A man with a righteous heart can do equal harm as the man whom he/she represents or condemns; so how could anyone symbolize such guidelines…
It wouldn’t be the logical answer, but it is something many can and do possess: the act of selflessness.
To incongruously act as the law is one tradition, but to truly earn the iron label is to attain a concern with the needs and wishes of others more so than with one’s own. And as legal professionals, we work every day for the interests of others, but within the confinements of law; sometimes even shackled by it. It’s a rough business, to live and work in the dirt of the busy world while remaining clear from the adverse relationships it may carry; but to those who remain selflessness, they will become a symbol for those who are beneath them.
You are the law, you represent what we adhere to and contradict, so in everyone’s best efforts to represent it, have them follow your lead.