Pakistan's lawyers are putting themselves out there for the sake of the rule of law. The deposed and arrested chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudry, said, “The lawyers should convey my message to the people to rise up and restore the Constitution." You can read about it in the New York Times.
Some of my thoughts on this:
-- no one is asking what kinds of lawyers they are. Corporate? Litigation? Family? Real estate? Who knows. It turns out that their believe in the rule of law, and their willingness to risk physical harm and reputation for it, are things they have in common.
-- people pay attention to what they do. Pakistan and the world are watching what is happening. Lawyers have a unique position in society, both in Pakistan and here. When lawyers choose to use their voices for something important, people often listen.
-- they are taking action amidst great uncertainty. Will it work? Will they be arrested? Killed? Who knows? Doing the right thing often means "doing what feels right for now." It doesn't mean you will know how things turn out.
-- in times of chaos, attention to basic principles -- like a belief in the rule of law -- can guide action.
Would I do the same? I don't know. But I hope so.
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Posted by: lawyers minneapolis | December 31, 2012 at 06:33 AM