Have you ever watched the 1997 movie The Devil’s Advocate, starring Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino?
In it, hotshot small-town lawyer Kevin Lomax (Reeves) is offered the opportunity of a lifetime at a New York law firm headed by John Milton (Al Pacino). John Milton (spoiler alert) turns out to be both the Devil and Lomax’s father.
After this denouement, an understandably shell-shocked Lomax asks his dad, “Why the law? Cut the s**t, Dad! Why lawyers? Why the law?”
Milton replies: “Because the law, my boy, puts us into everything. It’s the ultimate backstage pass. It’s the new priesthood, baby.”
That line has stayed with me for years.
Now, after the flurry of social media posts, congratulations, and articles about last Friday’s Call to the Bar ceremony in Ghana, no one can doubt the ability of lawyers to capture the collective imagination. The black robes, the (for some) controversial wigs, the solemn oaths, the depictions of suave advocates winning court battles on countless shows and the symbolism of justice – they all hold a certain allure.
But beyond the ceremony lies the real substance of the profession.
To all the new lawyers, I say: congratulations on your achievement. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and you deserve the plaudits. But remember — the Law is about more than Latin maxims and theatrical performance: it’s about service. It is about integrity. It is often about winning, yes- but that should not come at the cost of your (or anyone else’s) soul.
It is about shaping policy; thinking about justice in all its forms; protecting the vulnerable, promoting fair business practices, and upholding ethics – in medicine, construction, natural resource management, international trade, and more. It is, ultimately, about people, and about how we want this world to be, and where we want it to go.
So yes, to quote that old devil Al Pacino, it surely does “put us into everything,” and so, accordingly, into everything, we must put our best.
Welcome to the Law, friends – and enjoy the ride. Remember not to take yourself too seriously, and may you wield the law not just with wit and skill, but with humility, truth and grace.
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