Many respondents to a recent survey noted that their dissatisfaction in law stemmed from lacking a sense of accomplishment and pride in becoming a lawyer, in part because of the long hours required and daily stress. Do we practice law solely to add to our firm’s bottom line and our bank accounts? Or, rather, as officers of the court and public citizens, do we exist to provide legal services to the public and ensure access to justice because without access to our court system, the rule of law is harmed?

I recently attended the American Bar Association Annual Meeting in Chicago. During the meeting, former ABA President Hilarie Bass shared her experience traveling to the southern border to assess the impact of the U.S. family separation policy. As you can imagine, the stories she shared were heartbreaking and the need for legal services to ensure due process was critical.