Another Finally...

After three years of law school, two months of bar studying, and five months at a law firm I'm finally a real lawyer. In addition to the J.D. and passing bar score, becoming bar certified required far too much paperwork, a required "ethics" interview, an hour and a half class on being a lawyer, and, finally, a swearing-in that occurred at noon today. The ceremony was at the Appellate Division, First Department Courthouse, a beautiful building just off Madison Square Park. The event proved more interesting than I expected.

First, all 70 prospective lawyers were ushered into the courtroom where our presence was recorded by a simple role call and the collection of certification sheets on which we promised to have already mailed the $350 admission fee. Guests, admitted about 20 minutes later, quickly filled the gallery, following which we all rose as a panel of judges strolled in from behind the bench. Someone from the committee on ethics then stood before the panel and made a formal motion for our admission. After the judges joked that they would not be leaving the courtroom to deliberate, we all rose and took an oath that boiled down to a promise to: do our best, be ethical, and defend the U.S. and New York State Constitutions.

Then, in a very soft voice, the judge sitting in the center of the panel gave a short speech that included references to famous judges, E.B. White, Thomas Edison ("99 percent perspiration" and all that), and an excerpt from Robert Fulghum's All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten. A little bit high school graduation 1990 - but it clearly warmed the hearts of all the parents who were moved at seeing their little ones grow up into... attorneys?

Since there were no pictures in the courtroom, everyone posed with family in the lobby (almost as ornate as the courtroom). Though not posted here, I let Wabes take a few photos (no worries Upstate Mom).