‘A moment about possibility’: 180 new lawyers sworn in

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The Monroe County Bar Association admission ceremony for the Appellate division of state Supreme Court, Fourth Department, welcomed 180 new lawyers Wednesday in Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre.

“You’ve all worked tirelessly to get here,” keynote speaker Judge Eugene M. Fahey told the new attorneys, joined by about 100 friends and relatives.

“Just remember, at least in my life, I’ve found gratitude to be one of the shortest-lived emotions. Don’t let that happen to you. On this day, remember the joy and remember to share the moment with those you love,” said Fahey, who retired as a judge of the New York State Court of Appeals.

The swearing in ceremony was not just a special moment marking achievement, but “a moment about possibility,” Fahey said.

“You’ve worked to be here, but also you’re at this juncture in life where it’s the possibility of what you can become as a result of all this work,” he said.

“Life doesn’t have as many as we would like of these kinds of moments, so enjoy it. I encourage you to celebrate it because, as we know we have many hardships and the successes should be savored,” he said.

As the new lawyers begin to master the skills needed to practice law, the most important may be developing the maturity required to manage conflict, Fahey told the young lawyers.

“Often that means that you must respect your opponents and the opposing position even if you don’t agree with them,” he said.

“Sometimes you’ll have to choose between your career and the lifestyle that you desire. It will be a choice of what dreams do you wish to pursue. There’s no perfect answer. Just make sure that it’s your choice and nobody else’s,” Fahey said.

And he told the group their future will not be as predictable as they might prefer.

“You will discover as you move down this path that there’s an accidental quality in your journey through the legal profession. Plans that you have made may not work out. The important thing is to work, to get into court, to learn the basics of practicing, to conquer your fears about everything, from public speaking, to public argument, to confrontation or being too confrontational,” he said.

And Fahey told the new lawyers they are beginning their careers at a fraught time.

“Presently, as a society, we are in the midst of redefining ourselves. How that takes place will be fought out in courts throughout America, and the future of America, and what it is, will depend on the values that we preserve during this struggle,” he said.

“Doctrines that underly the law, such as the separation of power, the origin of judicial review, the presumption of innocence, the meaning of due process and equal protection, freedom of expression in all of its forms, they are all being reevaluated,” Fahey said.

“Every dispute about how we live will be relitigated during your lives. I think it is fair to say that nothing at this moment is set in stone,” he said.

But Fahey is certain that the circumstances will require lawyers like the group sworn in Wednesday.

“Your responsibility is to make sure that the future decisions are rooted in justice,” he said.

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