Have you asked yourself this question lately?
No? Then it is time!
Fort Bend County is home to a varied, diverse, dynamic, history rich population and set of attorneys of whom we are very proud to call friends, colleagues and neighbors!!
Fort Bend is unique in its small town flavor and feel despite having an approximate current population of 944,637 and bears the proud distinction of being the most diverse county in Texas for at least two years in a row!
That dynamism and diversity is mirrored in our Bar Association and reflected in our county’s honorable Judiciary and we are all the better for it and our Bar is stronger for it!
This rich tapestry of attorneys and judiciary in our county means we have a unique bar association that carries with a depth and breadth of history, cultures, experiences, knowledge, perspectives, understanding and wisdom – a treasure trove that can serve our amazing county and its population and even serve our bar association members.
When I first came to this county many moons ago what struck me the most was the amazing warmth, camaraderie, friendliness, deep respect, compassion and genuineness of the people here and I saw that reflected in our bar and our attorneys and I still do.
I believed then as I do now that it is that very essence of what makes our county different that also is our greatest strength and provides us with the unique ability to fulfill a legal duty to our bar, ourselves, our community and this county to not just be attorneys, but to serve.
Serve in a sense of civility.
Serve in a sense of duty.
Serve in the sense of our Texas Lawyer’s Creed.*
Think back regardless of when you were licensed to the day you became a lawyer and were sworn in and took on that mantle.
How did it feel?
Did it fill you with a sense of pride? Of responsibility?
The Lawyer’s Creed of Texas, if you have not looked at it in a while, I encourage you to do it here, states in part as follows:
"I am a lawyer. I am entrusted by the People of Texas to pre-serve and improve our legal system. I am licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. I must therefore abide by the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, but I know that Professionalism requires more than merely avoiding the violation of laws and rules. I am committed to this Creed for no other reason than it is right."
I am committed to this Creed for no other reason than it is right.
It is a powerful statement. It is also the seed that can be sown for service.
Ask yourself what it means to be an attorney, what it means to be an attorney in this county and what can you do to commit yourself to service in our bar and our community for no other reason than it is right.
In an era where all of us are providing our all to our jobs, our clients, our families, our children and so many of us in our profession find ourselves stretched, stressed, committed to the daily it is easy to understand how asking to serve can seem daunting and exhausting or even not doable.
But I ask you this: If we can devote ourselves to all of the things in our life is it not also a reward to also give back to make our bar stronger, our community stronger by mentoring, volunteering, being speakers for continuing legal education courses, engaging and fostering our bar, making it stronger and more dynamic for the simple reason that is it right to do so and in the end, we are the bar and it is only as strong as the commitment of its members.
So I encourage each of you that has not joined the Fort Bend Bar Association yet to join and for those of us who have been long serving members, new members, and those in between I encourage to be involved with your bar and not just by participating in continuing legal education courses!
We invite and need and honor that rich tapestry of attorneys and judiciary to bring their unique depth and breadth of history, cultures, experiences, knowledge, perspectives, understanding and wisdom to be our bar associations’ treasure trove and help us provide mentoring, serve on the Board, bring us your knowledge and expertise for keeping our website and social media presence up to date and vibrant, bring us your ideas and energy to create more outreach among our various attorney practices so that we can create the best space for lawyers of all disciplines for our members of all ages, create space for strong and supportive networking, strengthen and deepen our bond with our judiciary, and in so doing all of these, understand the needs of the people in our county to help serve our community better
After all, it is our community and it is only as strong as those committed to it.
https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Past_Issues&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=27472 -Anjali Bakshi-Rami