Justice Lanzinger Welcomes New Lawyers

I was privileged to give the keynote speech after more than 900 new attorneys took the oath of office on Nov. 7 at the Ohio Theatre here in Columbus.

Among other things, I told them: “Your status has changed. You are now a lawyer. You are now an attorney at law. What you say and what you sign guarantees trust, for as your oath said, 'you are an officer of the court.' You now officially belong in the land of the law… as an attorney you have the tools to help those most in need. Apart from understanding law, attorneys have to be good with people. After all the heart and the soul of your practice will always be your clients. Their problems are paramount. Their needs and wishes must always be considered.”

More than 81 percent of the 1,176 applicants who sat in the July 2011 exam received passing scores and satisfied all of the Supreme Court’s other admissions requirements. They are the future leaders of the practicing bar of Ohio and we wish them successful careers in helping others.

In case you missed it, a link to the entire speech is right here.